2024 U.S. Olympic Trials: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

• June 15-23, 2024
• Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Session Start Times (ET):
  • 11 a.m. Prelims
  • 7:45 p.m. Finals (varying based on broadcast needs)
• Meet Central
• Broadcast Info
• SwimSwam’s Definitive Guide to Trials
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ’em Contest
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Prelims Live Stream
• Day 2 Finals Live Stream (USA)
• Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet

The second night of finals from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials promises to be an exciting one with spots at the Paris Games up for grabs in three events to go along with four sets of semi-finals.

Following Saturday night’s magnificent performance in the semis, all eyes will be on Gretchen Walsh in the final of the women’s 100 fly, as the newly-minted world record holder looks to earn a berth at her first Olympic Games.

Walsh knocked three-tenths off the all-time mark in last night’s semis in 55.18, but still has work to do as she still needs to perform in the final to lock in a lane in Paris. The 21-year-old will be surrounded by the next two fastest Americans of all-time, as former National Record holder Torri Huske occupies Lane 5 and Regan Smith will be in Lane 3.

Huske went 55.79 in the semis, just shy of her lifetime best of 55.64, while Smith joined the sub-56 club in 55.92, becoming the 7th-fastest performer of all-time.

• Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet
• Day 2 Finals Live Stream (USA)

The session will kick off with the final of the men’s 400 IM, where Carson Foster will have the chance to right the wrong of the 2021 Trials when he coughed up an early lead and ended up placing 3rd behind Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland.

Kalisz and Litherland, who went 1-2 in the Tokyo Olympic final, could be the U.S. representatives in this event for the third straight Games if they manage to get past Foster tonight, but that will be a tall order with Foster the overwhelming favorite coming in, having won silver at both the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.

Foster and Kalisz both cruised to wins in their respective heats this morning, qualifying 1-2 into the final with Foster well clear of the field in 4:11.02.

The third final of the night will be the men’s 100 breaststroke, which could be a shootout after just 44 one-hundredths in the semis separated the eight finals qualifiers.

Nic Fink has been the proverbial favorite to win this race and give the U.S. the best chance at a medal in Paris dating back to 2022, but nothing he’s shown so far suggests qualifying will be a walk in the park for the 30-year-old veteran.

Fink comes in as the #3 seed, trailing Charlie Swanson (59.34) and Josh Matheny (59.42) after clocking 59.46 in the semis, while American Record holder Michael Andrew (59.65) is lurking out in Lane 7.

We’ll also see semi-finals in the men’s and women’s 200 free, the women’s 100 breast and the men’s 100 back. No surprises for the top seeds coming out of the prelims in those events:

• Men’s 200 free – Luke Hobson, 1:45.95
• Women’s 100 breast – Lilly King, 1:06.05
• Men’s 100 back – Hunter Armstrong, 52.95
• Women’s 200 free – Katie Ledecky, 1:56.18

The women’s 100 breast will feature 46-year-old Gabrielle Rose, who heard big cheers from the crowd this morning after the two-time Olympian set a lifetime best of 1:08.43 to advance to the semis.

MEN’S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY— FINAL

• World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand (FRA), 2023
• World Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilya Borodin (RUS), 2021
• American Record: 4:03.84 – Michael Phelps (2008)
• U.S. Open Record: 4:05.25 – Michael Phelps (USA), 2008
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Chase Kalisz, 4:09.09
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 4:12.50

1. Carson Foster (RAYS), 4:07.64
2. Chase Kalisz (TXLA), 4:09.39
3. Jay Litherland (TXLA), 4:12.34
4. Ian Grum (DYNA), 4:15.06
5. Tommy Bried (UOFL), 4:15.15
6. Kyle Ponsler (WOLF), 4:16.53
7. Gregg Enoch (CSC-IN), 4:17.64
8. Danny Berlitz (CM), 4:17.65

Three years later, Carson Foster exorcised his demons under the bright lights.

