USA with plenty to prove in World Championships pool

LOS ANGELES: Vulnerable, or perfectly primed to destroy the opposition — that’s the tantalizing question surrounding the USA team headed to Russia for the 2015 swimming World Championships.
Marquee names including Olympic champions Missy Franklin, Katie Ledecky, Ryan Lochte and Nathan Adrian ought to see the Americans favored for multiple gold in the meeting that will set the tone for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
But treble world record-holder Ledecky is the only American to top the 2015 world rankings in her events, with the year’s best times in the 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle.
USA Swimming’s decision to select the team in 2014 has allowed the Americans to train through the season without tapering for trials.
The idea is that with months of barely interrupted training behind them, they’ll be at their best when they take on the world in Kazan.
But the fiery test of the USA trials also serves to bond and motivate American teams, and men’s coach Dave Durden admitted that one of his tasks will be to build that emotion and unity.
“We normally go to these championships coming off a selection meet,” Durden said. “You qualify for the meet with a bit of a euphoric high and take that to the meet. We had that, but it was last year.”
Instead he tried to foster the typical USA swagger at a pre-meet men’s training camp in Croatia.
“We’re going to have to create a bit of an atmosphere, a little bit of a psychological edge,” he said.
One weapon Durden won’t have at his disposal is 18-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps, whose comeback aimed at the Rio Games was disrupted last autumn by a drink-driving arrest.
In addition to serving a six-month ban, Phelps agreed to withdraw from the world championships team. Despite FINA’s desire to welcome the sport’s greatest star to it’s biggest event, Phelps will be swimming half the world away at the USA nationals in Texas.
But the USA men boast plenty of experience in Lochte, Adrian, Anthony Ervin, Tyler Clary and Matt Grevers.