2024 US Olympic Trials
It's a light opening session this morning, featuring just three events. We'll look at the 200 of the three non-freestyle strokes in reverse IM order.
First up is the women's 200 breaststroke event, with the highlight being Lily King And Kate DouglasKing has already booked her ticket to Paris in the 100 breaststroke, while we haven't seen much of Douglas at this meet. The American record holder should safely advance to the semifinals and will face a double in the 100 free final tonight. Seeded third Lydia Jacobi Announced via Instagram that she would be dropping out of the event after being left off the team in the 100 breaststroke, but she still appears on the heat sheet.
The morning’s only men’s event, the 200 backstroke, featured many similar stories. ryan murphy is the favorite, but second place is also at stake. Destin Lasko And Keaton Jones Cal will try to make it 1-2 again for the Bears, while Jack Aikins After finishing third in selection competitions for two years running, he is looking for redemption.
The season will conclude with the women's 200m butterfly event. After becoming the #5 performer in history in the 100m fly and reclaiming the 100m back world record, Regan Smith She is the heavy favorite to make her second Olympic appearance in the event. She leads a group of Longhorn women looking to stake their claim, including Dakota Luther, Emma SticklenAnd Kelly Loop,
Women's 200 Breaststroke – Preliminary
- World record: 2:17.55 — Evgenia Chikunova (Russia), 2023
- American record: 2:19.30 — Kate Douglas2024
- US Open record: 2:19.30 — Kate Douglas (USA), 2024
- World junior record: 2:19.64 – Viktoriya Zeynep Güneş (TUR), 2015
- 2021 US Olympic Trials Champion: 2:21.07 – Annie Lazor
- 2024 Olympic qualifying time: 2:23.91
Semifinal Qualifiers:
- Kate Douglas (NYAC) – 2:19.66 Meet Record
- Lily King (ISC) – 2:25.61
- Ella Nelson (NAC) – 2:25.86
- alex walsh (NAC) – 2:26.96
- Kellyanne Gridley (Duke) – 2:27.14
- Emma Weber (CA) – 2:28.82
- Alexis Yager (TNAQ) – 2:29.04
- Raya Mellott (CROW) – 2:29.11
- Maddie Huggins (CS) – 2:29.17
- Eddie Robillard (Rays) – 2:29.21
- Caitlin Dobler (TDPS) – 2:29.34
- Zoey Hartman (ABSC) – 2:29.73
- Anna Keating (CA) – 2:29.79
- Gabrielle Rose (ALPH) – 2:30.13
- Isabelle Odgers (TROJ) – 2:30.44
- Abigail Herscu (CAL) – 2:30.52
Gabrielle RoseThe oldest competitor at these trials, she returned to action in Heat 1 of the women’s 200 breaststroke. She showed impressive closing speed in the final 50, improving her entry time by more than 1.5 seconds (2:30.13) and winning the heat.
maddie huggins The Club Seminole athlete dominated Heat 2, running a new personal best in 2:29.17, her first swim under 2:30.
To end the early heats, UVA-commit Katie Christofferson He took an early lead. However, the field caught up with him, Abigail Herscu (2:30.52) and Brian Curtis (2:31.68) managed to edge out Christopherson (2:31.96).
SwimSwam already reported Lydia JacobiHe was not replaced in the event, but did not make it official. Lane 4 did not appear in the first circle-seeded heat. In his absence, the victory went to the Duke athlete Kellyanne Gridley Jo once again looks set to reach the championship final after she clocked the morning’s top time (2:27.14).
Final heat gets crowd reaction Lily King reached the blocks. She started in 1:09.84, with Virginia alex walsh Walsh tried to stay close. It looked like Walsh might get a second wind as she barely overtook King in the second 50m, but King held on and is still leading with a time of 2:25.61. Walsh's time of 2:26.96 is second with one heat left to swim.
American record holders Kate Douglas By the 25-meter mark she already had a half-body-length lead, and she kept it going. She was only four hundredths of a second off world record pace at 100 meters. Douglas absolutely destroyed her heat, setting a new championship record in the process and easily outpacing King for the morning's top time (2:19.66).
Behind him, a pair of Cavaliers took second place (Ella Nelson2:25.86) and third (Emma Weber, 2:28.82).
Men's 200 Backstroke – Preliminary
- World record: 1:51.92 — Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
- American record: 1:51.92 — Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
- US Open Record: 1:53.08 – Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
- World junior record: 1:55.14– Kliment Kolesnikov (Russia), 2017
- 2021 US Olympic Trials champion: 1:54.20 — ryan murphy
- 2024 Olympic qualifying time: 1:57.50
Semifinal Qualifiers:
- Jack Aikins (SA) – 1:56.24
- Keaton Jones (CAL) – 1:57.52
- ryan murphy (CAL) – 1:57.78
- Tommy Hager (BAMA) – 1:57.80
- David King (CA)/Daniel Diehl (Wolf) – 1:57.90
- ,
- Hunter Tapp (WOLF) – 1:57.93
- Caleb Maldari (FLOR) – 1:58.16
- Martin Peresinski (LIAC) – 1:58.24
- Ian Grum (Diana) – 1:58.47
- Tommy Genton (ND) – 1:58.52
- Ben Irvin (Navy) – 1:58.96
- Jay Litherland (TXL) – 1:58.98
- Josh Zuchowski (FAST) – 1:59.31
- Hunter Gubeno (CAC) – 1:59.34
- Chris Thames (MAAC) – 1:59.46
Heat 1 went to Navy Ben IrvineWho swam under 2:00 for the first time in his career (1:58.96). This was a drop of almost three seconds from his entry time. Won the next heat Gabe Machado (2:00.10), who also finished more than a second behind the entry.
