Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel Take Aim At Olympic Berths In 100 Free (Day 5 Finals Preview)

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
• Finals Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
• Prelims Live Stream

We’ve officially passed the halfway point of the meet (for anyone curious, it was heat 6 of the men’s 200 backstroke prelims) and we’re officially in the thick of things. Case in point: after just two finals last night, we’ve got a whopping five tonight. Olympians will be named in the women’s 100 free, men’s 200 butterfly, women’s 1500 free, men’s 200 breaststroke, and men’s 100 free.

Order of Events:

• Women’s 100 freestyle — final
• Men’s 200 butterfly — final
• Women’s 200 butterfly — semifinals
• Women’s 1500 freestyle — final
• Men’s 200 backstroke — semifinals
• Women’s 200 breaststroke — semifinals
• Men’s 200 breaststroke — final
• Men’s 100 freestyle — final

Women’s 100 Free

Whatever you do, don’t be late to this session. The women’s 100 freestyle is the very first event and it promises to be an electric final. Perhaps unexpectedly it’s Torri Huske who is the fastest qualifier; she popped a 52.90 personal best to lead the way.

Simone Manuel (photo: Jack Spitser)

She’s the only woman seeded sub-53 for the final as neither of Virginia’s superstars Kate Douglass (53.21) or Gretchen Walsh (53.33) really showed their cards in the semifinal and moved through to the final easily in 3rd and 4th. With individual spots on the line as well as relay berths, both Cavaliers should send it in this final.

They’ll need to overcome a resurgent Simone Manuel, though. Through the first two rounds, Manuel has shown new speed in the closing meters of the race, which she’s used to qualify first out of the semis (53.09) and second into the final (53.19). Given the strength of the field, it should take sub-53 to make the team in this event and Manuel has put herself in position to be right there — a feat she hasn’t achieved since 2019.

Two-time Olympian Abbey Weitzeil is a threat as well, lurking in 5th (53.66). And after winning the swim-off Erika Connolly (neé Brown) will be in lane 8. We’ve seen this before — at 2021 Trials, Brown won the swim-off for the final and finished 2nd.

Men’s 100 Free

Then at the end of the session, we’ll do it all over again with the men’s 100 freestyle. Like the women’s race, there are big comeback stories in the field. Caeleb Dressel aims to reach another level his comeback to the sport by qualifying for his third Olympic team.

Jack Alexy (photo: Jack Spitser)

Dressel’s sitting in a good spot; in the semifinals, he swam a 47.53, his fastest time in two years, and moving through to the final in 3rd.

It’s the young blood that’s got hold of the top two spots: Chris Guiliano had a huge swim (47.25) to take the top spot while 2023 Worlds silver medalist Jack Alexy swam 47.33 after popping a U.S. Open Record (47.08) in prelims.

Magic man Hunter Armstrong is in the mix for a relay spot after firing off a pair of sub-48 swims which would give the U.S. men a much needed double as he finished second in the 100 backstroke. Destin Lasco qualified for this relay in 2023 and scratched the 200 backstroke (where he was the #2 seed) to lock in on this race. 6th place qualifier  Macguire McDuff–Florida’s go-to man for their NCAA relays–is aiming to make not just his first Olympic team but his first international team.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke

American record holder Josh Prenot, using his infalliable model of stroke rate and vibes, has predicted Matt Fallon drops a 2:06 200 breaststroke.

Based on stroke rate and vibes pic.twitter.com/HJFH6Bhtv4

— Josh Prenot (@JoshPrenot) June 18, 2024

Fallon inched closer in the semifinals, hitting a lifetime best 2:07.39 to move up to #2 on the all-time list. He was visibly shocked with that swim but even so, does he beat it tonight?

While the University of Pennsylvania swimmer is the favorite for the race, it’s wide open behind him. This represents many of these swimmers last and best chances to qualify for the Olympic team so this could be a war of attrition between the likes of AJ Pouch, Jake Foster, Josh Matheny, and Will Licon.

Nic Fink marched quietly through to the semifinal in 6th place and is aiming to double up on his Olympic events after winning the 100 breast earlier in the meet.

Women’s 1500 Free

The women’s 1500 freestyle is all. about Katie Ledecky. Barring an epic disaster, Ledecky will win this race and it won’t be close. She’s got an advantage of over 20 seconds. But just how fast can she be? Ledecky didn’t mess around in prelims, swimming a 15:39.73. Will she take a run at her championship record, the 15:29.64 from 2023 U.S. Nationals?

The second question in this race: who’s going to get second. Katie Grimes seems like the most likely candidate. She’s already qualified for open water and pool swimming, courtesy of her 400 IM win. She’s running over five seconds ahead of Georgia’s Rachel Stege after swimming 16:10.13 in yesterday’s prelims. But Stege could surprise, as could Aurora Roghair, who’s looked excellent this week. Or could it be the veteran Ashley Twitchell, Mariah Denigan, or Tokyo Olympian Erica Sullivan. Grimes looks in control — but maybe someone’s got a big swim left for the final.

Semifinals

Women’s 200 Fly

Alex Shackell threw down a lifetime best 2:06.71 in prelims of the women’s 200 fly, out-touching Regan Smith in the final heat to qualify first overall. It was her first time breaking 2:07 and asserts her as even more of a threat for the second roster spot that’s wide open behind Smith.

After Smith’s 100 fly performance and world record in the 100 backstroke, it seems like Smith could take a run at her American record in this event. She’s been on fire this week and wasn’t too far off the pace for the first half of her prelims swim. She qualified 2nd in 2:07.24, ahead of a trio of her now-Longhorn training partners Lindsay Looney (2:08.24), Emma Sticklen (2:08.55), and Dakota Luther (2:08.69).

Women’s 200 Breast

The crowd was a little sleepy during the prelims session, so Kate Douglass decided to give them something to cheer about. She threw down a 2:19.66 championship record–just .36 seconds off her own American record–to wake them up. It certainly did that and it’s put her miles ahead of the rest of the field for the semifinal tonight.

Hometown hero Lilly King is a distant second in a 2:25.61, while a flurry of Douglass’ UVA teammates took over the eight. Ella Nelson (2:25.86) and Alex Walsh (2:26.96) moved through in 3rd and 4th. And fresh off a second-place in the 100 breaststroke, Emma Weber was back with 2:28.82 in 6th place.

Men’s 200 Back

Jack Aikins leads the way into semifinals with a smooth 1:56.24. It came down to the touch in the last two circle-seeded heats, but the big contenders in this field like now three-time Olympian Ryan Murphy (1:57.78) did not really show their cards. Murphy’s sitting third while Daniel Diehl is tied for 5th with David King in 1:57.90.

We also saw some swimmers from the non-circle seeded heats like Tommy Hagar, Ben Irwin, and Martin Perecinsky find their way into semifinals thanks to some big drops.