16-Year-Old Jo Jo Ramey Gushes About Racing Backstroke Idols

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Reported by James Sutherland.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: Regan Smith (USA) – 2:03.35 (2019)
  • American Record: Regan Smith – 2:03.35 (2019)
  • US Open Record: Missy Franklin (USA) – 2:05.68 (2013)
  • World Junior Record: Regan Smith (USA) – 2:03.35 (2019)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Maya DiRado (USA) – 2:05.99
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Maya DiRado – 2:06.90
  • Wave I Cut: 2:14.69
  • Wave II Cut: 2:12.94
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 2:10.39
  1. Regan Smith (RIPT), 2:07.23
  2. Phoebe Bacon (WA), 2:07.46
  3. Rhyan White (BAMA), 2:08.39
  4. Kathleen Baker (TE), 2:08.58
  5. Jo Jo Ramey (FASTIN), 2:08.90
  6. Lisa Bratton (AGS), 2:09.09
  7. Isabelle Stadden (CAL), 2:09.20
  8. Hali Flickinger (SUN), 2:09.61

Regan Smith and Phoebe Bacon won their respective semi-finals in the women’s 200 backstroke quite comfortably, producing near-identical splits en route to qualifying first and second overall for the final.

Smith was locked in a tight battle with Rhyan WhiteKatharine Berkoff and Kathleen Baker through the 150 in the second semi, but turned on the jets coming home to touch first by over a second in 2:07.23. That’s just over three-tenths slower than Smith’s season-best of 2:06.90.

White took second in the heat in 2:08.39, qualifying her third for the final, while Baker had a huge swim with her back against the wall, advancing in the fourth position in 2:08.58. Berkoff faded on the last 50 and ended up ninth in 2:09.76.

Bacon clocked 2:07.46 from the first semi, her second-fastest swim ever, and 16-year-old Jo Jo Ramey lowered her best time down to 2:08.90 in second, moving up from 11th to sixth in the 15-16 age group.

Also qualifying for the final was workhorse Hali Flickinger, who has already qualified in the 200 fly and 400 IM, clocking 2:09.61 for eighth.

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Guerra
2 years ago

Congratulations & awesome job, Jo Jo! You’re a credit to your coaches, teammates and school and it was nice to see at least one of the programs in your school district qualify people to the Olympic Trials. Keep the Indiana Hoosiers in mind for the future!

Eric the Eel > Michael Phelps
2 years ago

Jooooooooojo

Coach
2 years ago

What a fantastic swim! Congratulations!

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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