Have you peaked since learning to dog paddle? Did you attend a college that didn't require a swim test upon graduation? (If so, you're in the majority.) Or are you wondering what your fellow swimmer friends/family/coworkers/peers have been yammering on about for the past three days?
We'll explain the big storylines from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials so far, translated for non-swimmers. If your friends keep asking about swimming, post this link to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep them updated.
first day
The first day started off with a bang, with 20,689 spectators witnessing the GOAT's long-distance victory. Katie Ledecky She qualified for her fourth Olympic Games. She won the 400m freestyle in a time of 3:58.55, beating the second place winner by more than three seconds. Paige MaddenHe also competed in this event at the last Tokyo Olympics.
This was Ledecky's 30th career sub-four-minute run (prior to her, only one other woman in history had done so).
- In swimming, the iconic wall means a lot: 3:59.99 is far more impressive than 4:00.00, despite being only a hundredth of a second difference.
Ledecky became the eighth U.S. swimmer to compete in four Olympic Games. Only two U.S. swimmers in history have competed in five Olympic Games, one of whom was Michael Phelps.
There was another Olympian whose name was mentioned on opening night. Aaron Shackel Shackell, who qualified for Paris in the men's 400m freestyle, is a native Indiana athlete making his Olympic debut and trains in his hometown of Carmel, about a 30-minute drive from Indianapolis. Kieran SmithHe won the bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago.
- Paige Madden and Kieran Smith He'll likely be named to the Olympic team, but due to the U.S. athlete selection procedures, the official announcement won't be made until later in the tournament. But don't fret — swimming fans have plenty to look forward to.
Still, the story of that night is probably Gretchen WalshShe broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 55.18 seconds, smashing the previous record by just 0.3 seconds and becoming the first American woman to do so since 2015.
If you don't follow NCAA swimming, you may not recognize the name. Gretchen WalshBut trust me, she'll be one of America's biggest stars in Paris.
Day 2
On the second day, Gretchen Walsh She won the 100 butterfly final and was officially selected for the Olympic team. Tori Fuske In Paris.
- The US Olympic Trials mimic the Olympic format, with heats, semifinals, and a final. The top 16 heats advance to the semifinals, and the top eight to the final. Walsh set a world record in the semifinals, but did not officially qualify until she won the final.
Walsh's victory was a redemption for NCAA swimming aficionados, as it marked her first Olympic appearance since bursting onto the scene as a teenager.
- Collegiate swimming meets take place in 25-yard pools, while Olympic pools are 50 meters — more than twice as long. If you've ever noticed your local pool seem longer than usual during recreational swimming, that's probably why.
The second day was Father's Day, a big night for fathers-to-be. Nick FinkFink, who works a nine-to-five job as an electrical engineer, was making his second Olympic team in the 100-meter breaststroke, and his celebration after the win was all about adding another title to an already illustrious resume.
NicFinkCelebration_V11_RockTheBaby_OLYMPICQUALIFICATION.GIF#SwimTrial24 https://t.co/QMBKT9Jvzv pic.twitter.com/Dj4QpkE4at
— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) June 17, 2024
finally, Carson Foster She finally made her first Olympic team. In 2021, she entered the 400m individual medley relay as the favorite to win, but was overtaken in the final four laps. This year, she beat the defending champions. Chase Culliswho knows Michael Phelps.
third day
Almost caught up to the present. Good luck!
Big things have happened recently: 11 athletes have been added to the Olympic team.
Katie Ledecky He also won the 200m freestyle again. Claire Weinstein, Paige Maddenand Erin GemmellGemmell and Ledecky have history: the long-distance queen was coached by Gemmell's father.
Four athletes competed in the men's 200m freestyle. Luke Hobson, Chris Juliano, Drew Kiblerand Kieran SmithAll four will compete in the event in Paris.
- A maximum of four swimmers may swim in a relay, so four swimmers will be named to a team.
Katie Grimes She made history in another way: She swam 16 laps of the 400-meter medley, swimming's toughest event, in which swimmers compete in all four strokes back-to-back. Grimes has already qualified for the Paris Olympics in the 10-mile open water swim. Grimes won't be attending college.
- The four swimming styles are backstroke, breaststroke, butterstroke and freestyle.
Finally, two veteran athletes have made it onto the Olympic team for the third time. Lily KingAlthough he is an ardent anti-doping advocate, he won the 100m breaststroke. Ryan Murphyand with their impressive biceps won the 100m backstroke. Both swimmers won the event in Rio but failed to defend their titles in Tokyo. Now they are the medal favorites in Paris.
More to come!
That's all for now. I hope I was able to answer some of your questions. There are still 6 days left in the competition, but I plan to write two more of these guides this week.
Disclaimer: I swam competitively for 13 years and graduated from MIT.
