2024 US OLYMPIC TRIALS
It’s a light preliminary session this morning, with only three events on the program. We’ll see 200 of the three non-freestyle shots in reverse IM order.
The first is the women’s 200 breaststroke, highlighted by Lilly King And Kate Douglass. King has already booked his ticket to Paris in the 100 breaststroke, while we haven’t seen much of Douglass at this meet. The American record holder should advance safely to the semifinals and will need to complete a double tonight in the 100 freestyle final. 3rd seed Lydia Jacoby announced via Instagram that she would eliminate the event after missing the team in the 100 breaststroke, but she still appears on the race sheet.
The only men’s event of the morning, the 200m backstroke, has many converging storylines. Ryan Murphy is the favorite, but second place is up for grabs. Destiny Lasco And Keaton Jones will look to make the Cal Bears 1-2 again, while Jack Aikins seeks redemption after two years of 3rd place in selection competitions.
The session ends with the women’s 200m butterfly. After becoming number 5 in history in the 100 butterfly and retaking the world record in the 100 backstroke, Regan Smith is the big favorite to win a second Olympic participation in this event. She leads a herd of female Longhorns seeking to reclaim their rights, including Dakota Luther, Emma SticklenAnd Kelly Pash.
200 WOMEN’S BREWING — PRELIMINARIES
- World record: 2:17.55 — Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
- American record: 2:19.30 — Kate Douglass2024
- US Open record: 2:19.30 — Kate Douglass (United States), 2024
- Junior world record: 2:19.64 – Viktoriya Zeynep Gunes (TUR), 2015
- 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 2:21.07 — Annie Lazor
- 2024 Olympic qualifying time: 2:23.91
Qualifications for the semi-finals:
- Kate Douglass (ACNY) – 2:19.66 Meeting record
- Lilly King (ISC) – 2:25.61
- Ella Nelson (NAC) – 2:25.86
- Alex Walsh (CNA) – 2:26.96
- Kaelyn Gridley (DUC) – 2:27.14
- Emma Weber (California) – 2:28.82
- Alexis Yager (TNAQ) – 2:29.04
- Raya Mellott (CROW) – 2:29.11
- Maddy Huggins (CS) – 2:29.17
- Addie Robillard (RAYS) – 2:29.21
- Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS) – 2:29.34
- Zoie Hartman (ABSC) – 2:29.73
- Anna Keating (California) – 2:29.79
- Gabrielle Rose (ALPH) – 2:30.13
- Isabelle Odgers (TROJ) – 2:30.44
- Abigail Herscu (CAL) – 2:30.52
Gabrielle Rose, the oldest competitor in these trials, was back in action in the first heat of the women’s 200 breaststroke. She showed impressive closing speed in the final 50 meters, reducing her entry time by more than 1.5 seconds (2:30.13) and winning the heat.
Maddie Huggins of Club Seminole dominated the second run, clocking 2:29.17 for a new personal best. It was his first swim in less than 2h30.
To conclude the first series, UVA-commit Katie Christopherson quickly took the lead. The terrain caught up with her, however, as Abigail Herscu (2:30.52) and Bryn Curtis (2:31.68) was able to pass Christopherson (2:31.96) by touch.
SwimSwam previously reported Lydia Jacoby‘s scratch in this event, but she had not made it official. Lane 4 was absent during the first round classified in a circle. In his absence, victory went to the Duke athlete Kaelyn Gridley who looks poised for another run in a championship final as she posted the best time of the morning (2:27.14).
The penultimate round brought a reaction from the crowd. Lilly King headed towards the blocks. She opened in 1:09.84, with Virginia’s Alex Walsh I tried to hang on. It looked like Walsh might find a second wind after barely edging King in the second 50, but it was King coming home as she clocked 2:25.61 to lead the times until now. With a time of 2:26.96, Walsh is second with one leg remaining.
American record holder Kate Douglass She already had a half-length lead at the 25-meter mark, and she just kept sending it. She was only four hundredths off the world record in the 100m. Douglass completely destroyed his heat, setting a new championship record and easily passing King for the fastest time of the morning (2:19.66).
Behind her, a pair of Cavaliers were touching 2nd (Ella Nelson2:25.86) and 3rd (Emma Weber, 2:28.82).
200 MASCULINE BACKGROUND — PRELIMINARIES
- World record: 1:51.92 — Aaron Piersol (United States), 2009
- American record: 1:51.92 — Aaron Piersol (United States), 2009
- US Open record: 1:53.08 — Aaron Piersol (United States), 2009
- Junior world record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017
- 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 1:54.20 — Ryan Murphy
- 2024 Olympic qualifying time: 1:57.50
Qualifications for the semi-finals:
- Jack Aikins (SA) – 1:56.24
- Keaton Jones (CAL) – 1:57.52
- Ryan Murphy (CAL) – 1:57.78
- Tommy Hagar (BAMA) – 1:57.80
- David King (California)/Daniel Diehl (WOLF) – 1:57.90
- —
- Hunter Tapp (WOLF) – 1:57.93
- Caleb Maldari (FLOR) – 1:58.16
- Martin Perecinsky (LIAC) – 1:58.24
- Ian Grum (DYNA) – 1:58.47
- Tommy Janton (ND) – 1:58.52
- Ben Irwin (NAVY) – 1:58.96
- Jay Litherland (TXLA) – 1:58.98
- Josh Zuchowski (FAST) – 1:59.31
- Hunter Gubeno (CAC) – 1:59.34
- Chris Thames (MAAC) – 1:59.46
The first round went to Navy Ben Irwin, who swam under 2:00 for the first time in his career (1:58.96). This represented a drop of almost three seconds from his entry time. The next round was won by Gabe Machado (2:00.10), which also fell by more than a second upon entry.
