Jake Mitchell Gives Detailed Perspective on 400 Free Time Trial

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Reported by James Sutherland.

MEN’S 400 FREE TIME TRIAL

  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 3:46.78
  1. Jake Mitchell (CSC), 3:45.86

In an unbelievable solo time trial effort, Carmel Swim Club’s Jake Mitchell produced the swim of his life to crush the Olympic qualifying time of 3:46.78 in 3:45.86, effectively putting him on the U.S. Olympic team.

Mitchell really attacked the race, out almost two seconds faster than he was in the individual final at the 100 (52.63) and more than three at the 200 (1:49.86) before closing just a quarter of a second slower, 1:56.00 compared to 1:55.25 on Sunday on the back-half.

Mitchell’s splits:

  • 25.16
  • 27.47 (52.63)
  • 28.47
  • 28.76 (1:49.86)
  • 29.13
  • 28.90 (2:47.89)
  • 29.13
  • 28.84 (3:45.86)

If you haven’t been following along, only Kieran Smith (3:44.86) went under the FINA ‘A’ time in the men’s 400 free final, leaving the second Olympic spot up for grabs. If no one in the field that finished ahead of Zane Grothe, who was 11th in the prelims, managed to get under the 3:46.78 standard, then the Olympic spot would be Grothe’s provided there was space on the roster.

As the runner-up in the final, Mitchell had first dibs on the available spot—as long as he went sub-3:46.78, it would be his, even if someone else went faster. And he did just that, dropping more than two seconds from his best time of 3:47.95, set at the 2019 World Juniors, in the process.

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Yup
2 years ago

Thank you, Jake, for meeting the time standard. Last thing we needed was Zane Grothe squeezing onto the team and going 3:53 in Tokyo…..

ct swim fan
2 years ago

Why was this not on NBC last night. The last 15 or so minutes had no swimming races. Why did NBC not show this to us?

Applesandoranges
2 years ago

The Mike and Rowdy show should be canceled. We’d be better off watching without sound. Someone mentioned TNT? Yup. Absolutely. Let some of the basketball guys provide commentary. While they might not know swimming they’ll pick it up quickly and have a blast with it. It’ll be better than the I sound drivel that we are getting on NBC.

Svird
2 years ago

Also. As a USA track and field fan, this sort of situation happens in USA track trials all the time. There’s always last chance meets for top 3 finishers who don’t have the Olympic standard. It’s pretty common for USA not to fill every top 3 spot due to lack of standard qualifying athletes.

We are spoiled as a swim nation that this has never happened here before.

The facts
2 years ago

Watching this stuff on nbc is bad. Sometimes, it is unclear whether Rowdy even knowns anything about the swimmers in the field. I mean, yeah there are a lot of them, but this your job dude. Also so many haters on Jake Mitchell. 3:45 is still fast. Also to say he shouldn’t make the team is one of the dumbest things ever. This meet is literally about packing as many swimmers as you can on a roster. 26 is small enough as it is, if you want to grow the sport more, you need to make as many spots available as you can. Like whoever up voted that comment and hasn’t made an olympic should be embarrassed.

Jules Verne
2 years ago

Congratulations to Jake on an Amazing performance….Great job by NBC blowing it!…To spend the last 10 minutes of the broadcast with BS filler content is a disgrace…You have got to be better than that !

Coach Mike 1952
Reply to  Jules Verne
2 years ago

We’d LIKE them to be – but they are not.

Svird
2 years ago

Congrats to Olympian Jake Mitchell!

Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

This is one of the coolest sports stories in recent memory. And talk about clutch performances.

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