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

2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS

• Sunday June 26th-Sunday July 3rd, 2016
• Century Link Center – Omaha, Nebraska
• Friday-Sunday – Prelims – 11:00 am EDT   Finals – 7:45 pm EDT
• SwimSwam Preview Links & Schedule
• NBC Televison Coverage Schedule
• Psych Sheets
• Saturday heat sheets
• Live results

Tonight could be a historic night for swimming at the 2016 U.S Olympic Trials. Both Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps could be making history tonight as they each have one final to contest.

Phelps is up first in the men’s 100m butterfly which will be his last race on U.S soil. If he makes the team in the event, he’s in a position to win four straight Olympic gold medals in the event, something that’s never been done before. There’s plenty of talent in the final tonight, and Phelps is far from a lock in the event after the speed that was displayed in semifinals.

Ledecky has the 800m freestyle final. In order to qualify, she swam an 8:10.91. She described that that performance felt easy, meaning that there’s plenty of potential for her to smash her own world record tonight.

200m backstroke world record holder Missy Franklin will be looking to qualify for one more event with her last swim at these trials. Franklin has been swimming consistently well in the 200m backstroke, and just needs to finish second tonight to qualify. Maya DiRado and Elizabeth Beisel will be there to add challenge to the chase.

The men’s 50m freestyle final is the fourth final of the night. There have been several swimmers under 22-seconds and this final should heat up to be one of the best of the evening. It will come down to the wire as it usually does.

Along with the finals there’s the women’s 50m freestyle semifinal led by Madison Kennedy.

WOMEN’S 200m BACKSTROKE FINALS

Top seed: Maya DiRado (2:08.14)
World record: 2:04.06 – Missy Franklin
American record: 2:04.06 – Missy Franklin
U.S Open record: 2:05.68 – Missy Franklin
U.S Nationals record: 2:05.68 – Missy Franklin
JR World record: 2:07.43 – Daria Ustinova
2012 Winning Time: 2:06.11 – Missy Franklin

Maya DiRado took the first final of the night with a swift 2:06.90 that put her well ahead of the rest of the field as she won her third event of these Olympic trials. DiRado took the lead at the 100-meter mark and never looked back, holding her consistency into the wall as she touched in for gold at 2:06.90.

The race for second behind her was between Amy Bilquist, Missy Franklin, and Lisa Bratton for the majority of the race. Although Danielle Galyer took it out fast with the leaders, she was passed heading into the 150-wall.

At the 150 it was Franklin in second with both Bilquist and Bratton hot on her tail. Heading into the wall, it looked as though both Bilquist and Bratton were gaining on Franklin. Regardless of that fact, she managed to hold on for silver securing a 200m backstroke swim at the Olympic Games.

At the touch Franklin was a 2:07.89, Bratton was a 2:08.20 for third, and Bilquist was a 2:08.30 for fourth.

Franklin’s lineup is now complete. She’ll be on the 4x200m freestyle relay and compete in both the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke. DiRado will be swimming three individual events now, adding the 200m backstroke to her lineup which includes both medley swims.

For official results click here.

MEN’S 100m BUTTERFLY FINALS

Top seed: Seth Stubblefield (51.26)
World record: 49.82 – Michael Phelps
American record: 49.82 – Michael Phelps
U.S Open record: 50.22 – Michael Phelps
U.S Nationals record: 50.22 – Michael Phelps
JR World record: 51.33 – Li Zhuhao (China)
2012 Winning Time: 51.14 – Michael Phelps

The 100m butterfly has always been that one race that Michael Phelps gives everyone a heart attack. He leaves it until the last minute to come home with the win, and why would the last time he raced on U.S soil be any different?

Phelps was out in fourth with a 26.06, but on that final 50 he came home strong. It wasn’t until the last 20-meters that Phelps really began to edge out to the front of the field in order to establish himself as the leader.

