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
- Where: CHI Health Center / Omaha, Nebraska
- 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Cuts
- Wave I & II Event Order
- LCM (50m)
- Day 4 Prelims Live Stream (NBC Olympics)
- Psych Sheets
- Wave II Live Results
- Day 4 Prelims Heat Sheets
Defending U.S. Olympic Trials champion Josh Prenot finished 17th in the men’s 200 breaststroke prelims race Wednesday morning. While he has the first alternate spot, unless someone ahead of him scratches he is out of the semifinal.
18-year-old Matt Fallon won the prelims race with a time of 2:10.13 and it took a 2:13.14 to make the semifinals.
Prenot split the race 1:04.89 / 1:08.53 for a final time of 2:13.42. his lifetime best time is 2:07.17 from the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials where he won the race and simultaneously broke the American Record that still stands today. He went on to win silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Prenot posted a thread to Twitter after the race. “I’m sorry to the people who have been rooting for me and believing in me. It’s not for a lack of effort, but I’m clearly not anywhere near my best and haven’t been for a while…”
He walked through his struggle to get back to peak performance level these past few years.
“Not taking my name off the anti-doping list just yet, but definitely not racing for the next year at least … Still a swim fan though,” he ended the Twitter thread. “Go bears, go Team USA.”
I’m sorry to the people who have been rooting for me and believing in me. It’s not for lack of effort, but I’m clearly not anywhere near my best and haven’t been for quite a while.
— Josh Prenot (@JoshPrenot) June 16, 2021
This is a pretty simple sport – if you’re honest with yourself, you can’t blame your performances on anything external – it’s just you vs water. I have been doing all I can to figure it out, and failing, and that’s on me.
— Josh Prenot (@JoshPrenot) June 16, 2021
How whole-heartedly I have pursued peak performance for the past 5 years, and how rarely I have found it, has really broken my brain. Sometimes (Jul ‘18) it just flows. Most of the time I’m just pissed off at myself for not being able to do what I know I’m capable of.
— Josh Prenot (@JoshPrenot) June 16, 2021
Not taking my name off the anti doping list just yet but also definitely not racing for the next year at least. We’ll see if I forget how much I currently hate it and end up missing it at some point.
— Josh Prenot (@JoshPrenot) June 16, 2021
Still a swim fan though. Go bears / go team 🇺🇸
— Josh Prenot (@JoshPrenot) June 16, 2021
All-Time Top Ten U.S. 200 Breast Performers
- Josh Prenot – 2:07.17 (2016)
- Kevin Cordes – 2:07.41 (2017)
- Eric Shanteau – 2:07.42 (2009)
- Will Licon – 2:07.62 (2019)
- Andrew Wilson – 2:07.77 (2019)
- Nic Fink – 2:08.16 (2019)
- Brendan Hansen – 2:08.50 (2006)
- Daniel Roy – 2:08.89 (2020)
- Cody Miller – 2:08.98 (2019)
- Scott Weltz – 2:08.99 (2012)
Breastroke can be the most brutal of strokes. Maybe it’s just me but it seems more rare to be able to keep it. Our Olympic team alone has only 1 repeat so far (and probably will) and that’s the WR holder in the 100 womens. Japan is the same way and has been since Kitajima. Peaty is surrounded by newcomers and so is the Australian team. It seems to me that this stroke in particular is just worse on longevity than any other.
Josh, you are and always will be a Champion. Take a break, rest. This will pass and make your life richer in ways you can’t see yet. You are an amazing person with so many talents other than swimming. Embrace those. God bless you.
Man that’s tough to read 🙁
That’s exactly why I quit. Breaststrokers (and all swimmers) face the same struggles I guess. I hope his hunger and enjoyment for swimming returns like mine has.
I feel like it’s a very fortunate/lucky situation when swimmers get to retire happy and satisfied. Too many people lose the love for the sport no matter what level they swim at and it’s too demanding to continue when your heart isn’t in it anymore.
Josh,
I write to let you know you are not alone. This past year has induced quite the same feeling in many of us swimmers. Unfortunately, in the heat of competition and performance times always varying, it becomes so easy to forget why we fell in love with the sport in the first place. With so many variables that could impact us in a sport that forces us to be perfectionists, it can drive even the most mentally sound athlete insane. I am currently at the trials and still have races left to compete in. But I have experienced a lot of the exact same feelings and anomalies you described. And I just wanted you to know that you… Read more »
This was the most honest and humble retirement/career-cap post I’ve truly ever seen a swimmer post
A silver olympic medal can’t be taken away.
You’re an Olympic silver medalist. You don’t owe anyone anything and are already a legend in the sport of swimming.