Arena Pro Swim Series 2015: Santa Clara Dates, Times and Event Schedule
The 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series in Santa Clara, California, runs from Thursday through Sunday and will feature plenty of past Olympians and some notable swimmers making their maiden appearances.
Headlining the decorated field of competitors at the George F. Haines International Swim Center is 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. The superstar is suspended from competing in the World Championships, so he'll look to make the most of his opportunities in this aquatic showcase.
Below is a glance at the complete event schedule, along with the corresponding dates and start times for the marquee races to watch for, courtesy of USASwimming.org:
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| Thursday, June 18 | Women's 1500 free | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, June 18 | Men's 800 free | 8:57 p.m. |
| 200 free | 12 p.m. (Women) / 12:17 p.m. (Men) | 2:23 p.m. (Women) / 2:43 p.m. (Men) |
| 100 breast | 12:33 p.m. (Women) / 12:45 p.m. (Men) | 3:11 p.m. (Women) / 3:13 p.m. (Men) |
| 50 back | 12:55 p.m. (Women) / 1:03 p.m. (Men) | 3:17 p.m. (Women) / 3:23 p.m. (Men) |
| 100 fly | 1:11 p.m. (Women) / 1:21 p.m. (Men) | 3:34 p.m. (Women) / 3:45 p.m. (Men) |
| 400 IM | 1:31 p.m. (Women) / 1:57 p.m. (Men) | — |
| 4×100 free relay | Not listed | — |
| 200 fly | 12 p.m. (Women) / 12:18 p.m. (Men) | 3:04 p.m. (Men) |
| 50 free | 12:36 p.m. (Women) / 12:45 p.m. (Men) | — |
| 100 back | 12:57 p.m. (Women) / 1:09 p.m. (Men) | 3:11 p.m. (Women) / 3:15 p.m. (Men) |
| 200 breast | 1:21 p.m. (Women) / 1:42 p.m. (Men) | 3:21 p.m. (Women) / 3:24 p.m. (Men) |
| 50 fly | 2:02 p.m. (Women) / 2:08 p.m. (Men) | — |
| 400 free | 2:17 p.m. (Women) / 2:40 p.m. (Men) | — |
| 4×200 free relay | Not listed | — |
| Sunday, June 21 | 200 IM | 12 p.m. (Women) / 12:36 p.m. (Men) |
| Sunday, June 21 | 200 back | 1:09 p.m. (Women) / 1:33 p.m. (Men) |
| Sunday, June 21 | 50 breast | 2:01 p.m. (Women) / 2:07 p.m. (Men) |
| Sunday, June 21 | 100 free | 2:16 p.m. (Women) / 2:35 p.m. (Men) |
| Sunday, June 21 | Women's 800 free | Starting at 3:12 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 21 | Men's 1500 free | End of session: 4:58 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 21 | 4×100 medley relay | Not listed |
Phelps is gearing up for five events overall: the 200-meter individual medley, backstroke, fly and freestyle, in addition to the 100 free, according to the San Jose Mercury News' Elliott Almond.
As evidenced by the following table from USA Swimming Stats, the 29-year-old legend is far from the only one taking to the pool who has reached epic heights in the past:
Other American stalwarts, such as Ryan Lochte, will be in action in what should be an especially fascinating showdown. Lochte has won 11 Olympic medals of his own, including five golds.
On the women's side, the clear headliner is NCAA champion, 200-meter backstroke world-record holder and four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin. The 20-year-old dynamo has plenty of good years ahead of her and will seek to only bolster what's already a stupendous resume with a strong showing in Santa Clara.
Franklin doesn't seem too concerned with the high hopes others are bound to have for her based on her past prowess. She'll match Phelps with five events to participate in—three backstroke races at 50, 100 and 200 meters, along with the 100 and 200 freestyle races, per Almond.
"I really don't have too many expectations going in. I think it's going to be an awesome meet for me to just see where I'm at," said Franklin, per UniversalSports.com's Paolo Uggetti. "It'll be fun. I'm just going to go out there and do my best like I always do."
With all the fanfare and hype surrounding Franklin's maiden professional appearance, though, she has been tabbing prior Stanford standout Simone Manuel as a legitimate force to be reckoned with, per TeamUSA.org's Peggy Shinn:
"[Manuel is] fearless. She's going to get up on the block, and she's going to race, and she's going to do whatever it takes. She's not afraid of anything, and I think definitely that's something that not everyone has. It's really special, and it's going to take her a really long way.
[...] [Simone] has such an incredibly bright future. Looking at the possibility of maybe being on a relay with her, that's something that I'm so excited about.
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The biggest rival to rise up and steal the show from Franklin may well be Manuel. Having already beaten Franklin in a race, per Shinn, Manuel ought to have the confidence to get the job done on an even bigger stage.
This meet will serve as a captivating precursor ahead of the World Championships in August. Phelps' presence will likely bring even more added publicity since he won't be suiting up in Kazan, Russia.
If Franklin manages to continue dominating, it will only build the anticipation for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was certainly up to the task as a teenager, and there's little reason to believe she'll slow down at the Arena Pro Swim Series, even with international competition to challenge her.
What's nice about the multitude of races on the horizon is it will also show off the depth of talent the world has to offer in aquatic sports. Big names often grab the headlines based on past prowess, but Santa Clara could serve as a big boon for a lesser-known athlete to gain momentum.
In an atmosphere where hundredths of a second matter, the line is so fine, which is what will help make the upcoming 2015 Arena Swim Pro Series in Santa Clara a must-see sporting spectacle.
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