At the touch, he clocked in a 51.00. He smacked the water. He spit water out of his mouth. And then he climbed out of the water at these trials for the last time after a race.

Right behind Phelps was Tom Shields who rocked a 51.20 to secure his second swim at these Olympic Games. Phelps and Shields will both be competing in the 100 and 200m butterflies in Rio.

Seth Stubblefield of Cal and Jack Conger of Texas just missed the Olympic team. Stubblefield was a 51.24, 0.04 seconds behind Shields, and Conger was a 51.26, 0.06 seconds behind Shields.

2012 Olympian Tim Phillips was third in 51.44.

WOMEN’S 800m FREESTYLE

Top seed: Katie Ledecky (8:10.91)
World record: 8:06.68 – Katie Ledecky
American record: 8:06.68 – Katie Ledecky
U.S Open record: 8:06.68 – Katie Ledecky
U.S Nationals record: 8:17.12 – Janet Evans
JR World record: 8:11.00 – Katie Ledecky
2012 Winning Time: 8:19.78 – Katie Ledecky

Katie Ledecky put everyone on the edge of their seats through 600-meters tonight as she chased her own world record, finishing shy of that mark, but still claiming gold and securing the event for Rio.

At the 50-meter mark Ledecky turned slightly faster than the first 50 split of her world record. By the 100, she was 0.99 seconds under world record pace. At the 200, she was almost a full second and a half under pace splitting a 1:58.75.

Halfway through, Ledecky turned at the 400 a full second under world record pace with a 4:02.21 split. She stayed under world record pace through 550-meters before falling off that pace.

At the 650, Ledecky really started to drop off the pace, slowly but surely falling farther and farther from her record each 50. At the final touch, Ledecky was an 8:10.32 to take the win, just slightly faster than what she swam yesterday morning.

As expected, Leah Smith finished second in 8:20.18 to secure a second individual event for Rio.

MEN’S 50m FREESTYLE SEMIFINAL

Top seed: Anthony Ervin (21.55)
World record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo
American record: 21.37 – Nathan Adrian
U.S Open record: 21.14 – Cesar Cielo
U.S Nationals record: 21.47 – Nathan Adrian/Garret Weber-Gale
JR World record: 22.00 – Yu Hexin (China)
2012 Winning Time: 21.59 – Cullen Jones

Sixteen years after winning gold at the 2000 Olympic Games, Anthony Ervin will be back competing in the 50m freestyle at his third Olympics.

It came down to the wire, but ultimately it was American record holder Nathan Adrian who got his hand on the wall first with a 21.51 in order to secure his second individual event for Rio.

Ervin was right behind him by the smallest of margins, finishing second in 21.52.

Cullen Jones finished third in 21.75 and will not be returning to the Olympic Games.

1. Nathan Adrian (21.51)
2. Anthony Ervin (21.52)
3. Cullen Jones (21.75)
4. Caeleb Dressel (21.80)
5. Josh Schneider (21.95)
6. Michael Chadwick (21.96)
7. Jimmy Feigen (21.99)
8. Dillon Virva (22.40)

For official results click here.

WOMEN’S 50m FREESTYLE

Top seed: Madison Kennedy (24.52)
World record: 23.73 – Britta Steffen (Germany)
American record: 24.07 – Dara Torres
U.S Open record: 24.13 – Cate Campbell (Australia)
U.S Nationals record: 24.25 – Dara Torres
JR World record: 24.74 – Rikako Ikee (Japan)
2012 Winning Time: 24.50 – Jessica Hardy

Abbey Weitzeil and Madison Kennedy look to be the top two prospects for tomorrow night’s final in the women’s 50m freestyle.

Weitzeil and Kennedy battled things out in the second semifinal. Weitzeil came out on top with a 24.34, Kennedy was second in 24.39.

Both were faster than this morning and are closing in on Dara Torres’ 24.07 American record.

Simone Manuel qualified third overall in 25.48.

For official results click here.