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
- Wave I & II Event Order
- LCM (50m)
- Wave II Psych Sheet
- Live Stream Links
- Wave II Live Results
- Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet
Reported by James Sutherland.
MEN’S 400 IM FINAL
- World record: Michael Phelps (USA) – 4:03.84 (2008)
- American record: Michael Phelps – 4:03.84 (2008)
- U.S. Open record: Michael Phelps – 4:05.25 (2008)
- World Junior record: Ilya Borodin (RUS) – 4:11.17 (2021)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Kosuke Hagino (JPN) – 4:06.05
- 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Chase Kalisz – 4:09.54
- Wave I Cut: 4:25.99
- Wave II Cut: 4:23.24
- Chase Kalisz (ABSC), 4:09.09
- Jay Litherland (DYNA), 4:10.33
- Carson Foster (RAYS), 4:10.86
In a race that was eerily similar to the 2016 Trials, Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland punched their ticket to the Tokyo Games in the men’s 400 IM for the second straight Olympiad, going 1-2 with Kalisz coming out on top.
Carson Foster, who paced this morning’s prelims in a personal best time of 4:10.50, opened up a massive lead from the get-go (similar to what Ryan Lochte did five years ago), and was over two seconds clear of Litherland and three of Kalisz at the 200.
Kalisz did what he does best on the breaststroke leg, motoring down the two laps with a blistering 1:08.25 split to out-split Foster by over three seconds and take the lead.
Then, down the stretch on freestyle, Litherland began pursuing Foster in the race for second, with Kalisz soaring to victory in 4:09.09.
All told, Litherland (57.36) was over three seconds better than Foster (1:00.83) on freestyle, claiming the second spot in a time of 4:10.33. Foster touched third in 4:10.86, and Bobby Finke picked up a sizable best time for fourth in 4:11.44.
Kalisz’s time is his fastest since the 2018 Pan Pacs, and slots him into second in the seasonal world rankings, trailing only reigning world champion Daiya Seto (4:09.02) of Japan.
Litherland takes Foster’s spot in fifth in the rankings.