The bar was immediately raised in round 3, as Tommy Hagar lowered the morning’s best time by more than a second from lane 8 (1:57.80). David King also joined him under 1:58, exactly a tenth back (1:57.90). Rounds 4 and 5 relaxed a little, as they were won by Martin Perecinsky (1:58.24) and Hunter Gubeno (1:59.34).
Colby Mefford was a no-show in lane 1 of the final round without a circle. Rex Maurer won the race in 1:59.77, touching just three-hundredths of his entry time.
Before the playoffs, seven men are already under the 14 hour mark.
The first round classified in a circle went to Jack Aikinswhich touched just short of his season best (1:56.24). Hunter Tap (1:57.93) and Jay Litherland (1:58.98) completed the top three. Kieran Smith was a no-show.
Seed #2 Destiny Lasco was a no-show in the penultimate round. Our Lady Tommy Janton took advantage of the opportunity, taking an early lead in the 100. Caleb Maldari And Ian Grum started closing in on him and eventually finished 1st (1:58.16) and 2nd (1:58.47) ahead of Janton (1:58.52).
The final round went to a Golden Bear, but it wasn’t to be Ryan Murphy. Keaton Jones, who just finished his freshman year at Cal, took the win over a veteran with an extremely long finish (1:57.52). Murphy was just behind (1:57.78), followed by Daniel Diehl (1:57.90).
200 PAPILLON WOMEN — PRELIMINARIES
- World record: 2:01.81 — Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
- American record: 2:03.87 — Regan Smith2023
- US Open record: 2:03.87 – Regan Smith (United States), 2023
- Junior world record: 2:04.06 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
- 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 2:05.85 — Hali Flickinger
- 2024 Olympic qualifying time: 2:08.43
Qualifications for the semi-finals:
- Alex Shackel (SCC) – 2:06.71
- Regan Smith (TXLA) – 2:07.24
- Lindsay Looney (TXLA) – 2:08.24
- Emma Sticklen (TXLA) – 2:08.55
- Dakota Luther (TXLA) – 2:08.69
- Lucy Bell (ALTO) – 2:09.07
- Tess Howley (LIAC) – 2:09.10
- Caroline Bricker (ALTO) – 2:09.12
- Kelly Pash (TXLA) – 2:09.43
- Charlotte Crochet (ALTO) – 2:09.80
- Rachel Klinker (CAL) – 2:10.16
- Megan van Berkom (UOFM) – 2:10.25
- Audrey Derivaux (JW) – 2:10.77
- Katie Crom (MICH) – 2:11.69
- Sara Stotler (TENN) – 2:11.63
- Greta Pelzek (THU) – 2:11.70
We are already at the last event of the morning. The first round went to Campbell Stoll (2:13.23), the first of many Longhorns we’ll see in these series. Stoll shaved exactly four-tenths off his entry time.
Two more points in 2:13 came out of the second inning, led by Alice Lehman (2:13.26). Mackenzie McConagha followed closely (2:13.32). Claire Weinstein was absent.
Kelsey Zhang lowered his entry time and best time of the morning in Heat 3, clocking 2:11.95 for the win. Olivia Theall swam the second-fastest time of the morning so far (2:12.54).
To conclude the final heat without a circle, Katie Crom smoked the peloton, shaving about half a second off his entry time and setting a new best time (2:11.69).
Tess Howley led the first series of seeds in a circle in the 100m, with Rachel Klinker hot on his heels. Bricker started to close in on them in the final 50 moments, but Howley still got his hand on the wall first (2:09.10), leading a sub-2:10 charge ahead of Stanford teammates Bricker (2 :09.12) and Charlotte Crochet (2:09.80). Klinker settled for 4th place in the heat (2:10.16).
It was a Longhorn show in the penultimate round, as Emma Sticklen, Dakota LutherAnd Lindsay Looney dived side by side in the center of the pool. The trio easily recorded the three fastest times of the morning. Looney touched first (2:08.24), followed by Sticklen (2:08.55) and Luther (2:08.69). Age group phenomenon Audrey Dérivaux finished 4th in this heat (2:10.77) behind Megan van Berkom (2:10.25).
In the last round, Alex Shackel pushed Regan Smith in the top 100, eventually passing the American record holder in the 150. The Carmel swimmer didn’t look back, surging forward to lower her best time to 2:06.71. This time, Shackell is tied for 9th fastest female swimmer in American history and makes her the second-fastest American junior swimmer behind Smith.
Smith clocked 2:07.24 and looked considerably more relaxed than Shackell, who had a noticeably higher turnover. We know Smith is in excellent form from her performances earlier in the competition, so it will be interesting to compare how she and Shackell handle the rounds.