2016 U.S Olympic Trials: Day Four Finals Live Recap

2016 U.S.ย OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS

Tonight will be Michael Phelps first chance to qualify for the Olympic team headed to Rio this summer. Phelps is the top seed and heavy favorite in the 200m butterfly and will be looking to qualify for his fifth Olympic team, something only one other American swimmer (Dara Torres) has done during their career.

Phelps’ 200m butterfly final will take place right after the women’s 200m freestyle where there’s plenty on the line. Katie Ledecky has been almost unstoppable in the event over the past few days. While Ledecky’s the favorite and a likely candidate to make the event individually, the significance of the event is in qualifying the 4x200m freestyle relay.

The 200m freestyle will be Missy Franklin‘s only shot at making the team tonight. She’s in a good position to make it as a relay swimmer, but will also be in the hunt to chase an individual spot if she’s able to take down Leah Smith and Allison Schmitt.

The 200m IM will be the third final of the evening where Maya DiRado will attempt to add a second event for Rio.

Besides the finals, there’s plenty of semifinal action to be had. Nathan Adrian, Ryan Held, and Caeleb Dressel are the top three qualifiers in the 100m freestyle and will be looking to ensure their spot in tomorrow’s final.

After a tough turn of events which resulted in Cammile Adams being disqualified, and then the disqualification being overturned, Adams will be back as the top seed in the 200m butterfly.

Kevin Cordes will lead the last round of semifinals. He matched world record pace after 150-meters in his 200m breaststroke this morning prior to turning off the jets. In the 100m breaststroke, he broke the American record in the semifinals, today will be a test as to whether or not he’ll be able to break another one tonight.

MENโ€™S 100m FREESTYLE SEMIFINALS

Top seed: Nathan Adrian (48.43)
World record: 46.91 โ€“ Cesar Cielo (Brazil)
American record: 47.33 โ€“ David Walters
U.S Open record: 47.58 โ€“ Jason Lezak
U.S Nationals record: 47.58 โ€“ Jason Lezak
JR World record: 48.25 โ€“ Matheus Santana (Brazil)
2012 Winning Time: 48.10 โ€“ Nathan Adrian

Nathan Adrian made an absolute statement in the men’s 100m freestyle; the reigning Olympic champion in the 100m freestyle has no plans to lose this final tomorrow night. With Caeleb Dressel right beside him, Adrian had an incredible last 50, separating himself from the field towards the end to touch the wall in 47.91.

That time for Adrian is the second fastest time in the world this season behind only Cameron McEvoy of Australia.

Dressel touched in second behind Adrian in 48.53 with Jimmy Feigen right behind him in 48.65. Dressel and Feigen take the third and fourth overall seeds heading into tomorrow night’s finals behind NC-State’s Ryan Held.

Although Anthony Ervin was out quick in the first semifinal, Held chased him down towards the end in order to get his hand on the wall first. Ervin faded to second behind Held with a 48.71, and goes into the final as the fifth seed overall.

Conor Dwyer just snuck into the final by one one-hundredth touching eighth overall. Matt Grevers did not make it.

TOP EIGHT

  1. Nathan Adrian (47.91)
  2. Ryan Held (48.48)
  3. Caeleb Dressel (48.53)
  4. Jimmy Feigen(48.65)
  5. Anthony Ervin (48.71)
  6. William Copeland (48.75)
  7. Blake Pieroni (49.07)
  8. Conor Dwyer (49.18)

For official results click here.

WOMENโ€™S 200m FREESTYLE FINAL

Top seed: Katie Ledecky (1:55.10)
World record: 1:52.98 โ€“ Frederica Pellegrini (Italy)
American record: 1:53.61 โ€“ Allison Schmitt
U.S Open record: 1:54.40 โ€“ Allison Schmitt
U.S Nationals record: 1:54.40 โ€“ Allison Schmitt
JR World record: 1:56.12 โ€“ Shen Duo (China)
2012 Winning Time: 1:54.40 โ€“ Allison Schmitt

After a tough week Missy Franklin has no secured an individual event for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games by finishing second behind Katie Ledecky in the 200m freestyle.

As per her strategy, Simone Manuel was out like a rocket, taking charge of the race through the first one-hundred meters in order to flip at the halfway point under world record pace. Ledecky turned second, Allison Schmitt turned third, Missy Franklin turned fourth.

