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 5 Finals Live Stream
- Psych Sheets
- Wave II Live Results
- Day 5 Finals Heat Sheet
Shortly after the halfway point of the first-ever 800 freestyle at U.S. Olympic Trials, Michael Brinegar looked out of the hunt.
Brinegar fell from second at the 400 to third at the 550, with NC State’s Ross Dant swimming by him. Dant held that spot all the way through the 750.
But that’s when Brinegar turned on the jets, dropping his splits from pretty consistently 29s and 30s to a blazing 27.35 on the final lap. Brinegar surged by Dant, making up a 1.7-second deficit in just 50 meters and outsplitting Dant by 2.6 seconds on the final 50.
Brinegar, who represents Mission Viejo and competes for Indiana at the college level, went 7:49.94, moving to #10 all-time among U.S. men in the event.
Brinegar and event winner Bobby Finke will likely be the first two men ever to represent Team USA at the Olympics in this event. The men’s 800 free was added to the Olympic program for the first time for the Tokyo Olympics.
Finke already ranks #8 all-time among U.S. men with his career-best 7:47.58 from 2019. Finke went 7:48.22 to win tonight.
Brinegar passes Clark Smith for the #10 spot and sits one spot behind Erik Vendt, who was 7:49.75 back in 2007.
The American record is a 7:43.60 from Michael McBroom back in 2013.
The success of distance standouts Finke and Brinegar is also good for Team USA’s roster cap – both Finke and Brinegar should have great shots to make the team in the 1500, which is arguably a better race for both. If they do, Team USA would get some valuable ‘doubles’ in helping all Olympic qualifiers fit under the 26-person roster cap.
Michael has so much heart that this shouldn’t have been such a big surprise to me, BUT I’M HAPPY IT WAS! Great night for, Michael, the IU Hoosiers and GOAT Coach Ray Looze! I’m going to have to get to work on updating my Indiana University poem!
wrong thread
Devastating last 50 for Dant but the way the men’s distance events have looked this week I think he’s got a good shot at the 1500.
He’s gotta (in all likelihood) get past two of: Wilimovsky, Finke & Brinegar, and all 3 of those guys get better the longer they swim. Not impossible by any means but the 1500 plays to those guys’ strength.
Ross Dant is the future. Watch out!
Nothing is impossible when you swim for THE GOAT, Ray Looze, and the Indiana University Hoosiers!