2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Previews: Hobson Heads 200 Free With Wide Open Relay Battle Pending

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

• June 15-23, 2024
• Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• Broadcast Info
• SwimSwam’s Definitive Guide to Trials
• SwimSwam Preview Index

MEN’S 200 FREE — BY THE NUMBERS:

• World Record: 1:42.00 — Paul Biedermann, Germany(2009)
• American Record: 1:42.96 —  Michael Phelps (2008)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:44.10 —  Michael Phelps (2008)
• World Junior Record: 1:42.97 — David Popovici, Romania (2022)
• 2020 Olympic Champion: Tom Dean, Great Britain — 1:44.22
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion:  Kieran Smith — 1:45.29
• U.S. Olympic Trials Cut: 1:49.99
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time — 1:47.06

The men’s 200 freestyle is a free-for-all. Outside of the top-tier talents, it’s a wide open race for the relay spots. It took 1:47.02 to qualify for a spot on the 2023 Worlds team and seven American men have already been faster than that this season. It’s the perfect opportunity for (at least) one swimmer to rise to the challenge and surprise for their first Olympic appearance.

The wide open nature of the race also means that round management is going to be crucial. With so many swimmers coming in with season-bests in the 1:46, 1:47 range, it will be all too easy to mistime a prelim or semifinal swim and miss out. And even then, there are only eight spots in the final, meaning that no matter how this race shakes out there’s going to be a big name on the outside looking in.

Eddie Reese’s 200 Freestyle Legacy

The NCAA said goodbye to the legendary Texas head coach Eddie Reese back in March at the Men’s NCAA Championships. But as Reese has stayed on deck helping his athletes prep for Trials, there’s still one more goodbye to come in Indianapolis—and one last chance to add a chapter to Reese’s impressive palmarès.

Over his decades-long career, Reese turned Austin into a hub for rangy mid-distance freestylers. And while Reese’s athletes have made an impact on the international stage across all disciplines, it’s the 200 freestyle in particular that’s been at the program’s core. In fact, Reese has put a swimmer onto the U.S. Olympic 4×200 freestyle relay every year since 1988.

All signs point to that streak continuing for another Olympics, as Reese has built a strong group of 200 freestylers, led by Luke Hobson.

Hobson missed the 2022 Worlds team by a half-second in the 200 free, touching 7th. He struck back in 2023, moving from third to first on the final 50 meters of the event at U.S. Nationals. He won the race in 1:45.18, earning a spot on his first senior international team.

Once in Fukuoka, Hobson continued to improve, becoming the 4th fastest American of all-time with a 1:44.87 clocking in the semifinals. He added in the final and finished 5th but didn’t have to wait long for another shot at an individual medal. Hobson was part of the small American contingent at the 2024 Worlds and made the most of it, picking up a bronze medal in this race (1:45.26).

Over the last 12 months, Hobson has emerged as the next big hope for the U.S in the 200 freestyle as he’s shown that he can hang with a crowded international field.

At the 2024 Worlds, he was part of the 4×200 free relay with fellow Longhorn Carson Foster. Foster came up big, throwing down a massive 1:43.94 split. Since making the 2022 Worlds relay via a 3rd place finish at Trials, Foster has been a consistent presence on this relay. Though he didn’t race the individual final at the 2023 Nationals, he still earned a place on the Fukuoka relay.

That consistency coupled with his 1:43.94 split from earlier this year gives Foster some wiggle room at Olympic Trials. He likely doesn’t need to race all three rounds of this event to earn at least a spot on the prelims relay in Paris. And that flexibility is key for him as the 200 free and 400 IM are on the same day (the 200 free semis are a few events after the 400 IM final).

So, while Foster is one of the strongest 200 freestylers in the country and is certainly capable of bettering his 1:45.57 personal best, we may not see him in the Olympic Trials final. But like we said in the 400 free preview, if he’s there he is one of the favorites.

