Relay Spots On The Line For First Time at 2024 U.S. Trials (Day 3 Finals Preview)

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

• June 15-23, 2024
• Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Session Start Times (ET):
  • 11 a.m. Prelims
  • 7:45 p.m. Finals (varying based on broadcast needs)
• Meet Central
• Broadcast Info
• SwimSwam’s Definitive Guide to Trials
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ’em Contest
• Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1| Day 2 
• Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2
• Prelims Live Stream
• Day 2 Finals Live Stream (USA)

It’s been blisteringly hot in Indianapolis all day. And now, it’s time for things to heat up in the pool on the third night of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. It’s a big night: there’s only one semifinal–a hotly contested women’s 100 backstroke–and the rest of the evening will be filled five finals, giving more swimmers the chance to punch their ticket to the Paris.

Order of Events: 

• Women’s 400 IM — final
• Men’s 200 freestyle — final
• Women’s 100 backstroke — semifinals
• Men’s 100 backstroke — final
• Women’s 100 breaststroke — final
• Women’s 200 freestyle — final

Smith Sets Challenge for Hobson

Kieran Smith made a statement in the 200 freestyle semifinals, ripping his fastest time in two years (1:45.38) to lead the way into the semifinal. Smith likely qualified for Paris already by finishing second in the 200 free and asserted himself as a key player in this race with that swim.

Smith is the defending U.S. Trials champion in this event and showed that he’s up to the challenge that Luke Hobson poses. Over the last 12 months, Hobson has emerged as the next big hope for the U.S in the 200 freestyle, showing that he can hang with the international field by posting a 1:44.87 last summer and earning bronze at 2024 Worlds. Hobson logged a 1:45.58, setting up a tense battle between him and Smith as they race next to each other in the final.

Kieran Smith (photo: Jack Spitser)

Tokyo Olympian Drew Kibler has looked strong through the rounds, qualifying 3rd in 1:45.82 ahead of Jake Mitchell who’s moving through the rounds well.

Looking to break up the party are two-time Olympian Blake Pieroni and newly named Paris Olympian Aaron Shackelll. In prelims, Pieroni was just off his lifetime best in 1:46.09–his fastest swim since 2016. Meanwhile, Shackell came from behind in the closing meters of his swim-off with Daniel Diehl to get the win and grab lane 8 for the final.

Coming into the meet, the race for the top eight was wide open. We know who the top eight are now and the relay spots could go anywhere in the pool. It’s going to come down to whose managed the rounds the best and can show up on the biggest stage.

Repeat of 2023 U.S. Nationals On Tap In Women’s 200 Free?

After a brutal fight to make it into the semifinals, it was no less difficult to make the top eight in the women’s 200 free. In shades of 2023 U.S. Nationals, Katie Ledecky and Claire Weinstein went head-to-head in the second semifinal.

Claire Weinstein (photo: Jack Spitser)

Weinstein was the only swimmer in the heat able to hang onto Ledecky’s feet as the now 4x Olympian charged to a 1:55.25. Weinstein had an strong swim of her own, clocking 1:55.86 to qualify second and continue to rewrite the narrative of her meet after a rough outing in the 400 freestyle.

As the two swimmers sub-1:56, Ledecky and Weinstein have positioned themselves well to earn the top two spots. But a resurgent Paige Madden will be in the mix as well. Fresh off likely qualifying for Paris in the 400 free, Madden knocked .08 seconds off her personal best in 1:56.36 and aims not only to get back on the relay but to earn an individual berth in this race.

This is the second event of the session where relay events are on the line. Erin Gemmell (1:56.53), Katie Grimes (1:57.19), Alex Shackell (1:57.42), Anna Peplowski (1:57.55), and Simone Manuel (1:57.63) are separated by 1.10 seconds after the semifinal.

Gemmell, Shackell, and Peplowksi are all aiming for their first Olympic teams while Manuel is looking to complete her comeback to the sport by booking a ticket to Paris. And this will be Grimes’ second swim of the session as she’ll start the night in the women’s 400 IM final.

