JOIN USMichael Phelps overcame the first hurdle to a potential return to Olympic competition in 2016 when he was named along with exciting teenagers Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin on the US team for the Pan Pacific Championships on Sunday.
Phelps' qualification for the Aug 21-24 championships on Australia's Gold Coast has also earned the winner of 18 Olympic gold medals a ticket to next year's world championships in Kazan, Russia.
His fellow Olympic champions Allison Schmitt, Natalie Coughlin and Katie Hoff, however, failed to make the team for the Pan Pacific championships in Australia.
The trio failed to make the top three in any of their individual events at the US National Championships in Irvine, California and were not included in the 60-strong squad that also earned selection for next year's world championships.
Squad: Men: Nathan Adrian, Tyler Clary, Kevin Cordes, Conor Dwyer, Matt Ellis, Anthony Ervin, Jimmy Feigen, Nic Fink, Andrew Gemmell, Matt Grevers, Connor Jaeger, Cullen Jones, Chase Kalisz, Ryan Lochte, Reed Malone, Cody Miller, Michael McBroom, Matt McLean, Alex Meyer, Ryan Murphy, Jacob Pebley, Michael Phelps, Tim Phillips, David Plummer, Josh Prenot, Sean Ryan, Tom Shields, Nick Thoman, Michael Weiss, Jordan Williamovsky.
Women: Cammile Adams, Haley Anderson, Kathleen Baker, Rachel Bootsma, Elizabeth Beisel, Lisa Bratton, Claire Donahue, Maya DiRado, Eva Fabian, Hali Flickinger, Missy Franklin , Jessica Hardy, Christine Jennings, Breeja Larson, Micah Lawrence, Katie Ledecky, Felicia Lee, Caitlin Leverenz, Madeline Locus, Becca Mann, Simone Manuel, Melanie Margalis, Ivy Martin, Katie McLaughlin, Elizabeth Pelton, Cierra Runge, Leah Smith, Kendyl Stewart, Shannon Vreeland, Abbey Weitzeil.