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 (8PM finals on Friday & Saturday)
• Where: CHI Health Center / Omaha, Nebraska
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Cuts
• Wave I & II Event Order
• LCM (50m)
• Day 7 Finals Live Stream (NBC)
• Psych Sheets
• Wave II Live Results

Reported by James Sutherland.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

• World Record: Regan Smith (USA) – 2:03.35 (2019)
• American Record: Regan Smith – 2:03.35 (2019)
• US Open Record: Missy Franklin (USA) – 2:05.68 (2013)
• World Junior Record: Regan Smith (USA) – 2:03.35 (2019)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Maya DiRado (USA) – 2:05.99
• 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Maya DiRado – 2:06.90
• Wave I Cut: 2:14.69
• Wave II Cut: 2:12.94
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 2:10.39

1. Rhyan White (BAMA), 2:05.73
2. Phoebe Bacon (WA), 2:06.46
3. Regan Smith (RIPT), 2:06.79

In undoubtedly the biggest upset of the meet, Rhyan White is the Olympic Trials winner in the women’s 200 backstroke and reigning world champion and world record holder Regan Smith won’t swim the event in Tokyo.

The top-four swimmers were tight through the first 150—Smith led the way, with White, Phoebe Bacon and Isabelle Stadden trailing close behind.

After Smith flipped first by two tenths at the final turn, White took off down the final 50. White pulled into the lead, and then all of a sudden, Bacon began moving past Smith down the stretch.

White, who trains at Alabama, ended up winning by a decisive 73 one-hundredths of a second, clocking 2:05.73 to demolish her previous best of 2:07.07 and become the third-fastest American woman of all-time. The 21-year-old also moves into third in the world this season.

White was by far the fastest closer in 31.96, and Bacon ended up being the only other swimmer in the field sub-33, as the rising Wisconsin sophomore came back in 32.67—more than half a second faster than Smith—to snag second in 2:06.46 and qualify for the Olympic team.

Bacon’s previous best time was a 2:06.84, set at Pro Swim Series meet in Indianapolis in May, where she notably out-touched Smith by a few one-hundredths.

Smith tied up coming home and finishes a shocking third in 2:06.79, more than three seconds off her world record set in 2019 (2:03.35). The 19-year-old will still have the 100 back and 200 fly to race in Tokyo.

Cal’s Stadden fell off the pace on the last 50 as well, ultimately taking fourth in 2:07.86, having set a PB of 2:07.28 last month.

Kathleen Baker misses out in her final opportunity to make the Olympic team, taking fifth in 2:08.78.