After giving up a late lead in the final of the men’s 400 IM at the Olympic Trials in 2021, Foster made things right this time around, leading the race wire-to-wire to secure his first Olympic berth.

The 22-year-old opened up a two-second lead through the 200-meter mark, and although Chase Kalisz made up gained a second and a half on the breaststroke leg, Foster left little doubt that he would get the job done when it came to the freestyle, as he powered home in 58.01 to book the win in a time of 4:07.64.

The time is also the third-fastest of his career and his third time under 4:08—his two fastest swims are matching 4:06.56s, one from the 2022 World Championships and one from the 2023 edition.

Kalisz was in 2nd throughout the race and his position in the top two was never in doubt, rolling to a time of 4:09.39 to earn his third straight Olympic berth in the event and giving him the opportunity to defend his Olympic title in Paris.

Jay Litherland, who ran down Ryan Lochte for an Olympic spot in 2016 and then did the same to Foster in 2021, was lurking in 3rd the entire way but let too big of a deficit going into the free and ended up three seconds shy of Kalisz in 4:12.34.

University of Georgia’s Ian Grum used strong backstroke and freestyle splits to chop more than a second off his lifetime best and land 4th place in 4:15.06, just ahead of Louisville’s Tommy Bried (4:15.15).

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 55.18, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
• American Record: 55.18, Gretchen Walsh – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
• U.S. Open Record: 55.18, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
• World Junior Record: 56.20, Claire Curzan (USA) – 2021 TAC Titans Premier Invitational
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Torri Huske, 55.66
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 57.92

1. Gretchen Walsh (NAC), 55.31
2. Torri Huske (AAC), 55.52
3. Regan Smith (TXLA), 55.62
4. Claire Curzan (TAC-NC), 57.47
5. Kelly Pash (TXLA), 57.72
6. Beata Nelson (UN-WI), 57.80
7. Lillie Nordmann (ALTO), 57.92
8. Emma Sticklen (TXLA), 58.44

In an otherworldly final that produced three of the eight fastest swims in history, Gretchen Walsh backed up her world record performance in the semis with a near identical performance in the final of the women’s 100 fly, securing her first Olympic berth.

Walsh, out in a blazing 25.20 at the 50—less than a tenth off her American Record in the 50 fly (25.11)—fended off Torri Huske and Regan Smith down the second length to touch 1st in 55.31, the 2nd-fastest performance in history.

After breaking the world record last night in 55.18, Walsh now owns the two fastest swims ever.

Huske went under her lifetime best and former American Record in 55.52, the 4th-fastest swim ever, to punch her ticket to the Olympics for a second straight time in the event.

Incredibly, Smith, who had never broken 56 seconds prior to last night’s semis, threw down a blazing-fast time of 55.62, which ties her for #5 all-time in the event and yet she doesn’t crack the Olympic roster for the U.S.

All-Time Performers, Women’s 100 Butterfly (LCM)

1. Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.18 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
2. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 55.48 – 2016 Olympic Games
3. Torri Huske (USA), 55.52 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
4. Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 55.59 – 2021 Olympic Games
5. Zhang Yufei (CHN) / Regan Smith (USA), 55.62 – 2020 Chinese Nationals / 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials

The three swimmers had vastly different splits, with Walsh’s drop-dead opening speed, Smith’s incredible closing ability, and Huske being right in the middle.

Split Comparison

Without having done exhaustive research, it’s possible Smith’s 28.94 back half is the first sub-29 in history.

