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
- SwimSwam’s Definitive Guide to Trials
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- SwimSwam Pick ’em Contest
- Prelims Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
- Finals Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
Day 7 Prelims Heat Sheet
With just three events on the schedule, it is predicted to be a quick morning session, and with a large number of scratches, even faster than originally anticipated.
Scratching out of two events today and ending her meet early is Bella Sims. Sims, a 2021 Tokyo Olympian, had a rough meet and failed to make it out of the first round of any event. Also, ending their meet early is Leah Smith. Smith, a two-time Olympic medalist, was the 5th seed in the 800 free and, like Sims, has struggled to re-find her form. Katie Grimes has also decided to withdraw from the 800 free. While she qualified for Tokyo in the event, Grimes has opted to swim the 200 back final tonight where she is the 4th seed.
There were no highly-seeded swimmers to scratch out of the 100 fly, but high-profile names Aaron Shackell, who has already been named to the team, and Luca Urlando, who placed 2nd in the 200 fly, have withdrawn.
In the 200 IM, in addition to Sims, #6 Phoebe Bacon has opted to not swim the race. It’s not a surprising move, as Bacon, a 2021 Olympian in the 200 back, will be looking to repeat the feat, as she is the 2nd seed in this evening’s 200 back final.
See below for a full list of scratches:
Men’s 100 Butterfly
- #35 Aaron Shackell – 53.13
- #38 Luca Urlando – 53.15
Women’s 200 IM
- #5 Bella Sims
- #6 Phoebe Bacon
- #17 Molly Sweeney
- #29 Erin Gemmell
- #40 Piper Enge
- #43 Miranda Tucker
Women’s 800 Free
- #4 Katie Grimes
- #5 Leah Smith
- #9 Bella Sims
- #12 Cavan Gormsen
- #13 Mariah Denigan
- #24 Erica Sullivan
- #28 Emma Weyant
I dont understand
Urlando in 100 fly is weird. Hope he’s feeling well.
not that weird. he’s already made the team so he might just wanna get back to training 2 days earlier. it’s gonna be a tough event to crack top 2
‘Open water smackdown of bathtub swimmers’ = bringing a surprise possibility to add drama with unanticipated storyline.
That’s a twist.
But thinking about it, Aitken said the focus is on events she can medal in. In the 800, Ledecky, Titmus, Bingjie, and Pallister have been 8:15 or faster in the last year. In the 200 bk, 2:06 high could be a bronze medal.
In the end, I hope Grimes goes a best time in a “fun” event, but that a pure backstroker qualifies.
Realistically though, did she have a chance in that race? She hasn’t been the best here, and the 800 has been the race she’s gone backwards in over the past 2 years. I think she’s a natural distance swimmer, and I think that the 1500 and open water races seem to be her fortue
She went 8:21 in season so she was certainly in the mix especially when outside of Madden, her main competitors for the second spot haven’t had stellar meets
Jillian Cox went a pb in the 400, pretty sure that probably means she’s swimming well.
Perhaps Grimes knew along that she would not swim the 800 if she qualified in the 1500 and just wants to work on some racing/finishing speed by swimming the 200s. Especially since the 800 is late in the pool program and closer to the OW race in Paris. Seems like a smart move.
I think the strategy will be after the 1500, give herself cholera, so she has a week to recover and will be immune by the time she gets in the Seine.
I feel bad for Bella My thoughts on her at this meet: she is either ill or college life / change in training impacted her approach to long course swimming.
If I were to offer unsolicited advice to her: (1) don’t swim for the rest of the summer, (2) embrace the life of a college athlete for the next two years and skip next year’s Worlds, (3) stop swimming college after 2026 NCAAs and join a pro team/trusted coach and go all in starting with Pan Pacs in the summer of 2026 going towards LA 2028 a la Regan Smith.
..or she was human, put a ton of pressure on herself because she wanted it so badly and just had a rough meet.. perhaps?
Or she had a club coach who told her she could never swim fast for anyone else. That kind of bs gets in your head no matter who you are.
I don’t think people appreciate enough the rarity of making an Olympic Team. Every one of these 1000 athletes competing at Trials look like they are from a different planet when competing in “normal” meets. Then, to make the team you need to be in the top 5% of these 1000 swimmers… Sims is great at a lot of events, but she wasn’t seeded in the top 2 in any of her numerous events. People are being way too critical of her for having a “bad” meet, when in reality, she wasn’t an undisputed favorite for making the team in any of her events. They are acting like she is Katie Ledecky, when she is closer to Alex Walsh or… Read more »
I don’t think in terms of her making the team at all when considering a “bad meet.” I strictly think of the times. And hers were very off. Whatever the problem was, I sincerely hope she shrugs this off and continues to love the sport and maintain her bubbly smile and personality. Swimming is better with her in it.
The Sandpiper elites are all homeschooled, heavily controlled by their coach in and out of the water, and live in environments where they have nothing to worry about but swimming. If you look at really elite swimmers who came to Florida, the first year is always an adjustment. Dressel and Liendo didn’t start winning everything in sight until their sophomore year. Weyant took a year to adjust. Bella even admitted she bit off more than she could chew, signing up for 16 credit hours her first semester against the recommendation of the academic advisor, but those are things you have to learn about yourself. Having real freedom for the first time and the autonomy to make every decision from what… Read more »
Alittle surprised Grimes chose the 200 back. She’s pretty much guaranteed the spot in the 800, and the 200 back will be tough.
maybe she likes the challenge.
A theme of the comments sections this meet is the wild number of meters swum by Sandpipers and by Grimes in particular, and now she’s dropped the 800 and one of the most logical reasons is load management at the Olympics with the 10k being her final event, and we’re all expressing surprise that she’s choosing to swim fewer competitive meters. I suppose that tracks in a way, but this gives her more time to build to the 10k in Paris (whether that’s rest or a few days of crazy yardage because Ron without worrying about two competitive 800s).