Jay Litherland on making the team: I’m speechless (Video)

^{Reported by Mitch Bowmile.}

MEN’S 400M IM

Top seed: Chase Kalisz (4:11.86)
World record: 4:03.84 – Michael Phelps
American record: 4:03.84 – Michael Phelps
U.S Open record: 4:05.25 – Michael Phelps
U.S Nationals record: 4:05.25 – Michael Phelps
JR World record: 4:14.07 – Brandonn Almeida (Brazil)  4:14.00 – Sean Grieshop
2012 Winning Time: 4:07.06 – Ryan Lochte

Dethroned. For the first time since the 2000 Olympic Games, the 400m IM will not feature Ryan Lochte or Michael Phelps.

Chase Kalisz claimed the 400m IM crown with a wicked breaststroke leg to push past 2012 Olympic champion Ryan Lochte before holding on for the freestyle and touching in to be the first swimmer on the U.S Olympic team.

It was all Lochte after the fly, leading with a 55.39 split. After the backstroke leg Lochte had opened up his lead significantly. Kalisz pushed past him on the breaststroke leg, and to everybody in the crowd it appeared that the race was between Lochte and Kalisz.

Kalisz turned in 3:10.07, Lochte turned in 3:11.46, and nobody paid attention to a charging Jay Litherland who turned over two seconds behind Lochte in 3:13.64.

Fifty-meters of freestyle to go and Kalisz was still in the lead, Lochte was still in second. With all eyes still on those two, Litherland’s 28.82 freestyle split went largely unnoticed.

Coming home Lochte began to fade, Litherland began to accelerate, and with 25-meters to go Litherland passed Lochte. Kalisz touched in 4:09.54, Litherland touched in at 4:11.02 to deny multi-time Olympic medallist Lochte a spot on the 2016 Olympic team.

Lochte was third in 4:12.02.

Gunnar Bentz finished fourth in 4:13.72 making him the third Georgia swimmer in the top four.

1. Chase Kalisz (4:09.54)
2. Jay Litherland (4:11.02)
3. Ryan Lochte (4:12.02)
4. Gunnar Bentz (4:13.72)
5. Sean Grieshop (4:14.08)
6. Abrahm DeVine (4:14.98)
7. Charlie Swanson (4:21.62)
8. Austin Snyder (4:22.81)

For official results click here.