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 (8PM finals on Friday & Saturday)
- Where: CHI Health Center / Omaha, Nebraska
- 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Cuts
- Wave I & II Event Order
- LCM (50m)
- Psych Sheets
- Wave II Live Results
36 year-old Ryan Lochte spoke with the press after finishing 7th in the 200 IM, the event in which he’s the world record holder and has made the team in the last four Olympics.
Lochte expressed his disappointment about the swim, but said he that he did feel a sense of peace since there was no more pressure on him to make the team. He also admitted that it was tough to see him still going after another Olympic team three years from now, but didn’t totally rule it out.
I think I’ve said this millions of times, I will quit swimming when I stop having fun. I love this sport. It’s gotten me to places that I have never — that people dream about. So I’m very grateful for that. I’m still having fun, I’m finding different ways of making swimming fun again. I still want to race, but as far as another Olympic Trials, I don’t know about that. I will be 40. That’s pushing it. We’ll see. Anything can happen. I could take years off and come back and be stronger than ever, who knows.
Lochte was visibly emotional during the conference, including when he told about how Ryan Murphy and Michael Andrew described the impact he had on them.
I mean, just like that, it means a lot. Probably more than winning a gold medal. I honestly, I couldn’t be here right now and have the swimming career that I had without them, so thank you. That’s all I’ve got.
Originally reported by James Sutherland
MEN’S 200 IM FINAL
- Michael Andrew (RPC), 1:55.44
- Chase Kalisz (ABSC), 1:56.97
- Kieran Smith (FLOR), 1:57.23
Michael Andrew delivered almost the exact same swim we saw from him last night, except this time it was done with the pressure on.
Andrew blitzed the field on the first 50, out in 23.77, and had subsequent splits of 29.29 and 32.29 on back and breast, putting him five one-hundredths shy of his 150 pace compared to last night.
The 22-year-old was way ahead of the field at that point, more than two and a half seconds, and despite laboring over the final few strokes, he won by over a second and a half in 1:55.44, just off his PB of 1:55.26 from last night.
That adds a second individual event for Andrew in Tokyo, having won the 100 breast early in the meet, and he’ll look to add a third in the 50 free.
Chase Kalisz moved up from fifth at the 100 to second with 50 meters to go, joining Andrew sub-33 on breast in 32.77, as he locks in a second event of his won at the Games with a runner-up finish in 1:56.97.
Florida’s Kieran Smith sneaked up on Kalisz a little on the free, closing in 28.43 to take a close third in 1:57.23, lowering his best time of 1:57.61 from the semis. Carson Foster took fourth in 1:57.99, adding a bit from the semis, as he has three near-misses her in Omaha.
Back in seventh was Ryan Lochte, the world record holder in the event, who, at 36, may have just raced competitively at the highest level for the last time. Lochte was never in serious contention in this race, ultimately clocking 1:59.67.
What’s stopping him from just showing up to trials until he physically can’t make trials cuts anymore? He’ll always be an attraction. Have a press conference, wave to the crowd, sign autographs, etc. It would be like the 65 year olds who keep showing up to play the Masters until they physically can’t break 80 anymore.
For me, Ryan’s strokes are the prettiest I’ve ever seen. And his underwaters! What grace. Like a Baryshnikov in the water. Besides the 200IM WR, I consider his 4:05 400IM the real world record, since it was done in a textile suit. When I try to explain to non swimmers (who remember him for the Rio mistakes) what kind of a person he is, I tell them that if he was a dog, he’d be a golden retriever: all sweetness, and just wanting to make everyone happy. I really wanted him on that Olympic team! I hope we continue to see a lot of him. We love you Ryan!
Am I the only thinking that there’s something wrong with his race at trials? I mean, he went 1.57.7 fat in 2019, and he only need a 1.56.9 to qualifiy here. Honestly seems strange that he hasn’t that time in him. Overtraining?
It’s certainly a possibility. 2 years older is a factor, but being around 190-195lbs instead of whatever he was in 2019 (210? 215?) should more than make up for that. Hard to know what training was like for him – did Troy scale it based on him being older, or was he still trying to train like an animal, the way he did through most of his 20s? Or maybe the demands of parenting took a bit more out of him in terms of ability to rest and recover?
1:55 next year if he goes on USRPT
If that message isn’t on a “wall of quotes” at an age group program in the near future than we’ve all missed the point of this.
If you’re not doing this for fun to balance out the accolades, you’re gonna have a bad time.
Even through his controversy in 2016 and his struggles thereafter, his message is a positive one.
Having met him and his family several times through mutual personal friends, Ryan was amazingly down to Earth and generous in conversation and extremely intuitive and gave in depth insight on his approach to his swimming…and it always revolved around enjoying being in the water and having fun competing.
Even though he didn’t qualify, this was… Read more »
Exit, he said it’s not over!
If nothing else, it should show people that you can still be an amazing athlete in your mid 30s and beyond. “Success” doesn’t have to mean making the Olympics – nobody would think anything was worth trying if we all held ourself to that standard.
He might say he’s having fun… but looking at how he walks out on deck and his reaction after he touches the wall, it really doesn’t show on his face.
There’s still the initial sting of knowing he didn’t accomplish his goal. I wouldn’t hold it against him that he seemed bummed about the results – someone’s immediate reaction to something, vs how they feel once they’ve let it digest for a bit, are often very different.
Wisely said MTK
I just saw a pic when MP has hugged Ryan Lochte on the pool deck after the 200 IM final.
Maybe I didn’t see well but the retired swimmer (MP) looked fittest than the still active swimmer (Ryan Lochte).
It appears that way
Lochte never had a physique to be shirtless on men’s fitness magazine.
https://images.app.goo.gl/5BQj6XntVEPZygmz5
Don’t kid yourself – Lochte is in great shape. He’s strong and fit, but the thing about him was always that his body type wasn’t the typical long and lean swimmer’s body. His physique is more square and stocky than most people you see at this level. He had so much talent though that he was able to overcome that, to the tune of 7 individual Olympic medals.
Yeah. I’ve got the same body type, but even blockier than Lochte’s. Even at my most fit (my record is 4% body fat), I definitely stand out compared to all the other really fit swimmers at meets.
Of course, I’m nowhere even close to being in the ballpark of Lochte’s performance level; I’m just commenting on the body type
My guy you have never been 4% bodyfat in your entire life unless you’re an IFBB pro
Yeah, nobody that competes in sports has 4% body fat. If someone was 4% body fat, they’d never be able to perform at a high level. 4% is for show only. Most elite swimmers on the men’s side fall into 8-13%.
Look up any picture of 4% body fat and the guy will look like a dried out potato.
My college team did body fat measurements one year, several times during the season. At the end of the season several guys were at 5%. At the time the coach told us that it would be better to be a little higher than that and that most elite male swimmers were more like 8%. (We were not elite, D3) This was decades ago, so maybe the thinking has changed. But anyway, based on that experience 4% isn’t impossible.
Phelps works out very day with his wife.
As a very mediocre swimmer who grew up swimming in the 2000’s and 2010’s, thank you Lochte. More so than almost any other male swimmer in the sport, he has been approachable, kind, genuine, and never “too cool” to talk to anyone.
What he has meant to this sport and many young swimmers can’t be quantified. I know Phelps is the GOAT, but in terms of being someone who interacted with the swimming community personally, it was Lochte. I can’t stand when people bad mouth him.
You have been an inspiration. You have been a great leader. And you have shown that we all make mistakes, but that it’s about how you respond to them is what matters most. You… Read more »