There are many exciting events at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but one of the best moments of the meet is seeing a swimmer make the Olympic team for the first time. Aaron Shackel She was the first swimmer to win a ticket to Paris in the 400m freestyle, and later her sister Alex Shackell Qualified in the 200m butterfly, Gretchen Walsh Finally, he qualified for the 100m butterfly (with a world record), Shane CasasContrast that with his emotional reaction when he came in second in the 200m individual medley: It's always heartwarming to see someone achieve such a lofty goal.
This year's team of 22 Olympic Freshmen is made up of seven women and 15 men, ranging in age from 17 to 26, with seven teenage athletes representing the Stars and Stripes. Fifteen states and 11 universities are represented, with a long list of accomplishments ranging from NCAA titles to world records.
Trial History
According to a veteran Caleb Dressel In an on-deck interview immediately after completing his final swim, he said, “It's hard to qualify. That's really the hardest part… It's hard to make the team here. And it should be.” Making the Olympic team is a big accomplishment in itself, but making the team on your first try is even better. Three swimmers who competed for the first time this year will be making their Olympic debut. For the majority of these newcomers, this was their second time qualifying.
The first test
Participating in 2021 (first or second wave)
- Jack Alexie, Shane Casas, Matt Fallon, Erin Gemmell, Chris Juliano, Luke Hobson, David Johnston, Josh Matheny, Anna Peplowski, Aaron Shackel, Alex Shackell, Luca Urland, Emma Webber, Claire Weinstein
Participated in 2016 and 2021
Home State
The 22 newcomers represent 15 states and are spread across the continental United States. Three are Indianapolis-area locals: Aaron Shackel, Alex Shackelland Luke Whitlock This has propelled Indiana to the top of the state rankings. The map below shows the concentration of swimmers in each state.
States represented: Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington
University Partnership
These recruits come from 11 Division 1 programs across nine states across the country. Each swimmer is at a different stage in their career, with some not yet beginning their collegiate careers, while others have graduated and are training with various clubs and professional groups across the country. The list below shows the schools where the swimmers have either attended, are currently swimming for, or recently attended.
California
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Michigan
North Carolina State University
Notre Damee
Pennsylvania
Texas
Texas A&M
Virginia
*Involved
NCAA titles
Among the 18 swimmers currently competing in college or who have graduated, there are 33 D1 national championship titles (including both individual and relay titles). Among the newcomers, Virginia has more than half, with 18 (shoutout Gretchen Walsh), Texas State had six, and North Carolina State had five (all Katherine Berkoff), and Texas A&M University has three (Shane Casas), and the University of California has one. From 2021 onwards, there will be two events in which an Olympic rookie has won every year: the women's 100-meter backstroke (Katherine Berkoff/Gretchen Walsh) and the Men's 800m Freestyle Relay (Jack AlexieCal and Luke Hobson/Carson Foster(Texas). Complete list of NCAA titles:
2024
Jack Alexie
Katherine Berkoff
Luke Hobson
Gretchen Walsh
- 50 Freestyle
- 100 Butterflies
- 100 Freestyle
- 200 Freestyle Relay
- 200 Medley Relay
- 400 Meter Freestyle Relay
- 400 Medley Relay
2023
Carson Foster
Luke Hobson
- 200 Freestyle
- 500 Freestyle
- 800 Meter Freestyle Relay
Gretchen Walsh
- 100 backstroke
- 100 Freestyle
- 200 Freestyle Relay
- 200 Medley Relay
- 400 Meter Freestyle Relay
- 400 Medley Relay
2022
Katherine Berkoff
Carson Foster
Luke Hobson
Gretchen Walsh
- 100 Freestyle
- 200 Freestyle Relay
- 200 Medley Relay
- 400 Meter Freestyle Relay
- 400 Medley Relay
2021
Katherine Berkoff
- 100 backstroke
- 200 Medley Relay
- 400 Medley Relay
Shane Casas
- 100 backstroke
- 200 backstroke
- 200 Individual Medley
Carson Foster
Nag Records
Aside from the new Olympians, some of the swimmers have been active in the sport for quite some time. The newcomers to this year's Olympic team hold a whopping 59 individual and relay records. The following swimmers hold National Age Group (NAG) records as individuals or relay members:
Short Course Yard
Carson Foster
- 15-16: 200 medley relay
- 17-18: 400 Individual Medley/200 Mixed Medley Relay
- 15-18: 200 Mixed Medley Relay
Erin Gemmell
- 13-14: 400m Freestyle Relay/400m Mixed Medley Relay/400m Mixed Freestyle Relay
- 15-16: 800 Freestyle Relay/400 Mixed Medley Relay/400 Mixed Freestyle Relay
- 17-18: 800m freestyle relay
Thomas Heilmann
- 10 and under: 100 butterfly
- 11-12: 50 Freestyle/100 Freestyle/200 Freestyle/50 Butterfly/100 Butterfly/200 Butterfly
- 13-14: 100m Freestyle/200m Freestyle/100m Butterfly/200m Butterfly/400m Freestyle Relay
- 15-16: 50 Freestyle/200 Freestyle/100 Butterfly/200 Butterfly/200 Individual Medley
- 15-18: 400 Medley Relay
Luke Hobson
- 17-18: 500m freestyle/1000m freestyle
Josh Matheny
Alex Shackell
- 17-18: 200 Butterfly
- 15-18: 200 Medley Relay
Gretchen Walsh
- 17-18 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
Claire Weinstein
- 13-14: 1650 Freestyle
- 15-18: 400m Freestyle Relay/800m Freestyle Relay
Long Course Meter
Matt Fallon
Carson Foster
- 10 and under: 50 butterfly
- 15-16: 400m individual medley
- 17-18: 800m freestyle relay
Thomas Heilmann
- 13-14: 50 Freestyle/100 Freestyle/100 Butterfly
- 15-16: 100 Butterfly/200 Butterfly
- 17-18: 100 Butterfly
Keaton Jones
Josh Matheny
- 15-16: 100m breaststroke/200m breaststroke
Alex Shackell
- 15-16: 400m Freestyle Relay/800m Freestyle Relay
- 17-18: 200 Butterfly
- 15-18: 400 Medley Relay
Luca Urland
Claire Weinstein
- 13-14: 200m freestyle
- 15-18: 800m freestyle relay
Luke Whitlock
Senior Record
As you'd expect from a team representing one of the world's greatest swimming nations, these athletes already have some impressive records to their name. In addition to the national age-group records mentioned above, the following athletes boast the following accolades:
NCAA (SCY)
Jack Alexie
NCAA/American (SCY)
Luke Hobson
Luca Urland
Gretchen Walsh
- 50 Free
- 100 Freestyle
- 100 backstroke
- 100 Butterflies
- 200 Freestyle Relay
- 200 Medley Relay
- 400 Meter Freestyle Relay
- 400 Medley Relay
American (SCY)
Luke Hobson/Carson Foster
US Open (LCM)
American (LCM)
American (SCM)
World Junior (LCM)
World (LCM)