Heading towards the third wall, Ledecky surged to a lead as both Franklin and Manuel flipped at the same time in second.

After the turn Ledecky was out in front, but Franklin came on strong to pass a charging Schmitt. Ledecky touched first in 1:54.88, Franklin was second in 1:56.18.

Leah Smith made a move and passed Schmitt to clock in for third in 1:56.63. Schmitt grabbed the final relay position with a 1:56.72.

Although Smith and Ledecky already made the team earlier this week, this final marks a sigh of relief for both Franklin and Schmitt who are now both officially on the team.

  1. Katie Ledecky (1:54.88)
  2. Missy Franklin (1:56.18)
  3. Leah Smith (1:56.63)
  4. Allison Schmitt (1:56.72)
  5. Cierra Runge (1:57.16)
  6. Melanie Margalis (1:57.65
  7. Simone Manuel (1:57.84)
  8. Katie McLaughlin (1:57.84)

For official results click here.

MENโ€™S 200m BUTTERFLY FINAL

Top seed: Michael Phelps (1:55.17)
World record: 1:51.51 โ€“ Michael Phelps
American record: 1:51.51 โ€“ Michael Phelps
U.S Open record: 1:52.20 โ€“ Michael Phelps
U.S Nationals record: 1:52.20 โ€“ Michael Phelps
JR World record: 1:55.92 โ€“ Andrew Seliskarย 1:52.20
2012 Winning Time: 1:53.65 โ€“ Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps will be heading to his fifth Olympic Games after a first place finish in the 200m butterfly.

At the first 50, Phelps was just 0.19 seconds ahead of world record pace. At the 100-meter mark, Phelps was once again just 0.19 seconds ahead of his world record pace. At the 150, Phelps fell off his pace but was still in the lead, holding off all advances from Tom Shields.

In the last 20-meters Phelps began to tighten up, but still managed to get his hands on the wall first for a winning time of 1:54.84.

Shields also tightened up towards the end but managed to hold on for second with a 1:55.81 ahead of Jack Conger‘s 1:56.45. Gunnar Bentz was fourth in 1:56.46, Chase Kalisz was fifth in 1:56.64.

  1. Michael Phelps (1:54.84)
  2. Tom Shields (1:55.81)
  3. Jack Conger (1:56.45)
  4. Gunnar Bentz (1:56.46)
  5. Chase Kalisz (1:56.64)
  6. Pace Clark (1:56.66)
  7. Zach Harting (1:56.92)
  8. Andrew Seliskar (1:58.34)

For official results click here.

WOMENโ€™S 200m BUTTERFLY SEMIFINALS

Top seed: Cammile Adams (2:08.29)
World record: 2:01.81 โ€“ Zige Liu (China)
American record: 2:04.14 โ€“ Mary Descenza
U.S Open record: 2:05.96 โ€“ Mary T. Meagher
U.S Nationals record: 2:05.96 โ€“ Mary T. Meaghe
JR World record: 2:06.51 โ€“ Yufei Zhang (China)
2012 Winning Time: 2:06.52 โ€“ Cammile Adams

Cammile Adams is looking very smooth heading into the championship final of the women’s 200m butterfly tomorrow. Tonight, she was what looked like a comfortable 2:07.31 to beat Cassidy Bayer.

Bayer clocked in at 2:07.97 in order to take the third fastest overall seed.

Hali Flickinger, who won the first semifinal of the night, goes into tomorrow’s final second overall. Flickinger had a great race to distance herself from 100m butterfly champion Kelsi Worrell.

Flickinger dropped a 2:07.79 to Worrell’s 2:08.94. Worrell was fourth overall.

2015 World Championship team member Katie McLaughlin touched in at 2:10.35 to take the six seed overall.

TOP EIGHT

  1. Cammile Adams (2:07.31)
  2. Hali Flickinger (2:07.79)
  3. Cassidy Bayer (2:07.97)
  4. Kelsi Worrell (2:08.94)
  5. Christina Betchel (2:09.48)
  6. Katie McLaughlin (2:10.35)
  7. Hannah Saiz (2:10.44)
  8. Ruby Martin (2:10.67)

For official results click here.