Coby Carrozza joined his Texas teammates on the 4×200 free relay team at the 2022 World Championships. He finished 5th at the 2022 Trials to punch his ticket (1:46.87). He’s improved since then, posting a 1:46.72 personal best in the prelims at the 2023 Nationals. But he added time in finals and finished 8th. This isn’t going to be the last time we’ll say this but for Carrozza, round management is going to be key if he wants a spot on the Olympic team.

And finally, we’re finishing off this section with Drew Kibler, who formerly trained with the Longhorns (and maybe will again, given Bob Bowman’s new job). Kibler has switched his training base twice since making the Tokyo Olympic team in this event. First, he returned to his club team Carmel, then made the jump to the ASU pro group last fall.

Kibler finished 3rd in this race at 2021 Olympic Trials to make the team. At the 2022 Trials, he earned an individual Worlds berth by finishing in the runner-up position behind Kieran Smith. He finished off the podium in Budapest by two one-hundredths, running out of room to chase down Tom Dean and producing a 1:45.01 personal best.

Kibler made the 2023 Worlds team as well but missed an individual swim, finishing 3rd again (1:45.75). Kibler is a prime contender for a relay spot and it would be an added bonus to him if he could reclaim an individual event slot. He’s got the second fastest season-best in the field (1:46.02) which trails only Hobson’s 2024 Worlds performance. That’s a confidence boost heading into Trials, where he’ll need to be at his best to topple Hobson and Smith.   

Freestyle University

Meanwhile, Texas new conference rivals Florida have been steadily building their own freestyle hub. The Gator men swept the freestyle events at both the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials and 2022 International Team Trials. Smith swept the 200 and 400 freestyles at those meets. And though Hobson upset him in 2023, he still finished second which means he’s earned an individual 200 freestyle berth at the U.S.’s last three major qualification meets.

Kieran Smith (photo: Jack Spitser)

Smith has been consistent in this event, displaying a knack for getting his hand on the wall first or second even when he’s not at his best (he hasn’t been under 1:45 since the Tokyo Olympics). When the psych sheets drop, Smith will be seeded right in the mix with his main competition, courtesy of his 1:46.93 season-best from the Budapest World Cup stop. But don’t let the psych sheet fool you, Smith’s got the fastest personal best among active Americans (1:44.74). He ranks 3rd all-time, 13 one-hundredths ahead of Hobson.

If Foster qualifies and opts to contest all three rounds, the pre-race favorite list extends to three swimmers but otherwise, this is all about Hobson vs. Smith.

Of course, the Gators don’t just have a single swimmer in this race. Since making the Tokyo Olympics in the 400 free, Jake Mitchell has flexed his 200 free skill. Mitchell missed the 2022 International Team Trials due to illness but in 2023, he earned his Worlds roster spot by finishing 4th in this race (1:46.25).

Like his 400 free, it’s clear that we haven’t seen Mitchell at his best in long course this season. His season-best is 1:48.29 from the Atlanta Classic, almost two and a half seconds off the personal best 1:45.82 he swam in prelims of 2023 Nationals. He’ll certainly be faster later this month.

Mitchell has a strong back half; he had the 3rd fastest last 50 in the 2023 final, which moved him from 5th to 4th. But something to keep an eye with him is his front end speed—he needs to stay close enough to guys like Hobson and Smith on the front half of the race. He did go a PB in the 50 free at the Atlanta Classic and if he can translate that into easy opening speed in the 200 free that could be a difference maker for him.

The NCAA Crew

Baylor Nelson and Henry McFadden making the 2023 Worlds teams was one of the surprising and feel-good stories of the meet. Nelson went to a club meet weeks before the 2023 Nationals specifically to qualify for the 200 free. Then, over the course of Nationals, he dropped another 2.65 seconds, swimming a lifetime best 1:46.51 and qualifying for Fukuoka with his 5th place finish. And McFadden qualifying as a 17-year-old (1:47.02) by moving into 6th over the closing meters was a similarly compelling narrative.

Both have an uphill climb back to the final—basically from here on out the phrase “round management is crucial” applies to everyone.

