2024 Olympic Trials Day 5 Update: Veteran Women and (Mostly) Rookie Men Punch Olympic Tickets

by Robert Gibbs 52

June 19th, 2024 News

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

After a slow night yesterday, tonight’s final session had plenty of Olympic roster spots on the line, and we seem to have some roster mayhem cooking for both the men and the women.

We can’t even fully project the women’s roster right now, as Catie DeLoof and Erika Connolly tied for 6th in the women’s 100 free. It looks like there should be a swim-off for that spot, although we haven’t seen any details yet.

What we do know is that one of the most versatile elite swimmers we’ve ever seen, Kate Douglass, punched her ticket for Paris in…the 100 free. Douglass is the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the 200 IM, and she owns the American Record in the 200 breast, in which she’ll swim finals tomorrow.

Fellow Olympic veterans Torri Huske and Simone Manuel also secured roster spots tonight. Huske was already incredibly likely to get a spot on the basis of her runner-up finish in the 100 fly, but she put any doubt to rest by placing 2nd in the 100 free. Manuel, who finished 7th in the 200 free, finished 4th in the 100 free tonight. Gretchen Walsh, the 100 fly winner, added anther event to her lineup with a 3rd place finish in the 100 free. Abbey Weitzeil will almost certainly make the team as as relay-only swimmer after placing 5th in the 100 free.

On the men’s side, Thomas Heilman (200 Fly), Matt Fallon (200 Breast), Chris Guiliano (100 Free), and Jack Alexy (100 Free) all secured their first Olympic team berths. Caeleb Dressel (4×100 Free) qualified for his third team, and Hunter Armstrong (4×100 Free) qualified for his second.

Ryan Held (4×100 Free) will make his second Olympic team if the roster math works out, while Luca Urlando (200 Fly), Josh Matheny (200 Breast), and Matt King (4×100 Free) are all in line to make their first teams.

The Magic Numbers:

  • 6 doubles on either the men’s or women’s side mean all priority 2 athletes (2nd-place finishers) can be added for that gender
  • 8 doubles on either the men’s or women’s side mean all priority 3 athletes (5th-place in 100/200 free) can be added for that gender
  • 10 doubles on either the men’s or women’s side mean all priority 4 athletes (6th-place in 100/200 free) can be added for that gender

So far, the Doubles are as follows:

Women Men
Katie Ledecky – 400 Free, 200 Free, 1500 Free Kieran Smith – 400 Free, 4×200 Free Relay
Paige Madden – 400 Free, 4×200 Free Relay Hunter Armstrong4×100 Free Relay, 100 Back
Gretchen Walsh – 100 Fly, 4×100 Free Chris Guiliano – 100 Free, 200 Free
Katie Grimes – 400 IM, 1500 Free
Torri Huske – 100 free, 100 fly

When we use the term “Doubles” to refer to a swimmer qualifying in more than one event, i.e., doubling up on a roster spot. If a swimmer qualifies in three events, for the purposes of the article, it would be considered two doubles. We track ‘doubles’ to determine when the swimmers’ next priority can be officially added to the team.

Besides Walsh and Huske, Katie Ledecky and Katie Grimes also added doubles by going 1-2 in the 1500. That’s big, because the US women now have six doubles, meaning that all priority 2 athletes (2nd-place finishers) will make the roster.

So, Emma Weyant (400 IM), Emma Weber (100 Breast), and Katharine Berkoff (100 Back) are now locks to make the roster.

The men added two doubles, thanks to Hunter Armstrong, who has now qualified in the 4×100 Free Relay and the 100 back, and Chris Guiliano, who’s qualified in the 100 and 200 Freestyles. The men only have three doubles so far. They’ve got 23 men in line for roster spots so far, and still have ten more potential slots to fill. That means it’ll looking increasingly likely that one or more men will get left home due to the 26-person roster limit, although there’s certainly a both forward.

Here’s the finals event left for the men:

  • 200 Back
  • 50 Free
  • 200 IM
  • 100 Fly
  • 1500 Free

Some notes on the charts

  • Colors delineate priorities for ease of viewing
  • If there is a strikethrough, that means said athlete qualified in a higher priority
  • Bolded events were events added this evening

As a reminder, the selection procedures for the US Olympic Team are as follows.  The US is limited to 26 swimmers per gender and only 12 relay-only swimmers (which is shared between both teams).

  • Priority #1. The first priority will be comprised of both (i) the four best finishing
    Available Swimmers based on finish order during the Finals of the Qualifying
    Competition in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles, and (ii) the best
    finishing Available Swimmer based on finish order during the Finals of the
    Qualifying Competition in each of the Events other than the 100-meter and 200
    meter Freestyle.