MENโ€™S 200m BREASTSTROKE SEMIFINALS

Top seed: Kevin Cordes (2:08.54)
World record: 2:07.01 โ€“ Akhiro Yamaguchi (Japan)
American record: 2:07.42 โ€“ Eric Shanteau
U.S Open record: 2:07.86 โ€“ Kevin Cordes
U.S Nationals record: 2:07.86 โ€“ Kevin Cordesย 
JR World record: 2:09.84 โ€“ Anton Chupkov (Russia)
2012 Winning Time: 2:09.01 โ€“ Scott Weltz

Kevin Cordes played with Akhiro Yamaguchi’s 200m breaststroke world record in the second semifinal, turning significantly under it through the first 150-meters. Cordes looked long and controlled heading towards a new U.S Open record with a time of 2:07.81.

That time is a personal best for Cordes and ranks him second in the world this year behind Germany’s Marco Koch.

What’s going to make tomorrow night’s final even more exciting than Cordes’ semifinal is the fact that Cordes will have Josh Prenot right on his tail. The Cal standout also played with world record pace through 150 meters prior to falling short and ultimately touching in at 2:08.41.

Prenot’s time ranks him second heading into tomorrow’s final and puts him in front of third overall Will Licon by a decent amount. Licon touched second to Prenot in the first semifinal with a 2:08.41.

Cody Miller and Nic Fink were the only other swimmers under 2:10.

  1. Kevin Cordes (2:07.81)
  2. Josh Prenot (2:08.41)
  3. Will Licon (2:09.08)
  4. Cody Miller (2:09.91)
  5. Nic Fink (2:09.95)
  6. Andrew Wilson (2:10.70)
  7. BJ Johnson (2:10.77)
  8. Brendan McHugh (2:13.44)

For official results click here.

WOMENโ€™S 200m IM FINAL

2016 Top seed: Maya DiRado (2:10.09)
World record: 2:06.12 โ€“ Katinka Hosszu
American record: 2:06.15 โ€“ Ariana Kukors
U.S Open record: 2:08.66 โ€“ Katinka Hosszu
U.S Nationals record: 2:09.34 โ€“ Julia Smit
JR World record: 2:11.03 โ€“ Viktoria Gunes
2012 Winning Time: 2:10.22 โ€“ Caitlin Leverenz

Maya DiRado added a second event to her schedule for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, rocking a swift 2:09.54 to give her the win by over half-a-second.

The real battle was for the second spot. On the final turn, Melanie Margalis turned in fifth, over a body-length behind DiRado and Leverenz who were leading the way.

Off the wall, Margalis started charging and she began to creep up on Leverenz. Leverenz didn’t budge, and the two went stroke for stroke into the wall. Margalis opted for a glide in, Leverenz took the extra stroke.

Margalis was second in 2:10.11, Leverenz was third in 2:10.16.

With the second spot going to Margalis, Leverenz will not be going to the Olympic Games.

  1. Maya DiRado (2:09.54)
  2. Melanie Margalis (2:10.11)
  3. Caitlin Leverenz (2:10.16)
  4. Madisyn Cox (2:11.24)
  5. Ella Eastin (2:11.49)
  6. Bethany Galat (2:12.82)
  7. Meghan Small (2:13.31)
  8. Emily Cameron (2:14.16)

For official results click here.

TritonWear Race Analysis

The final times in each race are only the end result. A race is won by much more than a time; it’s won by underwaters, stroke rate, turn time, DPS, and much more. See what went into these spectacular swims in the Finals of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha through a TritonWear lens!

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xenon
7 years ago

Anthony Ervin’s post race interview was great after the 100 free semi’s. He said “My legs are burning, my head is ringing. I am on the verge of collapse and perhaps vomiting….I’m going to go warm down.” Old man Ervin might need to be wheeled away in a stretcher after the final tonight.

Stephen
7 years ago

Sick to death when Ledecky swims a fast race and everyone wants to have a crack at her for what she didn’t do….WR’s are damn tough…she wont break WR’s every time she enters the pool. Her time in the 200m was great …Her time in the 400m Super
Let’s acknowledge her efforts more please …rather than find a negative

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Stephen
7 years ago

Exactly what i though yesterday – She is the only sure GOLD Lock for multiple races , including this insane 200 battle . She will be much stronger & faster comes RIO . Ohhhh yeah . Her anchor on the 800 free relay will be special , and she may well be in that 400 free relay final as well with a 53 mid or lower …. she is unstoppable me thinks .

