This year’s Duel in the Pool may finally live up to its title.
The U.S. has won all five duels handily, including a 181.5-80.5 whipping of a European all-star team at the last edition in 2011 in Atlanta.
The rosters for the 2013 edition were announced Thursday for the U.S.-Europe meet in Glasgow, Scotland, Dec. 20-21. Olympic and world champions Ryan Lochte and Katie Ledecky will lead the U.S., while Olympic and world champions Yannick Agnel and Ranomi Kromowidjojo will lead Europe.
The U.S. is missing its two most successful female swimmers of this century -- Missy Franklin and Natalie Coughlin -- as well as breaststroker Rebecca Soni, who is taking a break from competitive swimming, and Olympic and world butterfly champion Dana Vollmer.
The men are missing the retired Michael Phelps, of course, and Olympic and world champions Nathan Adrian and Matt Grevers.
On Wednesday, Franklin said she couldn’t fit it into her freshman schedule at California, whose fall semester ends Dec. 20.
“For freshman year with finals and everything going on, it may not be the best time for an international trip,” she said. “But I would love to in the future, and I was honored to be asked. The timing didn’t work out too well this time.”
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Ledecky’s classes at her Bethesda, Md., high school also end Dec. 20.
“We’ve assembled a nice mix of veteran performers and rising stars on the U.S. roster, and we look forward to racing some of the top swimmers in Europe,” USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch said, according to a press release.
Europe, too, will go into the meet without a few champions -- Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu (world champion in both individual medleys), Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (world champion, 100m fly), Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte (Olympic and world champion, 100m breast) and Italian Olympic and world champion Federica Pellegrini.
“The European all-stars features by far the strongest lineup we’ve ever seen in what will be the third of these exciting biennial events,” British swim coach Bill Furniss said. The first two duels were U.S.-Australia affairs.
Early predictions tip the Europeans, which would win if based solely on 2013 times in individual Olympic events, though this is a short-course meet.
NBC will air the Duel in the Pool on Dec. 22 from 4-6 p.m. Eastern time.
Here is the complete U.S. Duel in the Pool roster:
Women
Cammile Adams -- 2012 Olympian
Sarah Denninghoff
Claire Donahue -- 2012 Olympic champion
Jessica Hardy -- 2012 Olympic champion
Megan Hawthorne
Sarah Henry
Breeja Larson -- 2012 Olympic champion
Katie Ledecky -- 2012 Olympic champion
Micah Lawrence -- 2012 Olympian
Caitlin Leverenz -- 2012 Olympic bronze medalist
Simone Manuel
Megan Romano
Gillian Ryan
Olivia Smoliga
Kendyl Stewart
Chloe Sutton -- 2008, 2012 Olympian
Shannon Vreeland -- 2012 Olympic champion
Men
Tyler Clary -- 2012 Olympic champion
Kevin Cordes
Conor Dwyer -- 2012 Olympic champion
Anthony Ervin -- 2000 Olympic champion, 2012 Olympian
Jimmy Feigen -- 2012 Olympic silver medalist
Nic Fink
Eugene Godsoe
Cullen Jones -- 2008, 2012 Olympic champion
Chase Kalisz
Michael Klueh
Ryan Lochte -- 11-time Olympic medalist
Tom Luchsinger
Michael McBroom
Matt McLean -- 2012 Olympic champion
Cody Miller
Shane Ryan
Here is the complete European Duel in the Pool roster:
Women
Sophie Allen (GBR)
Simona Baumrtova (CZE)
Mireia Belmonte Garcia (ESP)
Charlotte Bonnet (FRA)
Jazmin Carlin (GBR)
Michelle Coleman (SWE)
Melanie Costa (ESP)
Fiona Doyle (IRL)
Lotte Friis (DEN)
Francesca Halsall (GBR)
Femke Heemskerk (NED)
Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED)
Hannah Miley (GBR)
Camille Muffat (FRA)
Jeanette Ottesen-Gray (DEN)
Lauren Quigley (GBR)
Daryna Zevina (UKR)
Men
Yannick Agnel (FRA)
Bence Biczo (HUN)
Frederick Bousquet (FRA)
Konrad Czerniak (POL)
Damir Dugonjic (SLO)
Fabien Gilot (FRA)
James Guy (GBR)
Michael Jamieson (GBR)
Pal Joensen (FAR)
Radoslaw Kawecki (POL)
Yannick Lebherz (GER)
Florent Manaudou (FRA)
Craig McNally (GBR)
Roberto Pavoni (GBR)
Robbie Renwick (GBR)
Velimir Stjepanovic (SRB)
Jeremy Stravius (FRA)
Chris Walker-Hebborn (GBR)
Andrew Willis (GBR)
