2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

• When:
  • Wave I Dates: June 4-7, 2021
  • Wave II Dates: June 13-20, 2021
• Prelims: 10am CDT | Finals: 7pm CDT
• Where: CHI Health Center / Omaha, Nebraska
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Cuts
• Wave I & II Event Order
• LCM (50m)
• Day 2 Finals Live Stream
• Psych Sheets
• Wave II Live Results
• Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet

The U.S. entered day 2 of the Wave II of the Olympic Trials with one swimmer in the top 20 in the world this year in the women’s 100 breast. That swimmer was Lilly King, the World Record-holder, who held the #1 time in the world this year. At the end of today, the U.S. now holds 4 of the top 7 swimmers in the world this year in the event, including the #1 and #2 swimmers. Now buckle up, because we’re going to take you through the changes the world standings went through today in chronological order:

In prelims of the race, IU pro swimmer Annie Lazor was the first to break through, swimming a 1:05.92 for a new personal best. That swim ranked her 5th in the world at the time, but it would last more than 2 minutes. That’s because Texas A&M pro swimmer Bethany Galat swam a 1:05.89 in the next heat, also a lifetime best, which bumped Lazor from 6th to 7th in the world this year.

As it turns out, that was just a warmup for what would happen in semifinals. Although Galat wasn’t faster than her prelims time, 17-year-old Lydia Jacoby took control of the first semis heat, clocking a new lifetime best and 17-18 National Age Group Record with a time of 1:05.71. That swim briefly made Jacoby the #3 swimmer in the world this year, then bumping Galat and Lazor to 5th and 6th respectively. But again, it would only last minutes.

In the 2nd semifinals heat, Annie Lazor held tough with her IU teammate Lilly King, finishing 2nd in the heat with a massive new personal best of 1:05.37. The swim vaulted Lazor from her then-6th in the world performance, all the way up to #2, behind only King, who won the heat in 1:04.72. King took 0.60 seconds off her world-leading time with the performance. Lazor moving up to #2, pushed Jacoby back to #4, while Galat remained at #7.

If you’re lost by now, we don’t blame you. What matters is that this is the updated list of the top 8 performances in the world this year, keeping in mind that it could shift again tomorrow:

As you can see, the U.S. now has the #1 (King), #2 (Lazor), #4 (Jacoby), and #7 (Galat) swimmers in the world this year in the 100 breast. Bear in mind that they started today with just King in the top 20. It was lifetime bests from Lazor, Jacoby, and Galat that fueled their rising in the standings.

Here are the top 8 swimmers from tonight’s semifinals of the event:

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST SEMI-FINALS

• World Record: Lilly King (USA) – 1:04.13 (2017)
• American Record: Lilly King – 1:04.13 (2017)
• US Open Record: Jessica Hardy (USA) – 1:04.45 (2009)
• World Junior Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:05.21 (2014)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Lilly King (USA) – 1:04.93
• 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Lilly King – 1:05.20
• Wave I Cut: 1:10.99
• Wave II Cut: 1:09.55
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:07.07

1. Lilly King (ISC), 1:04.72
2. Annie Lazor (MVN), 1:05.37
3. Lydia Jacoby (STSC), 1:05.71
4. Bethany Galat (AGS), 1:05.96
5. Micah Sumrall (GAME), 1:07.03
6. Emily Escobedo (COND), 1:07.23
7. Miranda Tucker (UN-MI), 1:07.26
8. Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS), 1:07.28

Another interesting aspect about this event at U.S. Trials is what the 5-8th place swimmers from tonight will do tomorrow. Of course, King, Lazor, Jacoby, and Galat may alter the world standings a bit more in the final, but Micah Sumrall, Emily Escobedo, Miranda Tucker, and Kaitlyn Dobler are all sitting just outside the top 25 in the world this year with their semifinals swims tonight. Given that 3 swimmers broke through and swam huge lifetime bests today, it seems possible we could have more tomorrow, and this could turn into one of the most exciting finals at the meet.