All-Time Performances, Women’s 100 Butterfly (LCM)

1. Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.18 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
2. Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.31 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
3. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 55.48 – 2016 Olympic Games
4. Torri Huske (USA), 55.52 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
5. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 55.53 – 2017 World Championships
6. Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 55.59 – 2021 Olympic Games
7. Zhang Yufei (CHN) / Regan Smith (USA), 55.62 – 2020 Chinese Nationals / 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
8. –
9. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) / Zhang Yufei (CHN) / Torri Huske (USA), 55.64 – 2015 World Championships / 2021 Olympic Games / 2022 World Championships
10. –

Claire Curzan, who represented the U.S. in Tokyo in this event alongside Huske, was a distant 4th in 57.47.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: 1:42.00 — Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• American Record: 1:42.96 — Michael Phelps, 2008
• U.S. Open Record: 1:44.10 — Michael Phelps (USA), 2008
• World Junior Record: 1:42.97 — David Popovici (ROU), 2022
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion:  Kieran Smith, 1:45.29
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:47.06

Final Qualifiers:

1. Kieran Smith (RAC), 1:45.39
2. Luke Hobson (LAKE), 1:45.58
3. Drew Kibler (NYAC), 1:45.82
4. Jake Mitchell (FLOR), 1:46.43
5. Blake Pieroni (ISC), 1:46.52
6. Brooks Curry (CAL), 1:46.60
7. Chris Guiliano (ND), 1:46.83
8. Aaron Shackell (CSC-IN) / Daniel Diehl (WOLF), 1:47.00**

**swim-off required

Kieran Smith put his foot down in the first semi of the men’s 200 free, asserting himself as a key player in tomorrow’s final by topping the field by more than a second in 1:45.39, his fastest swim in two years.

The 28-year-old veteran Blake Pieroni, who surprised many with a 1:46.09 clocking in the prelims to qualify 2nd overall into the semis, had another solid swim to advance through in 5th, touching 2nd to Smith in Heat 1 in 1:46.52.

The second semi was an absolute war with next to nothing between all eight swimmers through 100 meters. Top seed Luke Hobson started to distance himself on the third 50 and then dropped the fastest closing 50 in the field in 26.81, securing the win and Lane 5 in tomorrow’s final in 1:45.58.

Drew Kibler joined Smith and Hobson sub-1:46 in 1:45.82 for 3rd overall, while Jake Mitchell had a nice rebound after last night’s 400 free to move through in 4th in 1:46.43.

Aaron Shackell, who qualified for the Olympic team last night in the 400 free, and Daniel Diehl, who scratched the 100 back to focus on this race this morning, produced matching 1:47.00s which ended up tying for 8th, meaning we’ll see an incredible high stakes swim-off later on.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE — SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: 1:04.13 — Lilly King (USA), 2017
• American Record: 1:04.13 — Lilly King, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 1:04.45 — Jessica Hardy (USA), 2009
• World Junior Record: 1:04.35 — Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Lilly King, 1:04.79
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:06.79

Final Qualifiers:

1. Lilly King (ISC), 1:05.57
2. Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS), 1:06.42
3. Emma Weber (CA-Y), 1:06.48
4. Lydia Jacoby (STSC), 1:06.66
5. Kaelyn Gridley (DUKE), 1:06.67
6. Alex Walsh (NAC), 1:06.87
7. Ella Nelson (NAC), 1:07.41
8. McKenzie Siroky (UN-MI), 1:07.73

The Indianapolis crowd got behind home-state product Lilly King and King responded with a very sound semi swim in the women’s 100 breast, comfortably claiming the top seed for tomorrow’s final in a time of 1:05.57.

The swim is a new season-best for King, who came in with her fastest this year sitting at 1:05.67 from the Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville.

USC standout Kaitlyn Dobler was the #2 qualifier for the final, clocking 1:06.42 out of King’s heat for a new season-best of her own.

In the first semi, it was a three-pronged attack from the University of Virginia training squad, as Emma Weber led the way in 1:06.48, knocking two one-hundredths off her best time, and Alex Walsh (1:06.87) and Ella Nelson (1:07.41) also set new PBs to qualify 6th and 7th into the final.

Sandwiched in between Weber and Walsh in the heat was defending Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby, who has yet to show the 1:05.7 form she showed earlier this season. However, Jacoby still comfortably made the final in 1:06.66, significantly faster than she was in the prelims.

Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley (1:06.67) and Michigan’s McKenzie Siroky (1:07.73) also chipped down their best times from the prelims to advance to the final in 5th and 8th, respectively, from King’s heat.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE — SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: 51.60 — Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 2022
• American Record: 51.85 — Ryan Murphy, 2016
• U.S. Open Record: 51.94 — Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
• World Junior Record: 52.53 — Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Ryan Murphy, 52.33
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 53.74

Final Qualifiers:

1. Ryan Murphy (CAL), 52.65
2. Adam Chaney (FLOR), 53.08
3. Jack Aikins (SA), 53.23
4. Hunter Armstrong (NYAC), 53.57
5. Tommy Janton (ND), 53.61
6. Jack Wilkening (MICH), 53.70
7. Will Modglin (ZSC), 53.83
8. Justin Ress (MVN), 53.78

Hunter Armstrong avoided a real scare in the second semi of the men’s 100 back, fighting back after slipping off the blocks and leaving himself with a massive early deficit.

Armstrong turned last in the heat at the 50 (26.37) but rallied home in 27.20 to touch 2nd behind Jack Aikins in 53.57, qualifying him 4th for the final.

Armstrong said post-race that the backstroke wedge didn’t set properly, and “the camera was right where I wanted to put my hands.”

In the first semi, it was the Ryan Murphy show as the 2016 Olympic champion powered to his first sub-53 swim of the year, clocking 52.65 with the lone sub-27 back half in the field (26.95) to boot.

Qualifying 2nd out of Murphy’s heat was Florida’s Adam Chaney, who ripped a new lifetime best of 53.08 to move to #11 all-time among Americans.

Aikins set a new PB of his own in 53.23 to qualify 3rd, knocking .01 off his best time set in the prelims. Known for his 200 prowess, Aikins had the fastest opening 50 in the entire field at 25.62.

Advancing through in 5th was Notre Dame’s Tommy Janton, who broke the 54-second barrier for the first time (by a wide margin) in 53.61. Michigan’s Jack Wilkening also improved on the PB he set in the prelims, bringing his best down to 53.70 after breaking 54 for the first time this morning (53.89).

Notably missing the final was Shaine Casas, who owns a best time of 52.51 from 2022 but ended up 9th overall in 54.08.

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE— FINAL

• World Record: 56.88, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2019 World Championships
• American Record: 58.14, Michael Andrew – 2021 Olympic Trials
• U.S. Open Record: 58.14, Michael Andrew (USA) – 2021 Olympic Trials
• World Junior Record: 59.01, Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 2017 World Junior Championships
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Michael Andrew – 58.73
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 59.49

1. Nic Fink (NYAC), 59.08
2. Charlie Swanson (NOVA), 59.16
3. Josh Matheny (ISC), 59.23
4. Liam Bell (CAL), 59.40
5. Noah Nichols (CA-Y), 59.69
6. Jake Foster (RAYS), 59.84
7. Luke Rodarte (CAL), 59.85
8. Michael Andrew (MASA), 1:00.11

It what was expected to be a tightly-bunched up final, and it was, but it was the reigning world champion Nic Fink coming out on top in the men’s 100 breaststroke to qualify for his second straight U.S. Olympic team.

Fink opened up a big lead on the first 50, turning 1st by nearly half a second in 27.08, but then he started to lose ground coming home as Charlie Swanson, Josh Matheny and Liam Bell started nipping at his heels.

Although Swanson and Matheny got particularly close, Fink held on to take the win in 59.08 despite closing in 32.00—the second-slowest in the field.

Fink is the lone American sub-59 this season, clocking 58.65 at the World Championships in Doha en route to winning the world title.

Swanson has been on fire so far in Indianapolis, reeling off his third consecutive lifetime best in the 100 breast to likely book a spot on his first Olympic team. Swanson came home in 31.43 to finish in 59.16 and place 2nd, lowering his PB of 59.34 from the semis.

