Over the next few days we will be previewing the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.Women's 200 Meter Individual Medley
What to watch for: This event is like four drag races in one. Each leg of the race is a knock-down-drag-out battle and in order to put together a great race the swimmer needs to have a burst of speed for each stroke. There is no room for weakness here. On the other hand, put too much effort into any one leg without thinking of the others and expect to see a swimmer run out of gas towards the end. This is one of the most exciting races of the trials to watch.
What it takes: Natalie Coughlin has another first seed here, but she's followed closely by Katie Hoff. Hoff has more experience in this event and is better known for her ability to swim a variety of strokes. But then again Coughlin has the experience and maturity in her favor. In the end it's going to be a head-to-head battle between these two.
Unlikely underdogs: Watch for Julia Smit, who is currently seeded eighth. The Stanford swimmer has made a break onto the international scene recently, including a gold medal in this event at the 2007 Pan Pacific Championships and may surprise us.
My prediction: Coughlin and Hoff will team up to give us a show in Beijing of precision and pure speed.
