2024 U.S. PARA SWIMMING TRIALS
- June 27 – 29, 2024
- Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center — Minneapolis, MN
- 50 meters (LCM)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet (pre-scratch)
- Results
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Recap
- Day 3 Recap
After three days of U.S. Paralympic Swimming Trials in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 33 swimmers were selected Sunday morning for the Paris 2024 Paralympics in late August. The American women outnumber the men 21 to 12.
After leading all Trials swimmers with five individual wins combined on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 29-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long punched her ticket to her team-leading sixth Paralympics. The 32-year-old Long is the defending Paralympic champion in the 200 IM SM8, 100 butterfly S8, and 4×100 medley relay.
The quartet of Mallory Weggemann, Evan Austin, McKenzie Coan, and Colleen Young qualified for their fourth Paralympics. Weggemann is a three-time Paralympic champion, Austin is a one-time champion, Coan is a four-time champion, and Young is a three-time medalist.
One of the standout performers at Trials was Elizabeth Marks, who tied her own world record in the 100 back S6 on Thursday (1:19.57) and broke the continental record in the 50 free S6 (33.13 in prelims) on Saturday. Marks will be headed to her third Paralympics along with reigning 100 back S9 Paralympic champion Hannah Aspden, three-time Paralympic medalist Lizzi Smith, and University of Minnesota’s Natalie Sims.
Morgan Stickney has tons of momentum heading into Paris courtesy of her recent world record in the 400 free S7 (4:51.50). The 27-year-old won the Paralympic title in the 400 free S8 in 2021 and the world title in the same event in 2022 before reclassifying to S7 for last year’s Worlds, where she broke an 11-year-old world record with a time of 4:54.28.
Along with Stickney, Anastasia Pagonis and Gia Pergolini headline the crew of second-time Paralympians after they both broke world records as teenagers in Tokyo in the 400 free S11 and 100 back S13, respectively. Other returners include Tokyo Paralympic medalists David Abrahams, Leanne Smith, Ahalya Lettenberger, Julia Gaffney, Jamal Hill, and Matthew Torres.
Ten swimmers will be making their Paralympic debuts in Paris, including newly-minted American record holder Ali Truwit. It will be the former Yale swimmer’s first time competing at a major international meet after losing her foot in a shark attack last year. Other first-time Paralympians include 2023 world champions Noah Jaffe, Olivia Chambers, and 37-year-old mother of three Christie Raleigh Crossley.
“We are exceptionally proud of these athletes, who represent the best that Team USA has to offer,” U.S. Paralympics Swimming director Erin Popovich said. “They have taken full advantage of the shortened, three-year Paralympic quad since Tokyo, and we are so excited to support them as they compete against the best in the world this summer.”
2024 U.S. Paralympic Swimming Team
Men
- David Abrahams
- Evan Austin
- Yaseen El-Demerdash
- Jamal Hill
- Noah Jaffe
- Abbas Karimi
- Jack O’Neil
- Morgan Ray
- Lawrence Sapp
- Zachary Shattuck
- Matthew Torres
- Evan Wilkerson
Alternates:
- Adin Williams
Women
- Hannah Aspden
- Olivia Chambers
- McKenzie Coan
- Julia Gaffney
- Keegan Knott
- Ahalya Lettenberger
- Jessica Long
- Elizabeth Marks
- Grace Nuhfer
- Anastasia Pagonis
- Gia Pergolini
- Christie Raleigh Crossley
- Summer Schmit
- Natalie Sims
- Leanne Smith
- Lizzi Smith
- Morgan Stickney
- Alexandra Truwit
- Mallory Weggemann
- Taylor Winnett
- Colleen Young
Alternates:
- McClain Hermes
- Audrey Kim
The disparities between the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Trials experience are shameful. Why can’t the U.S. hold a combined Trials like other countries have been doing for years? #OneTeam (insert eye roll).
I would guess because the meet would drag on for hours and days and weeks.
That’s not true at all. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Several other countries have been doing it for years. The different treatment between the two teams is disgusting, but not surprising, considering how American society treats the disabled in general. #OneTeam, my @ss.
Congratulations to all of the athletes who prepared for this and showed true sportsmanship (and true representation) of their disability in classification.
It’s a shame to watch an athlete who uses a wheelchair “full time” out kick arm impairments, but it was good to see the athletes not letting that behavior get them to quit. Don’t give up
whats the context here
Welcome to para-swimming. Ya know how in Olympic swimming, everyone who beats your favorite swimmer is accused of doping? Para swimming is like that, but intentional misrepresentation/faking or exaggerating impairments.
There has been a ton of problems with IM in para-swimming. We’ve reported a lot of it. There are dozens of examples of swimmers who go X time while being tested then go 20 seconds faster while not being tested.
The testing procedure needs to be improved, constantly, to include evaluations in meaningful races. But there also doesn’t seem to be a lot of appetite to do that. There has been some improvement in the processes that have kept some suspicious cases out of the Paralympics, but the system still… Read more »
Braden, until you walk the deck of a para meet or have your swimmer lose to someone exaggerating their impairment, you can hold of casting stones from your ivory tower.
It’s suspect when a wheelchair bound athlete has a better dive, underwater, and kick than those with arm impairments. It’s a shame for the sport.
Yes it is difficult to standardize impairments, but the vetting process somehow needs to filter these attention crazed narcissists out.
The numbers don’t lie. Do a story on the data. Make it make sense.
Athletes overstating their disability during the classification process to be put in a lower class and now suddenly they are setting world records. Also athletes using the wheelchair as a prop at the swim meet when they don’t use one in everyday life.
oh I mostly got that, was wondering who specifically the comment was about although given that you said they set a world record (presumably at trials?), I think I can guess who
COUGHTASCOUGH
I’m curious how qualifying works, and a quick googling doesn’t reveal much. If there are 20+ events each with 13 classes, there’s no way any country would be allowed to bring 260+ swimmers (one per event/class combo)
There are qualifying times that they must swim equal to or faster than.
swimswam ran an article about it! https://swimswam.com/2024-us-paralympic-swimming-trials-see-the-full-selection-procedures-breakdown/ your time as a percentage of the 3rd-fastest in the world the day before the meet starts, ranked against other athletes, with a system for tiebreakers. para athletes wouldn’t know if they were selected until after the final day of racing.
There are 14 classes. Each class has a set event list. ~ 5-7 events, some less, plus some relay options. Each country is allotted slots for men and women. It’s not at all like Olympics in which the top 2 at trials go. Much more complicated. The process is available to see on line from International Paralympic Committee. US was allowed 12 men and 21 women.
This year, 88 swimmers qualified for trials in at least one event. Since the meet was only three days long, most people swam in 3 or less events. Only internationally classified swimmers were allowed to compete at finals. A lot of the attendees are not internationally classified, because evaluation spots are difficult to get and dependent on who the USOPTC prioritizes. Plus, they only get to compete in their classification’s specific events. Most classes have about 5-6 “official” Paralympic events, not 20.
Who will be joining John Payne on the coaching staff?
Ray Looze
I watched all three days of racing and these athletes are amazing. Michelle Konkoly and Todd Harris provided great insight from the broadcast booth. Looking forward to watching them compete in Paris.