Matheny, who represented the U.S. alongside Fink at the 2023 World Championships and made the final, took 3rd in 59.23, just three one-hundredths shy of his best time set last year.

Cal’s Bell dropped more time after breaking 1:00 for the first time in the semis, bringing his PB down from 59.57 to 59.40 to place 4th.

American Record holder Michael Andrew had trouble closing and ended up 8th in 1:00.11, the lone swimmer in the final who didn’t crack 1:00.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE — SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: 1:52.23 — Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2024
• American Record: 1:53.61 — Allison Schmitt, 2012
• U.S. Open Record: 1:54.13 — Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
• World Junior Record: 1:53.65 — Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Katie Ledecky, 1:55.11
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:57.26

Final Qualifiers:

1. Katie Ledecky (FLOR), 1:55.25
2. Claire Weinstein (SAND), 1:55.86
3. Paige Madden (NYAC), 1:56.36
4. Erin Gemmell (NCAP), 1:56.53
5. Katie Grimes (SAND), 1:57.19
6. Alex Shackell (CSC-IN), 1:57.42
7. Anna Peplowski (ISC), 1:57.55
8. Simone Manuel (SUN), 1:57.63

Katie Ledecky and Claire Weinstein went toe to toe in the women’s 200 free once again after Weinstein’s upset win last summer at Nationals, but it was all Ledecky tonight as she roared home over the final 100 in the second semi to qualify 1st into the final.

Ledecky turned on the jets on the back half, distancing herself from the rest of the field by a wide margin other than  Weinstein, who held onto Ledecky’s feet and had a very impressive swim of her own.

Ledecky clocked in at 1:55.25, less than three-tenths shy of her season-best 1:54.97, while Weinstein came within six-tenths of her personal best in 1:55.86 to advance 2nd into the final.

In the first semi, Simone Manuel got the crowd roaring with some outside smoke from Lane 1, leading through the 150 and showing some speed that bodes well for later in the meet.

Paige Madden, fresh off qualifying for the team last night in the 400 free, rocketed home over the last 50 to win the heat in 1:56.36, knocking eight one-hundredths off her personal best.

Anna Peplowski (1:57.55) also pipped Manuel at the wall, but Manuel’s time of 1:57.63 was good for 8th place and a lane in tomorrow’s final.

Erin Gemmell, Katie Grimes and Alex Shackell moved through to the final in positions 4-5-6, with Grimes establishing a new personal best of 1:57.19. Her previous mark stood at 1:57.55 from last summer’s Nationals.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — SWIM-OFF

• World Record: 1:42.00 — Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• American Record: 1:42.96 — Michael Phelps, 2008
• U.S. Open Record: 1:44.10 — Michael Phelps (USA), 2008
• World Junior Record: 1:42.97 — David Popovici (ROU), 2022
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion:  Kieran Smith, 1:45.29
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:47.06

1. Aaron Shackell (CSC-IN), 1:46.95
2. Daniel Diehl (WOLF), 1:47.16

Aaron Shackell came up clutch for the second straight night in front of his home crowd, pulling off an epic comeback in a swim-off for the last lane in tomorrow’s final of the men’s 200 free.

Shackell was out-split by Daniel Diehl on each of the first three 50s, but after trailing by 88 one-hundredths at the final turn, Shackell rallied home in 26.91 to run down Diehl and touch 1st in 1:46.95, five one-hundredths quicker than he and Diehl went in the semis to tie for 8th.

Diehl, who set a big best time of 1:46.83 in the heats to move to #5 all-time in the boys’ 17-18 age group, was out quick in 51.47 at the 100, but couldn’t fend off Shackell coming home, splitting 28.00.

Shackell will have a great chance at landing a top-six spot in tomorrow’s final and a berth on the 800 free relay—he may get a chance to swim in the Olympic heats regardless since he’s already on the team—with his best time standing at 1:46.35 from a meet here in Indianapolis in March.