Why Are Michael Andrew, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and Claire Curzan Absent From the TYR Pro Series?

A roster of top swimmers are marching to capture every possible swimming title this year. Most of the athletes are choosing a strategic approach headed to the various yet finite Olympic qualifiers meets scattered over the days leading to the 2024 Paris Games.

However, with merely a couple of wins added, a mix of the fastest swimmers, including Michael Andrew, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and Claire Curzan, chose to pull out of the 2024 TYR Pro Swim Series. While leaving their fans speculating, could this be yet another picky athlete moment to save the best for the last?

Michael Andrew, Kate Douglas To Miss TYR Pro Series Westmont

March 6-9 is booked by another Pro Swim Series this season taking place at FMC Natatorium—a 71,000-square-foot aquatic facility in Westmont, Illinois. Joining seven-time Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel, 2016 World Champion Michael Andrew is coming fresh off this weekend’s Sectionals meet in Carlsbad, California. Andrew gave fewer discipline appearances but secured a golden finish in the 100 breaststroke clocking 1:01.81, in addition, to second place in the same distance fly event. The participation wind down in the latter part hinted at more interest in his mentoring roles. 

22-year-old Kate Douglass is yet another favorite for the Olympics, coming off the 2024 Doha World Championships with five medals in six events. Resting off-pool since adding an American record in 50 m freestyle clocking 23.91s in her portfolio, Douglass stated, “I think this was just a great meet to kind of just get my confidence going and keep my momentum going and training leading up to this summer.” Possibly pointing to her practicing off premium events to focus on the Games.

Concluding the 2024 Doha World’s with an impressive six-medal last week Olympic medalist Claire Curzan, 19, won the Female Swimmer of the Meet. Balancing elite with NCAA meets similar to her University of Virginia teammate and multi-distant champion Gretchen Walsh who improved her timing, becoming the first woman to ever swim 50-yard free in the all-time fastest 19.95s in 2024 ACC Championships. With the NCAA events already preparing collegiate athletes for Olympic podium finishes, looks like the ultimate goal could be keeping them from their TYR Pro Series appearance.

Are they competing in another event? 

For Michael Andrew, despite the comeback from the 2024 World Championship, the future looks promisingly unknown as he plans on expanding his horizons by possibly entering the mentorship scene.

After retaining 200m individual medley gold in 2024 Doha Worlds, Kate Douglas shared her blurry plans to Olympics.com: “it’s just going to give me a lot of confidence going into the summer (2024 Paris Olympics). Just to be able to go a best time right now in the season gets me excited to see what I can do in a few months.”

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In an interview posted on the Virginia Sports website post-ACC Championships, Gretchen Walsh nodded in affirmation when the host called the 2024 Paris Olympics “the ultimate goal,” after she narrated her narrow miss story from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Lastly, in a Summers Daily interview with Tim Donnelly, with the ambition to add more Olympic medals, Claire Curzan shared her preparation for the upcoming Summer Olympics. Looks like the American swimming team’s medal collection could get heavier this time, with strong contenders eying the coveted titles.

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