McFadden didn’t make much of an impression with his total points at NCAAs; however, he had a quietly strong freshman season at Stanford, swimming personal bests in the 50/100/200/500 yard freestyle. That carried over to meters as well. At the 2023 U.S. Open, McFadden shaved .14 seconds off his 200 free best in 1:46.80. He’ll likely need to be faster than that to make the Olympic team, but breaking 1:47 for the second time in his career while in-season is a confidence boost that McFadden can carry over to Trials.

Jake Magahey (photo: Jack Spitser)

Nelson doesn’t race the 200-yard free much during his collegiate season with Texas A&M. Nevertheless, he still posted a lifetime best of 1:33.97 at a dual meet. Nelson owns a season-best of 1:49.75 from the early March Lonestar Last Chance Meet, and most recently went 1:50.84 at the Texas Senior Circuit meet.

Someone who has been on a more clear run of form in this event of late is Jake Magahey. Last weekend, Magahey raced at the Bulldog Grand Slam, where he posted a season best 1:47.82—a sizable improvement from the 1:49.81 he produced at the UGA Fall Invite. Since his breakthrough performances at the 2022 U.S. Nationals, Magahey has been on the bubble of making his first senior international team. He missed the 2022 International Team Trials due to illness, but his performances in both the 200 and 400 free later in the summer would’ve made the Worlds team.

The 1:47.82 time is a solid sign that Magahey is rounding into form at the right time—the swim is a little over a second off his lifetime best 1:46.62 from 2022. He neared that time last summer with a 1:46.97 in the ‘B’ final of 2023 Nationals. If Magahey can make his way into the final, he’s got a realistic chance at a relay spot.

Another NCAA swimmer posting intriguing in-season times is Gabriel Jett. Jett was part of the group that Cal sent to the Westmont Pro Swim instead of Pac-12s. He made the most of the opportunity, swimming a lifetime best 1:47.16. Jett’s got a history of setting PBs at Pro Series meets. In 2023, he hit a personal best at the Knoxville Pro Series before lowering it at U.S. Nationals (1:47.32).

Most recently, he posted a time of 1:47.88 at club meet on May 17th. It’s going to take sub-1:47 to make the final—for reference, 1:47.00 was the cut-off in 2021—but nearly breaking that barrier in-season points to Jett being capable of getting under that standard. And like we said with Magahey, once he’s in the final anything can happen.

Two other NCAA swimmers to keep an eye on are Patrick Sammon and Rex Maurer. At U.S. Nationals in 2023, both Brooks Curry and Sammon posted times that would’ve made the 2023 Worlds team. The problem? They did them in the ‘B’ final.

Sammon swam a lifetime best 1:46.83 for 10th overall. That was his first time sub-1:47. He went under again later in the summer at the 2023 LEN U23 European Championships with a 1:46.91 in prelims before adding time in finals. He holds a season-best of 1:48.05 from the U.S. Open. He was 1:48.50 at the San Antonio Pro Series, a solid effort shortly after helping ASU to their first NCAA title. Sammon arrives in Indianapolis this year after a breakthrough 2023 where he made his first international team. And he’ll be eager to back that up by earning a lane in the final.

The story with Maurer in the 200 freestyle the same as the 400. Maurer had a good summer in 2023; in the 200 free he swam a PB 1:47.63. He didn’t perform well at his first NCAAs after a promising mid-season meet and has since entered the transfer portal. He repped Longhorn Aquatics at the Longhorn Elite Invite, which may point to where he’s headed. If Maurer can adapt quickly to a new training environment and put NCAAs in the rearview then he’s got a solid shot at making the final. He’s seen promising early returns; his 1:49.10 at the Longhorn Elite Invite was a season-best.

More Contenders

Worried we’d run out of finals threats after 12 swimmers? Fear not, there are plenty of more names to circle on the psych sheets.