Lilly King Leads 100 Breast; 2nd Up For Grabs

Hometown hero Lilly King has moved through the women’s 100 breaststroke rounds with ease. She was the top qualifier after prelims and maintained that position after semifinals, moving through with a 1:05.57 to the cheers of the crowd. Despite some pre-meet conversations about whether King was in trouble in this race, she looks poised to punch her ticket to Paris as she’s seeded almost a second ahead of 2nd fastest qualifier Kaitlyn Dobler.

Kaitlyn Dobler (photo: Jack Spitser)

Dobler leads the charge behind King but make no mistake, the race for that second spot is wide open. Dobler posted a 1:06.42 in the semifinals, but sitting right behind her is Emma Weber (1:06.48). Weber leads a charge of three Virginia swimmers in this final and combined with Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley, half of this final will be ACC swimmers.

Dobler and Weber both swam in the 1:06.4-range and two-tenths behind them are defending Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby (1:06.66) and Gridley (1:06.67). Alex Walsh rounds out the swimmers sub-1:07 after swimming a personal best 1:06.78 to move through to the semifinals in 6th place.

With 2nd place through 7th separated by just .99, the second roster spot is anyone’s for the taking.

Weyant and Grimes Control 400 IM

Emma Weyant and Katie Grimes separated themselves from the pack this morning with sub-4:40 efforts. Swimming in the same heat, Weyant made her move on the breaststroke leg, passing Grimes and holding on to claim the top seed for finals in 4:38.96 to Grimes’ 4:39.63.

Katie Grimes (photo: Jack Spitser)

With presumably more left in the tank for finals, this looks like a race that’s going to come down to Weyant, the reigning Olympic silver medalist and Grimes, the 2023 Worlds silver medalist.

Lucy Bell sits the closest to the pair after clocking a lifetime best 4:40.79. She’s part of a Stanford contingent that’s looked good through the early part of the meet, continuing their success from the collegiate season.

Lilla Bognar got the better of the 2023 World junior champion Leah Hayes in their heat this morning, but with a 4:36.84 personal best, it is perhaps Hayes who has the best chance of disrupting Weyant and Grimes’ grip on the event.

And, age group phenom Audrey Derivaux will be in lane 8 after dropping four second from her personal best to make the final (4:45.23). It was a big swim from the 14 year old, who has made her first Olympic Trials final at her first time at the meet–with her best event still to come.

And For The Next Trick…

Will anyone be able to overcome Murph and the Magic Man?

Hunter Armstrong (photo: Jack Spitser)

Even after Hunter Armstrong‘s wedge malfunctioned during his semifinal, he was still able to recover and make it back for the final. Armstrong rallied from last at the 50m mark to touch 2nd behind Jack Aikins in 53.57, qualifying 4th for the final.

Armstrong’s 52.95 from prelims is a better barometer of where he’s at and sets up a great race between him and Ryan Murphy for the win in tonight’s final. Murphy will be in lane 4 tonight; he put up his first sub-53 swim of the year (52.65) to lead the way through to the semifinal.

The only other man in the final who has ever broken 53 is Justin Ress, who snuck into the final in 8th place (53.73). He’ll need a significant drop to provide us within some outside smoke. But maybe the challenge will come from the middle lanes–Adam Chaney popped a lifetime best 53.08, qualifying 2nd for the final and moving up to 11th on the all-time Americans list.

Semifinals

Women’s 100 Backstroke

There’s only one semifinal on tap for tonight but what a race it will be. The women’s 100 backstroke prelims delivered this morning. Not only did Regan Smith produce one of the most controlled 57.9 100 backstrokes ever swum, but there were three 58-points swum as well. Katharine Berkoff was just off her lifetime best with a 58.09, throwing down the gauntlet for the rest of the field.

Berkoff’s NC State training partner Kennedy Noble (58.55) broke the 59-second barrier for the first time, as did Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller (58.80). Isabelle Stadden‘s not far off that mark either after a 59.10, qualifying in 5th.

It took a 1:00.71 to make the top 16 compared to a 1:01.02 in 2021 so expect a similarly tough cut line for the final.