For the first time this century, the U.S. team that will compete at the world championship in Budapest starting July 23 won't include anyone named Phelps or Lochte. Michael Phelps, of course, retired after winning five golds and a silver last summer in the Rio Olympics, and Ryan Lochte was unable to qualify for the 2017 worlds team following his suspension after his much-publicized night of partying in Brazil. But even with two of the biggest stars in swimming absent, there is still plenty of intrigue as the world's swimming elite gather for the first major competition since the Olympics. Here are ten questions heading into this week:
Will this be the meet Katie Ledecky finally looks human?
Probably not. Only 20 years old and already one of the greatest swimmers of all time, Ledecky could potentially tie Missy Franklin's record of six world gold medals in Budapest. She will be a favorite in all four of her individual races -- the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle -- and also in the mix for a spot on the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays. With Ledecky, the question is often not if she will win, but by how much -- and will it be fast enough for a world record?
Can the American men win the IM events without Phelps and Lochte?
Not since Australia's Ian Thorpe won gold in 2001 has the American national anthem not played after the 200 IM. Since then, either Phelps or Lochte have won gold in every 200 IM. Now that they're both sidelined, who will step up? Chase Kalisz was a 7-year-old when Thorpe won. Phelps' longtime teammate and Baltimore "kid brother" won both the 200 and 400 IM at U.S. world trials in early July and will be looking to build off his 400 IM silver in Rio.
What will Lilly King do -- or say -- for a Rio encore?
One of the more fascinating subplots from the Rio Games was the finger wag heard around the world, when American Lilly King wagged her finger at a television monitor after watching Russia's Yulia Efimova win her semifinal of the 100-meter breaststroke. Less than 48 hours before competition, Efimova had been cleared to compete despite a recent positive test for meldonium, and King had no trouble saying she didn't agree with the decision. The next night, King beat Efimova by a half-second to win gold before the two sat together at an awkward post-race news conference. A year later, King and Efimova are the top two ranked swimmers in the world in both the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke and will go at it again in Budapest.
Will the home field advantage make the Iron Lady even stronger?
Katinka Hosszu has been called the most versatile male or female swimmer in the world. In Budapest, she will get the comfort of competing on home soil. After winning three golds and a silver in Rio, she will be the favorite in both IMs as well as a strong contender in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Winning four individual golds would not only match Ledecky's feat but would likely spark a massive Hungarian celebration.
Will Matt Grevers' comeback land him on the medal stand?
After finishing third in the 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. Olympic trials and failing to make the U.S. team for Rio, 31-year-old Matt Grevers watched the Olympic final on an airplane, tears welling up in his eyes. But the six-time Olympic medalist refused to retire. So far it looks like a great decision. Grevers' 52.71 seconds at world trials earlier this month was not only the fastest American time, but the second-fastest in the world. Budapest could be his chance to remind the world he isn't going away anytime soon and to perhaps watch out come Tokyo.
Will a woman break the 52-second barrier in the 100 free?
Like Ledecky and Hosszu, Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom will also be chasing four individual gold medals in Budapest, in the 50 and 100 free as well as the 50 and 100 butterfly. But it is the 100 free where people will be paying particular attention. No woman has ever broken the 52-second barrier, with Sjostrom's 52.08 seconds in June the closest mark to date. And that was without a full taper. Sjostrom has elected not to swim the 200 free in Budapest, meaning she'll have two days without competition before the 100 free prelims begin.
Will Caeleb Dressel have time to sleep?
Three years after nearly giving up on the sport, Caeleb Dressel qualified for four individual events (50 and 100 free, 50 and 100 fly) and is eligible for all five relays. When asked about his potential schedule, Dressel shrugs it off suggesting he has done it before at NCAAs. But this is different. In the past 15 years, only Phelps and Locthe have raced four individual events at worlds. Yet it will be hard for his coaches to keep Dressel out of the pool. He currently ranks in the top five in the world in all four of his individual events including the 100 fly, where his 50.87 seconds is the fastest time in the world this year.
Is there a male equivalent to Ledecky who is similarly expected to dominate his event?
First off, there is only one Ledecky. But, if there is anyone on the men's side who also seems to be far ahead of the competition it's Great Britain's Adam Peaty. He has the eight fastest times ever in the 100 breaststroke and is the only man to ever have broken 58 seconds in the event. His blistering 57.13-second world record in Rio has some wondering if he can break the 57-second barrier in Budapest, especially considering his in-season times have been faster in 2017 than they were a year ago. Peaty is even more of a favorite in the 50 breast, where it would take an upset of Buster Douglas proportions for him to lose.
You've barely said the name Missy Franklin. And what about Dana Vollmer? Maya Dirado? Nathan Adrian? Anthony Ervin?
None of them will be competing in Budapest for various reasons. After her struggles in Rio, Franklin had shoulder surgery earlier this year, and although she is still training at Cal, she has not yet set a date when she plans to return to competition. Vollmer had her second child last month and has gradually begun her return to the pool with her eyes set on Tokyo. And DiRado, one of the stars in Rio, retired after the games and has insisted she has no interest in a comeback. Ervin, the Olympic gold medalist in the 50 free, failed to make the team in the event this year, finishing behind Dressel and Adrian at U.S. trials. Adrian has the third-fastest time in the world this year in the 100 free and will fight Dressel and Australia's Cameron McEvoy for gold in that event.
Could Budapest be the spark for Michael Phelps' latest comeback?
Four years ago at the world championship in Barcelona an irritated Michael Phelps watched as the U.S. failed to medal in the medley relay, a result that helped nudge Phelps out of retirement for the Rio Olympics. Don't expect the same to happen in Budapest. Phelps isn't expected to be in attendance in Budapest and said earlier this month that the itch to return to competition hasn't been there this time around. He added the likelihood that he would return to international competition is "minimal at best."