We're previewing all of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trial eventsMen's 1500 Meter Freestyle
What to watch for: This event is unique in that there's no women's equivalent. Only men swim the 1500 and it's the ultimate distance event for an Olympic swimmer. Distance swimmers Larsen Jensen and Peter Vanderkaay look to add to their lists of Olympic events by swimming this event. Perennial distance favorite Erik Vendt is seeded first and will likely make another Olympic team.
What it takes: The 1500 is like a pacing game. Go out too fast and you either won't have enough won't have enough to chase down the leader. Go out too slow, and you've got gas left over in the tank when you hit the wall. And gas left over is never good. The best distance swimmers are as reliable as a stopwatch: each 100 meters should clock in at about the same time.
Unlikely underdogs: Usually you wouldn't think of Vanderkaay as an underdog, but he's almost eight seconds behind the first two. Watch for him to make a move on Jensen and Vendt.
My prediction: Jensen has been having such a fantastic Trials that he'll probably use that momentum to keep on keeping on. Vendt will qualify in an event known as his trademark event.