MichaelTran
7 years ago

About MP and the 200m fly
MP swam the first 100 super fast and pretty good but his last 50m was just pretty bad!!!! :((( But we know he’s not much tapered:)))))) Let’s wait to Rio and see!!!
The 100 and 200m fly in Rio will be insane. I can’t have any predictions because it is too hard!!! Love Phelps and Good luck to him!!!!’????????

MichaelTran
7 years ago

About
Katie Ledecky and the 200m free. I think she is still the favorite. Her main rivals are Pellegrini, Sjostrom and Mckeon. We all know Emma Mckeon will go out super fast (55 mid or faster) but Mckeon’s problem is that she finishes not very well (her last 50 is just average). Pellegrini is the different. She always finishes very fast (29 very low or under 29) but the problem is sometimes she goes out pretty slow :((((
Sarah Sjostrom is very smart swimmer. She controls the race very well. Sarah is the most dangerous and hardest challenge for KL. To beat Sarah, Emma and Federica, KL needs to control the race perfectly and she needs go 28… Read more ยป

Steve Nolan
Reply to  MichaelTran
7 years ago

We even sure Sjostrom is swimming it? I’d pick her 2nd to Ledecky if she does, but I don’t expect her in the race.

Stephen
Reply to  Steve Nolan
7 years ago

Yes i’m still unsure ….she hasn’t swam many 200m Free’s of late
Let’s break it down…she’ll win the 100m Fly …she doesn’t do the 200m Fly
she’ll enter the 50m Free & 100m. In both races she’ll come up short to Campbell Inc
Relay’s they are not quite as strong other nations US & Aus
So where to now…..200m Free is a solid gold event for her ….personally i think she is making a mistake not to race the 200m Free

Patrick S
Reply to  Steve Nolan
7 years ago

Yes, we are sure she is swimming it. A press conference was held last year where some of the the swedish swimmers made it official what events they were swimming in Rio. Sarah is swimming the 50/100/200m free & 100m fly. They did the announcement very early because Sarah didn’t want to have to answer questions all year about if she was going to swim the 200m free in Rio or not.

Stephen
Reply to  MichaelTran
7 years ago

I’m just wondering how Ledecky performs with pressure from multiple lanes in a 200m Final…thats my only query

Caleb
Reply to  Stephen
7 years ago

It didn’t seem to bother her when she won the World Championship.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Caleb
7 years ago

nothing can stop here – she is a fearless athlete in the pool – no mather what goes on in other lanes .

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Lane 9 hosted by Ariana Kukors
By the way I though that swimswam had a daily web show this week to recap each day. I have seen nothing so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfDxfrr2N0

Admin
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

bobo – check our Facebook page. They’re all there! We’re doing them live after the sessions:

https://www.facebook.com/swimswamnews/

bobo gigi
7 years ago
bobo gigi
7 years ago

Men’s 200 fly final race video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRw9iwz1-X8

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Day 4 quick thoughts

The more I watch the American TV live, NBC in that case, the more I like French TV. ๐Ÿ˜†
30/35% of commercials in one hour. Always the same.
How can you bear that all year? ๐Ÿ˜†
Where were the men’s 100 free prelims?

And as the meet goes on, I hope that the swim fans who predicted crazy fast winning times have now reflected a little bit more.
These trials are just about the qualifications. Not the times. There’s a huge pressure for all these swimmers. Even for the veterans. And those who are gold medal contenders are not peaking right now. Fortunately they have planned for a long time to peak… Read more ยป

Cynthia mae Curran
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

Eastin needs a better breaststroke. She and Cox and Galat have a better chance in 2020 if they can hold their times up. Most of the top Imers are going to retire in another 2 years since Maya is and Margalis is 24 and Caitlin is 25.

Cynthia mae Curran
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

Eastin needs a better breaststroke. She and Cox and Galat have a better chance in 2020 if they can hold their times up. Most of the top Imers are going to retire in another 2 years since Maya is and Margalis is 24 and Caitlin is 25.

About Mitch Bowmile

Mitch Bowmile

Mitch worked for 5-years with SwimSwam news as a web producer focusing on both Canadian and international content. He coached for Toronto Swim Club for four seasons as a senior coach focusing on the development of young swimmers. Mitch is an NCCP level 2 certified coach in Canada and an ASCA Level โ€ฆ

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