We already mentioned Curry, who’s looking to add the 200 freestyle to his repertoire. Curry raced the 200 free for the first time since 2019 at a June 2023 Louisiana club meet. There, he broke 1:50 for the first time with a 1:48.37, qualifying for 2023 Nationals. At that meet he won the ‘B’ final in 1:46.39—a new lifetime best that would’ve finished 5th in the ‘A’ final and made the Worlds team.

Since then, Curry moved to train with the Cal Bears. This is going to be his first major taper since that move. It’s a big test for Curry, who’s looking to get back on the international team roster after missing in 2023.

Brooks Curry (photo: Jack Spitser)

With a 1:46.35 lifetime best at Indianapolis Sectionals in March, Aaron Shackell is making a case for himself here in the 200 free. That was his first time sub-1:47, bettering the 1:47.07 he clocked at 2023 LEN U23 European Championships. Since returning to Carmel for an Olympic redshirt year, Shackell has looked strong, particularly in freestyle. He’s turned in lifetime bests in the 100/200 free. His time in the 200 free sets him up as someone who has a real chance to upstage some of the bigger names in the field.

Speaking of upsets, one of the common discussions in the SwimSwam comments is the question of whether it’s too early for Maximus Williamson to make his first Olympic team. His 200 free lifetime best is a 1:47.11 he swam leading off the 4×200 free relay at 2023 World Juniors. That capped off a summer where he lowered his PB three separate times.

Williamson’s had a ton of success already at only 17 and it still doesn’t feel like he’s close to his ceiling. Whether or not you think that it’s too early for him, his lifetime best demands that you take him seriously in this event.

At 32, Zane Grothe is at a very different point in his career than Williamson. So is 28-year-old Olympian Blake Pieroni, who returned to the sport after retirement. But the three find themselves as outside threats for a spot on the Olympic team.

Grothe has seemed to focus in on the 200 free in the back half of this truncated Olympic cycle. At the 2023 U.S. Nationals, he swam his fastest time since 2017, posting a 1:46.97 in prelims. That time was just over half a second off his personal best 1:46.39 from 2017. He finished 7th in the final, missing the Worlds team by .05. Since then, Grothe swam a season-best 1:47.98 at the 2023 Pan American Games.

Meanwhile, Pieroni unleashed a 1:47.02 at the Indy Spring Cup, his fastest time since returning to the sport. It was his fastest swim since finishing 7th at the last Olympic Trials and should be a big confidence boost for him heading into Indianapolis. Given how competitive this field is, Pieroni and Grothe will need to be at their best to make the team in this event. Pieroni has a little more wiggle room with his 1:45.93 PB from 2018.

This is where age and experience may play to their advantage. The swimmers aiming for relay spots are all largely all younger than either Pieroni or Grothe and some have much less experience. The pressure at Olympic Trials is immense and having been through the experience before may be what tips the scales in their favor.

The Verdict

You know that rumor about how college admissions offices just throw applications up in the air and the ones that land face up get admitted? Well, that’s kind of what it feels like trying to pick a top eight in this race. (If I’m dating myself by referring to printed applications please don’t tell me.)

We see Hobson and Smith as the favorites, clearly so if Foster opts out for the final. From there, it’s going to come down to who can carry themselves best through the rounds—then take advantage of the opportunity the final presents. But whoever you have down in the top eight, there’s surely at least one big name that’s missed out, that’s how close this event is.

Dark Horse: Luca Urlando — Urlando could make things very interesting in this event. At the 2021 Trials, Urlando qualified for the final in 6th but scratched out (bumping Foster in). He skipped this event at the 2022 Trials (where he made the team in the 200 fly). After getting injured in the fall of 2022, he didn’t compete at the 2023 Nationals.

But Urlando popped up at the U.S. Pro Championships later in the summer with some of his training mates at ASU. There, he swam 1:46.99 which he then bettered with a 1:46.98 at the U.S. Open. Those are his fastest swims since he set his 1:46.51 PB in 2019. He’s made a steady march back to his best form which means that he’ll have plenty of event options in Indianapolis. He could skip this event again but if he swims, he’s got as good a chance as anyone mentioned in the body of this article at the team.