The bar was immediately raised in Heat 3, as Tommy Hagar Lane 8 (1:57.80) shaved more than a second off the morning’s top time. David King also joined them in less than 1:58, just one-tenth behind (1:57.90). There was some relief in heats 4 and 5, as they won Martin Peresinski (1:58.24) and Hunter Gubeno (1:59.34).
Colby Mefford There was no performance in lane 1 of the final non-circle seeded heat. Rex Maurer He won the heat in 1:59.77 minutes, just three hundredths of a second faster than his entry time.
Entering the circle-seeded heats, seven men are already running times under 2:00.
First circle-seeded heat gone Jack AikinsWho fell just short of his season's best time (1:56.24). Hunter Tap (1:57.93) and Jay Litherland (1:58.98) rounded out the top three. Kieran Smith There was no attendance.
#2 Seed Destin Lasko Notre Dame did not appear in the final heat. tommy janton He took advantage of this opportunity and took an early lead of 100 metres. Caleb Maldari And Ian Grum He started to close in on him, and eventually finished first (1:58.16) and second (1:58.47) ahead of Janton (1:58.52).
The final heat went to the Golden Bears, but that wasn't it ryan murphy, Keaton JonesThe sophomore, just completing his first year at Cal, won with a very long finish (1:57.52) over a veteran. Murphy was close behind (1:57.78), then took second. Daniel Diehl (1:57.90).
Women's 200 Butterfly – Preliminary
- World record: 2:01.81 — Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
- American record: 2:03.87 — Regan Smith2023
- US Open record: 2:03.87 — Regan Smith (USA), 2023
- World junior record: 2:04.06 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
- 2021 US Olympic Trials Champion: 2:05.85 – Hailey Flickinger
- 2024 Olympic qualifying time: 2:08.43
Semifinal Qualifiers:
- Alex Shackel (CSC) – 2:06.71
- Regan Smith (TXL) – 2:07.24
- Lindsay Looney (TXL) – 2:08.24
- Emma Sticklen (TXL) – 2:08.55
- Dakota Luther (TXL) – 2:08.69
- Lucy Bell (ALTO) – 2:09.07
- Tess Howley (LIAC) – 2:09.10
- Caroline Bricker (ALTO) – 2:09.12
- Kelly Loop (TXL) – 2:09.43
- Charlotte Hooks (Alto) – 2:09.80
- Rachel Clinker (CAL) – 2:10.16
- Megan Van Berkom (UofM) – 2:10.25
- Audrey Deriveaux (JW) – 2:10.77
- Katie Crome (MICH) – 2:11.69
- Sarah Stotler (Tennessee) – 2:11.63
- Greta Pelczek (Games) – 2:11.70
We're down to the last event of the morning. In the first heat Campbell Stall (2:13.23), the first of many Longhorns we'll see in these heats. Stoll shaved exactly four-tenths off his entry time.
Heat 2 scored two more 2:13 points to take the lead Alice Lehman (2:13.26). Mackenzie McConagha Claire Weinstein also finished behind (2:13.32).
Kelsey Zhang He lowered his entry time and the morning's top time in Heat 3 to win in 2:11.95. Olivia Theal He swam the second-fastest time of the morning so far (2:12.54).
Finishing the final non-circle seeded heat, Katie Crome He stormed through the field, cutting nearly half a second off his entry time and recording a new top time (2:11.69).
Tess Hawley led the first circle-seeded heat in the 100 metres, Rachael Clinker Behind her, Bricker began to pull away from them both in the final 50, but Howley still got her hand on the wall first (2:09.10), and Stanford teammates Bricker (2:09.12) and Charlotte Hooks (2:09.80). Klinker finished fourth in the heat (2:10.16).
It was the longhorn show in the penultimate heat, Emma Sticklen, Dakota LutherAnd Lindsay Looney The three dived next to each other in the middle of the pool. The three easily recorded the top three times of the morning. Looney took first place (2:08.24), followed by Sticklen (2:08.55) and Luther (2:08.69). Unprecedented achievement for the age group Audrey Derivaux He finished fourth in that heat (2:10.77) Megan Van Berkom (2:10.25).
In the final heat, Alex Shackel pushed Regan Smith She led first in the 100m, eventually overtaking the American record holder in the 150m. The Carmel swimmer didn't look back, and went on to run her best time of 2:06.71. This time ties Shekkel for the 9th fastest in US history, and makes her the second-fastest American junior swimmer behind Smith.
Smith recorded a time of 2:07.24 and looked much more comfortable than Shackel, who had a lot more turnovers. We know Smith is in great form from her performances earlier in the meet, so it will be interesting to compare how she and Shackel manage the round.