Reported by Mitch Bowmile.
WOMEN’S 200M BACKSTROKE FINALS
Top seed: Maya DiRado (2:08.14)
World record: 2:04.06 – Missy Franklin
American record: 2:04.06 – Missy Franklin
U.S Open record: 2:05.68 – Missy Franklin
U.S Nationals record: 2:05.68 – Missy Franklin
JR World record: 2:07.43 – Daria Ustinova
2012 Winning Time: 2:06.11 – Missy Franklin
Maya DiRado took the first final of the night with a swift 2:06.90 that put her well ahead of the rest of the field as she won her third event of these Olympic trials. DiRado took the lead at the 100-meter mark and never looked back, holding her consistency into the wall as she touched in for gold at 2:06.90.
The race for second behind her was between Amy Bilquist, Missy Franklin, and Lisa Bratton for the majority of the race. Although Danielle Galyer took it out fast with the leaders, she was passed heading into the 150-wall.
At the 150 it was Franklin in second with both Bilquist and Bratton hot on her tail. Heading into the wall, it looked as though both Bilquist and Bratton were gaining on Franklin. Regardless of that fact, she managed to hold on for silver securing a 200m backstroke swim at the Olympic Games.
At the touch Franklin was a 2:07.89, Bratton was a 2:08.20 for third, and Bilquist was a 2:08.30 for fourth.
Franklin’s lineup is now complete. She’ll be on the 4x200m freestyle relay and compete in both the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke. DiRado will be swimming three individual events now, adding the 200m backstroke to her lineup which includes both medley swims.
- Maya DiRado (2:06.90)
- Missy Franklin (2:07.89)
- Lisa Bratton (2:08.20)
- Amy Bilquist (2:08.30)
- Danielle Galyer (2:09.31)
- Erin Voss (2:09.81)
- Elizabeth Beisel (2:11.12)
- Bridgette Alexander (2:11.41)
For official results click here.
MEN’S 100M BUTTERFLY FINALS
Top seed: Seth Stubblefield (51.26)
World record: 49.82 – Michael Phelps
American record: 49.82 – Michael Phelps
U.S Open record: 50.22 – Michael Phelps
U.S Nationals record: 50.22 – Michael Phelps
JR World record: 51.33 – Li Zhuhao (China)
2012 Winning Time: 51.14 – Michael Phelps
The 100m butterfly has always been that one race that Michael Phelps gives everyone a heart attack. He leaves it until the last minute to come home with the win, and why would the last time he raced on U.S soil be any different?
Phelps was out in fourth with a 26.06, but on that final 50 he came home strong. It wasn’t until the last 20-meters that Phelps really began to edge out to the front of the field in order to establish himself as the leader.
At the touch, he clocked in a 51.00. He smacked the water. He spit water out of his mouth. And then he climbed out of the water at these trials for the last time after a race.
Right behind Phelps was Tom Shields who rocked a 51.20 to secure his second swim at these Olympic Games. Phelps and Shields will both be competing in the 100 and 200m butterflies in Rio.
Seth Stubblefield of Cal and Jack Conger of Texas just missed the Olympic team. Stubblefield was a 51.24, 0.04 seconds behind Shields, and Conger was a 51.26, 0.06 seconds behind Shields.
2012 Olympian Tim Phillips was third in 51.44.
- Michael Phelps (51.00)
- Tom Shields (51.20)
- Seth Stubblefield (51.24)
- Jack Conger (51.26)
- Tim Phillips (51.44)
- Matthew Josa (51.86)
- Will Glass (52.25)
- Giles Smith (53.56)
For official results click here.
WOMEN’S 800M FREESTYLE
Top seed: Katie Ledecky (8:10.91)
World record: 8:06.68 – Katie Ledecky
American record: 8:06.68 – Katie Ledecky
U.S Open record: 8:06.68 – Katie Ledecky
U.S Nationals record: 8:17.12 – Janet Evans
JR World record: 8:11.00 – Katie Ledecky
2012 Winning Time: 8:19.78 – Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky put everyone on the edge of their seats through 600-meters tonight as she chased her own world record, finishing shy of that mark, but still claiming gold and securing the event for Rio.
