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
Omega Timing has already published start lists for tonight’s finals, based on last night’s semi-final results, and there was one big change in the men’s 200 free. Luca Urlando has apparently opted not to swim the final after placing 6th in the semi-finals with a time of 1:46.93. That scratch bumps up Carson Foster, who finished 9th in semis with a time of 1:47.03, just 0.03s behind the 8th place finisher, Patrick Callan.
Urlando presumably scratched to focus on the 200 fly, where he holds the top seed. Prelims are this morning, then semi finals are tonight. While the 200 free final comes before the 200 fly semi-finals, there are three events in between, and on paper, Urlando would seem to have have a strong shot of making the Olympic Team in the 4×200 relay, as the USA is usually able to take the top six finishers in the 200 free. Instead, Urlando will put his proverbial eggs in the 200 fly basket, focusing on making the team in that event. Interestingly enough, two of the men he’ll be competing against in the 200 fly, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz, both made the 2016 Olympic Team in the 4×200 relay, but opted not to contest the 200 free this week.
Instead, Foster will now get another shot at the Olympic Team after finishing 3rd in the 400 IM by half a second on Sunday. Notably, Foster joining the 200 free means there will now be three current or former Texas Longhorns in the 200 free final after alum Townley Haas and rising senior Drew Kibler qualified 3rd and 4th in last night’s semi-finals. Texas has had at least one man on the USA 4×200 squad every Olympics dating back to 1988. In yet another fun twist, Foster is actually entered in the 200 fly this morning, although it seems likely he’ll scratch that to focus on the 200 free final.
Meanwhile, the start lists for the 100 back indicate that Michael Andrew, who won the 100 breast last night, still intends to swim the final of the 100 back tonight after qualifying 8th last night after his 100 breast victory. There was some speculation that Andrew might scratch in on order to conserve energy, with possibly the 200 IM, 100 fly, and the 50 free still on his schedule, but for now, it appears to be sticking with the 100 back final. While we haven’t gotten a chance to dig through all Olympic Trials results, it’s highly unusual at least for anyone to swim finals of both the 100 back and 100 breast at Trials, and this could very well be the first time it’s ever happened.
A few days ago, someone posted a comment asking for your wildest prediction from these trials. One of mine was that Carson would narrowly miss the Olympic Team in every event and it becomes the biggest learning experience of his life. He will make it his fuel in the coming years and he will become one of the most well-rounded and dominant swimmers on Team USA and he’ll make the national team (including the 2024 Olympic Team) in multiple events over the next few summers.
I believe tonight, he will continue this journey. Seventh place, incoming!
That would be this generation’s headliner, but man would that be devastating.
curious to see how carson foster will fit into the final tonight…..
This is tough for me to see just because I want Luca on the team and the 200 free final is such a good shot. But they know best how he’s feeling and recovering. Hope he does it in the 200 fly.
To answer the question above, I could be wrong on this, but, didn’t Tracy Caulkins swim FINALS in BOTH 100-200 back, 100-200 breast, plus both IM’s in the 84 trials??? (She did the 100-200 Fly, 100-200 breast and both IM’s at the summer nationals/trials at Irvine in ’80).
Scratched into semis now scratched into finals will he scratch onto the team?
Marsalis made 200 free for relay in 2016 but she scratched too!
I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of time trialing in the U.S. camp for relay slots. Men and women.
I just think it would be really cool if MA makes finals in back, breast, fly, free, and 2IM.
Free I assume 50 cause 100 unlikely
Interesting… we’ll see how these strategies play out. If Urlando makes the team in the 200 fly, a prelim spot on the 4×200 could still be an option. The 200 free final is before the 200 fly semis so it makes some sense… hopefully he has to make the team in the 200 fly.
As for Andrew, I don’t think swimming one 100 back on a day he’s not otherwise swimming will be his downfall. I also don’t see him qualifying, so I understand the idea of conserving energy. I’m sure he wants to give it a go, and if I were able to qualify for the finals I would want to swim it. One other thought… the number… Read more »
There is going to be an army of guys on the USA team who can go 1:46, so I don’t think Urlando’s prelim time (by itself) will put him on the relay. If he swims lights out at training camp then the coaches might consider it.
Certainly how people are swimming leading up to the games will be a huge factor, but I’m not sold on an Army of guys able to go 1:46 being on the team. Right now we’ve got a bunch of guys barely breaking 1:47, Urlando being one of them. Thus far, He’s got the 7th fastest swim in the 200 free at trials. If they do a full swap out on the relay, and if he’s on the team, I suspect he’ll get a prelim swim.
I really hope people step up tonight though, because a bunch of 1:46 200 frees is not going to compete for gold
You could be right. I think the field tonight will be a bit faster. It could be wishful thinking on my part but I’m guessing the entire field tonight is under 1:47. (8th place right now is 1:47.03 so that doesn’t seem crazy). And that field won’t include Dressel, Held or Litherland. I think all 3 of them can go that fast and they will all be on team USA. Reaching even farther, the field also won’t include Jack Conger or Gunnar Benz, who were both on the 2016 relay.