    • Limitation: If an Available Swimmer Nominated to the Team under Priority #1 in
      the 100-meter or 200-meter Freestyle declines to swim the 100-meter Freestyle
      or 200-meter Freestyle Events at the Olympic Games (pursuant to the
      opportunity given to that athlete under Section 1.3.9) at any time prior to the
      announcement of the Team on June 23, but remains on the Team pursuant to
      Selection in another Individual Olympic Event, no additional swimmer will be
      added to the Team in the 100-meter or 200-meter Freestyle. This limitation will
      not apply if the Available Swimmer is removed from the Team pursuant to
      Section 3.
  • Priority #2. The second priority will be comprised of the second best finishing
    Available Swimmer based on finish order during the Finals of the Qualifying
    Competition in each of the Events other than the 100-meter and 200-meter
    Freestyle.
  • Priority #3. The third priority will be comprised of the fifth best finishing
    Available Swimmer based on finish order during the Finals of the Qualifying
    Competition in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles.
  • Priority #4. The fourth priority will be comprised of the sixth best finishing
    Available Swimmer based on finish order during the Finals of the Qualifying
    Competition in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles

You can read more about the Junior Pan Pacs roster selection process here. There is a cap of 20 swimmers per gender.

Note: there were a lot of 2nd and 3rd order effects on the Junior Pan Pac roster based on tonight’s events. We wanted to get the Olympic roster update up, and we’ll try to update this article later tonight or first thing in the morning with Junior Pan Pac updates.

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Paul Thomas
5 months ago

What about the question everyone’s been waiting for: who’s first in line for the second men’s open water spot? And are any of them even interested?

Will
5 months ago

Man I hope that Blake and Matt king can make it make it but looks like probably not. Held and curry should be on tho

MTK
5 months ago

It’s wild how without Phelps and Lochte around to qualify 3/4/5 events individually, the men’s roster cap of 26 is stretched right to the brink. Not something that ever became a factor until recently.

Kevin
Reply to  MTK
5 months ago

That is a huge factor, but adding the 800 for the men (and 1500 for the women) added 2 more slots (going from 34 to 36) but the roster cap stayed at 26. It’s easier to hit the cap now.

JVW
5 months ago

Doesn’t Kate Douglass count as a double with the 100 free and the 400 free relay?

Boknows34
Reply to  JVW
5 months ago

The top 2 in 100 free and 200 free don’t count as relay-only. They have already qualified individually.

JVW
Reply to  JVW
5 months ago

And isn’t Torri Huske a triple with the 400 free relay added to her two individual events?

Boknows34
Reply to  JVW
5 months ago

There are 36 slots available for 26 swimmers. 14 events x 2 per event is 28. Then add 4 each for both free relays for swimmers who finish 3-4-5-6. Douglass and Huske are both on the relay but don’t count as relay-only as they are already counted for individually.

SwimCoach
5 months ago

One thing that I continue to grow to appreciate is just how special Phelps was. Not only the length of his career but the ability to be dominant across multiple events with a heavy schedule. He made it look easy. They was he delivered made people think multiple Olympics or multiple events was just normal.

We would be lucky if we ever see someone like him again.

Last edited 5 months ago by SwimCoach
Go with the Flo
Reply to  SwimCoach
5 months ago

I wish we could see how fast Phelps could have gone if he specialized in every specific event of his

NCSwimFan
5 months ago

Priority 2 and 3 men should have nothing to worry about. Murphy (200 bk), Finke (1500 fr), Foster (200 IM), and Dressel (100 fly) should all comfortably get a 2nd swim. Between Alexy-Dressel-Held-Guiliano for the 50 free spots, you hopefully get 2 more doubles, but should for sure get 1. That gets you to 8 and the priority 3 spots set.

The priority 4 spots rely almost solely on Whitlock in the 1500 free and Kalisz in the 200 IM. There’s a chance Heilman could crack the top 2 of the 100 fly as well but it seems unlikely with Dressel and Rose swimming well. If Whitlock and Kalisz claim second in their events all 26 men’s spots should be… Read more »

NCSwimFan
Reply to  NCSwimFan
5 months ago

I’m certainly nervous if I’m Blake Pieroni though, one thing goes wrong and you’re sitting at home. Foster not swimming the 2 fly hurt a lot.

Boknows34
Reply to  NCSwimFan
5 months ago

He’ll be cheering for Murphy tomorrow tonight.

Boknows34
5 months ago

Armstrong has been counted twice at 14 and 17. Whitlock, Urlando, Matheny are 17-19. Curry and Held 20-21, with King 22 and Blake P at 23. There is room for 3 more more men.

On the women’s side Peplowski has not been given a number. She should be 15 with Weitzel 16 and Shackell at 17. Shackell is looking good for the 200 fly so we might see her bumped into Priority 2 after tomorrow night.

Last edited 5 months ago by Boknows34
DragonSwim
5 months ago

I think the men have 3 doubles now since Chris Guiliano made it in the 100 and 200 FR.

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