Who To Watch: 2017 TYR Derby Pro Meet

Preview of the 2017 Derby Pro Swim Meet in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday, April 28. This article features who to watch for in the 50 freestyle shootout. Names include: Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Madison Kennedy, Kelsi Worrell, and Michael Andrew.

Apr 28, 2017 by Maclin Simpson

Sixteen men's and women's professional swimmers are set to battle it out for bragging rights and some serious prize money at the TYR Derby Pro Swim Meet on Saturday at Louisville's Ralph Wright Natatorium. Here's a look at each swimmer who will be vying for the second-annual event's $20,000 cash purse.

FloPro Subscribers gain access to LIVE-streamed meets, technique videos, and more.

Women's Side: The Field

The Flying Dutchwoman, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, comes into this race as the certain favorite. Not only does she boast the fastest entry time (24.05), but she also has some serious credentials to her name. Kromowidjojo is a four-time Olympic medalist (three gold, one bronze) and a 12-time World Championship medalist (three gold, four silver, five bronze). She's also the eighth-fastest performer of all time in the 50m freestyle as well as the ninth-fastest performer of all-time in the 100m freestyle. Kromowidjojo is the real deal.

That's not to say she won't have competition, however. With the likes of Madison Kennedy, Michelle Toro, and Kelsi Worrell gunning for her, Kromowidjojo will have her hands full on Saturday. A major factor to keep in mind is the format. All of these ladies will have to swim three all-out efforts in less than an hour, something typically not done at elite-level competitions.

At 7/2 odds right now, the 2017 Kentucky Oaks (race for fillies -- female horses) front-runner Paradise Woods is the wild card and certainly cannot be discounted from this race. Wait... you mean horses can't swim? I still like her chances.

1.) Ranomi Kromowidjojo

Best 50m Freestyle: 24.05

2.) Madison Kennedy

Best 50m Freestyle: 24.39

3.) Michelle Toro

Best 50m Freestyle: 24.82

4.) Kelsi Worrell

Best 50m Freestyle: 24.98

5.) Anika Apostalon

Best 50m Freestyle: 25.34

6.) Jacqueline Keire

Best 50m Freestyle: 25.56

7.) Hellen Moffitt

Best 50m Freestyle: 26.05

8.) Kira Toussaint

Best 50m Freestyle: 26.09

Wild card: Paradise Woods

Best 50m Freestyle: Can horses swim?

Men's Side: The Field

The men's competition is a toss-up with a lot of variables at play on who is the favorite. On paper, Josh Schneider has to be technical front-runner as he has the fastest seed time (21.78). However, races are not swum on paper, because that doesn't make any sense. Races are swum in a pool, where anything can happen on any given day.

Schneider's main competition will likely come from two recent NCAA post-grads in Kristian Gkolomeev and Michael Chadwick. Gkolomeev, a Greek sprinting sensation training at the University of Alabama, has become a household name in the 50 freestyle. Only a year removed from college, he already has 10 sub-22-second performances to his name -- making him a model of consistency and a serious threat in a format like this. On the other hand, Chadwick -- a Mizzou grad -- is a rising name in American sprinting and boasts a best time of 21.96 that cannot be ignored.

Currently sitting with strong odds at 5/1, 2017 Kentucky Derby favorite Classic Empire will be a force to be reckoned with in this race. This is the Derby, right? Wrong Derby? Oh, well. Classic Empire might still make an appearance at the Ralph Wright Natatorium. Stay tuned.