Watch Schmitt, Madden, McLaughlin, Harting, and A. Walsh Earn 2021 OLY Berths

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

The fourth day of the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials featured seven events: the men’s 100 free semifinals, women’s 200 free final, men’s 200 fly final, women’s 200 fly semifinals, men’s 200 breast semifinals, and women’s 200 IM final, and women’s 1500 free final.

Kicking off the session was the men’s 100 free semi-finals, where Caeleb Dressel (47.77) and Zach Apple (47.78) put up the only sub-48 swims to qualify 1st and 2nd into the event final.

Then, Katie Ledecky picked up two wins here in Omaha, including the 200 free title (1:55.11) and joining Erica Sullivan as the first two Americans to swim the women’s 1500 free at the Olympics. Joining Ledecky on the women’s 800 free relay in Tokyo include Allison Schmitt (1:56.79), qualifying for her 4th Olympics, 400 free runner-up Paige Madden (1:56.80), and newly-minted Olympian Katie McLaughlin (1:57.16). Placing 5th and 6th in the relay event as well were teenager Bella Sims (1:57.53) and Stanford standout Brooke Forde (1:57.86).

Zach Harting later became the first non-Phelps men’s 200 fly Trials champion since 2004, making his first Olympic team at 1:55.06. Meanwhile, 2016 Olympian Gunnar Bentz ran down Luca Urlando for the second place spot. Both swimmers scratched the 200 free, where Bentz placed 6th in 2016 and Urlando was seeded top-6.

The women’s 200 IM final one of the closest U.S. Olympic Trials finals in history, with the top three finishers all separated by 0.04s of a second. Taking the automatic Olympic qualification was UVA star Alex Walsh. Placing second for an Olympic nomination was UVA teammate Kate Douglass, who placed third in the women’s 100 fly final.

MEN’S 100 FREE SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: 46.91 — Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
  • American Record: 46.96 — Caeleb Dressel, 2019
  • U.S. Open Record: 47.39 — Ryan Held (USA), 2019
  • World Junior Record: 47.57 — Andrei Minakov (RUS), 2020
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Kyle Chalmers (AUS) — 47.58
  • 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Nathan Adrian — 47.72
  • Wave I Cut: 50.49
  • Wave II Cut: 49.74
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 48.57
  1. Caeleb Dressel (GSC), 47.77
  2. Zach Apple (MVN), 47.78
  3. Blake Pieroni (SAND), 48.13
  4. Ryan Held (NYAC), 48.34
  5. Brooks Curry (LSU), 48.51
  6. Bowe Becker (SAND) / Coleman Stewart (WOLF), 48.62
  7. Brett Pinfold (SHAC), 48.73

Semifinal #1 not available

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

  • World Record: Federica Pellegrini (ITA) – 1:52.98 (2009)
  • American Record: Allison Schmitt – 1:53.61 (2012)
  • US Open Record: Allison Schmitt (USA) / Katie Ledecky (USA) – 1:54.40 (2012 / 2021)
  • World Junior Record: Yang Junxuan (CHN) – 1:55.43 (2019)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 1:53.73
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Katie Ledecky – 1:54.88
  • Wave I Cut: 2:01.69
  • Wave II Cut: 2:00.24
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:57.28
  1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP), 1:55.11
  2. Allison Schmitt (SUN), 1:56.79
  3. Paige Madden (UVA), 1:56.80
  4. Katie McLaughlin (CAL), 1:57.16
  5. Bella Sims (SAND), 1:57.53
  6. Brooke Forde (LAK), 1:57.86

MEN’S 200 FLY FINAL

  • World Record: Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:50.73 (2019)
  • American Record: Michael Phelps – 1:51.51 (2009)
  • US Open Record: Michael Phelps (USA) – 1:52.20 (2008)
  • World Junior Record: Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:52.71 (2018)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Michael Phelps (USA) – 1:53.36
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Michael Phelps – 1:54.84
  • Wave I Cut: 2:01.19
  • Wave II Cut: 1:59.63
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:56.48
  1. Zach Harting (CARD), 1:55.06
  2. Gunnar Bentz (DYNA), 1:55.34
  3. Luca Urlando (DART), 1:55.43

WOMEN’S 200 IM FINAL

  • World Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2:06.12 (2015)
  • American Record: Ariana Kukors – 2:06.15 (2009)
  • US Open Record: Kathleen Baker (USA) – 2:08.32 (2018)
  • World Junior Record: Yu Yiting (CHN) – 2:09.64 (2021)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2:06.58
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Maya DiRado – 2:09.54
  • Wave I Cut: 2:17.39
  • Wave II Cut: 2:15.26
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 2:12.56
  1. Alex Walsh (NAC), 2:09.30
  2. Kate Douglass (UVA), 2:09.32
  3. Madisyn Cox (TXLA), 2:09.34

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE FINAL

  • World Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:20.48 (2018)
  • American Record: Katie Ledecky – 15:20.48 (2018)
  • US Open Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:20.48
  • World Junior Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:28.36 (2014)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: N/A (New Olympic event in 2021)
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: N/A (New Olympic event in 2021)
  • Wave I Cut: 16:49.19
  • Wave II Cut: 16:44.60
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 16:32.04
  1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP), 15:40.50
  2. Erica Sullivan (SAND), 15:51.18
  3. Katie Grimes (SAND), 15:52.12

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jim
3 years ago

I think the conspiracy theory is highly dubious, but I do think it makes sense to assume she is aiming to be at her best in Tokyo.

About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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