At the 50-meter mark Ledecky turned slightly faster than the first 50 split of her world record. By the 100, she was 0.99 seconds under world record pace. At the 200, she was almost a full second and a half under pace splitting a 1:58.75.
Halfway through, Ledecky turned at the 400 a full second under world record pace with a 4:02.21 split. She stayed under world record pace through 550-meters before falling off that pace.
At the 650, Ledecky really started to drop off the pace, slowly but surely falling farther and farther from her record each 50. At the final touch, Ledecky was an 8:10.32 to take the win, just slightly faster than what she swam yesterday morning.
As expected, Leah Smith finished second in 8:20.18 to secure a second individual event for Rio.
- Katie Ledecky (8:10.32)
- Leah Smith (8:20.18)
- Stephanie Peacock (8:24.71)
- Lindsay Vrooman (8:29.10)
- Ashley Twichell (8:29.85)
- Hannah Moore (8:31.01)
- Haley Anderson (8:33.66)
- Sierra Schmidt (8:36.09)
For official results click here.
MEN’S 50M FREESTYLE SEMIFINAL
Top seed: Anthony Ervin (21.55)
World record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo
American record: 21.37 – Nathan Adrian
U.S Open record: 21.14 – Cesar Cielo
U.S Nationals record: 21.47 – Nathan Adrian/Garret Weber-Gale
JR World record: 22.00 – Yu Hexin (China)
2012 Winning Time: 21.59 – Cullen Jones
Sixteen years after winning gold at the 2000 Olympic Games, Anthony Ervin will be back competing in the 50m freestyle at his third Olympics.
It came down to the wire, but ultimately it was American record holder Nathan Adrian who got his hand on the wall first with a 25.51 in order to secure his second individual event for Rio.
Ervin was right behind him by the smallest of margins, finishing second in 21.52.
Cullen Jones finished third in 21.75 and will not be returning to the Olympic Games.
- Nathan Adrian (21.51)
- Anthony Ervin (21.52)
- Cullen Jones (21.75)
- Caeleb Dressel (21.80)
- Josh Schneider (21.95)
- Michael Chadwick (21.96)
- Jimmy Feigen (21.99)
- Dillon Virva (22.40)
For official results click here.
WOMEN’S 50M FREESTYLE
Top seed: Madison Kennedy (24.52)
World record: 23.73 – Britta Steffen (Germany)
American record: 24.07 – Dara Torres
U.S Open record: 24.13 – Cate Campbell (Australia)
U.S Nationals record: 24.25 – Dara Torres
JR World record: 24.74 – Rikako Ikee (Japan)
2012 Winning Time: 24.50 – Jessica Hardy
Abbey Weitzeil and Madison Kennedy look to be the top two prospects for tomorrow night’s final in the women’s 50m freestyle.
Weitzeil and Kennedy battled things out in the second semifinal. Weitzeil came out on top with a 24.34, Kennedy was second in 24.39.
Both were faster than this morning and are closing in on Dara Torres’ 24.07 American record.
Simone Manuel qualified third overall in 25.48.
- Abbey Weitzeil (24.34)
- Madison Kennedy (24.39)
- Simone Manuel (24.58)
- Katrina Konopka (24.68)
- Olivia Smoliga (24.84)
- Lia Neal (24.85)
- Dana Vollmer (25.03)
- Amanda Weir (25.08)
For official results click here.
Love these. These videos capture the fact that these (elite) athletes are still human beings with natural minor ups and downs each day. This is a side of the intense Omaha week not well captured on TV. Thank you
did u think people thought those guys were not completely human or half human maybe ? in which imaginary book did u invent those assumptions ? i have never felt those incredible athletes are not human . They go through ups and downs all year – thats how progressions are made possible …just saying the obvious .
Your snark is unnecessary. Re-read my comment. I stated that TV doesn’t show this side very well. It’s a limited timeframe on TV and these videos give more of a “behind-the-scenes” look at the athletes. Not all of us can get to Omaha, so I appreciate these.
The (inaccurate) captioning of these videos continues to amuse me.