There are a lot of Floridians competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis this week.
Each athlete is hyper-focused on achieving top spot and earning the title of Olympian or serial Olympian with the Paris Games just a few weeks away.
Many familiar faces have already booked their tickets to Paris.
Katie Ledecky, a superstar swimmer who trains at the University of Florida, qualified for her fourth consecutive Olympic Games on Saturday with a dominant performance in the women's 400-meter freestyle final.
Four-time gold medalist Ryan Murphy earned himself a chance at a third Olympic Games by winning the 100-meter backstroke, and he attributes his success to his training both in and out of the pool.
“In the pool you can focus on technique and strength, but that's only one step to improvement. I really studied nutrition, sleep, recovery, mental health and all the other things that go into success,” said Murphy, a Jacksonville native.
Hoping to join Murphy is Clearwater native Bobby Finke, who won two gold medals in Tokyo and now the pressure is on to repeat.
“The best thing is to just sit back and relax, which is what I do best. I like to chill out by watching TV, building Legos, spending time with family and friends, that kind of thing,” Finke said.
Plantation native Cassidy Cook and her partner earned themselves a spot on the U.S. team with some impressive diving on Monday.
It will be known within the next few days whether Kaylee Bishop, who trains in Coral Springs, will be able to compete in the women's 10-meter synchronized diving event.
Wilton Manors native Dylan Felts will be making his first attempt at Olympic qualification in four different events. Just two years ago, he competed at the Fort Lauderdale High School Aquatics Center. Now, he's a student at Davidson College in North Carolina.
