Erika Connolly (Brown) Wins Swim-Off, Another Chance at Olympic Berth in 100 Free

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

The crowd started to clear out, but those who remained cheered for Erika Connolly (née Brown) and Anna Moesch as Darude – Sandstorm played them out of the tunnel.

Both swimmers were right on their opening splits for semis. They swam matching times of 54.09 in different heats, but side-by-side the difference in strategy was stark. Connolly had an early lead and didn’t look back, improving to 53.92. That time would have tied Beata Nelson for 6th had she swum it earlier.

Moesch opened just one-hundredth slower than she did in the semi, but was unable to catch Connolly down the stretch. Her time in semis was her first personal best in two years.

Erika Connolly, Swim-Off Anna Moesch, Swim-Off Erika Connolly, U.S. Olympic Trials Semifinal 1 Anna Moesch, U.S. Olympic Trials Semifinal 2
50 26.01 26.29 26.08 26.28
100 53.92 (27.91) 54.28 (27.99) 54.09 (28.01) 54.09 (27.81)

Connolly is now in the exact same position she was in at 2021 Trials, albeit with another 100 free under her belt. Swimming out of lane 8, she snagged the 2nd individual spot behind Abbey Weitzeil in the final.

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TXYellowRose
4 months ago

What is Darude-Sandstorm? This is bad journalism.

LBSWIM
Reply to  TXYellowRose
4 months ago

For some reason this old techno club song is being played over and over at trials, so the writer, like a few others, are mentioning it in their articles.

Adam Depmore
Reply to  TXYellowRose
4 months ago

In the early 2000s, techno was huge. As it peaked, this was the song. It was excessively played on every radio station, club, sporting event, etc. It was a major hype song that just got overplayed.

Those who lived like to laugh about it.

Dylan
Reply to  TXYellowRose
4 months ago

Just because you don’t know the song doesn’t make it bad journalism…

John Heden
4 months ago

So proud of the New Jersey kids. It is really cool to watch them.

bubo
4 months ago

Just realized this is Erika “Brown”

Genevieve Nnaji
Reply to  bubo
4 months ago

Thanks!

Not from USA, I was wondering who she is lol

kazoo
4 months ago

Great job—and good luck! #GBO!

VFL
4 months ago

Much stronger field but hoping she snags a relay spot!

CavaDore
Reply to  VFL
4 months ago

Most sane people would disagree with you about your second point.

Swammer11
Reply to  VFL
4 months ago

But she totally bombed the relay last time?

NCSwimFan
Reply to  Swammer11
4 months ago

Ultimately it’s unlikely she takes a top-2 spot with Huske, Manuel, Walsh, and Douglass all significantly faster, so if Brown is going to perform poorly on a relay, the prelims relay is the one to do it on since the US should still make the final comfortably.

VFL
Reply to  Swammer11
4 months ago

Why does no one seem to remember her going 52.8 on the medley? Or having the fastest split in Budapest on the same relay?

KimJongSpoon
Reply to  VFL
4 months ago

It’s so strange how people on SwimSwam select who to hate.

maverick1993
Reply to  VFL
4 months ago

They only remember the bad things.

Comment section police
Reply to  Swammer11
4 months ago

.4 off her time from trials to make the team is a bomb? You wack

CavaDore
4 months ago

Boooooo