How long does it take to qualify for the USA Swimming Relays in Paris?
In the final stages leading up to next month's Olympic trials, many top contenders are placing an undue focus on the 100m and 200m freestyle. Naturally, the top six men and women in each race qualify for the relay and are likely to earn a spot on the Olympic team heading to Paris (a lack of athletes, which actually happened in 2021, means (described later). Athletes who participated in the relay qualifying round will receive the medals won by the final team.
The relay competition at the Olympic Trials attracts many candidates, with some shifting their focus to freestyle racing to maximize their chances of qualifying for the Olympics. In almost every instance, she dives into at least one swimmer completely unaware. Perhaps it's a college swimming standout who hasn't had much success on long distance courses to date, or a swimmer who is best known for his ability in a different stroke.
All this means is that amazing things are going to happen at these events in Indianapolis. Most likely, the semi-finals will be a highly competitive match between high-profile swimmers, but the final will have swimmers racing against the clock and their times will be delayed several times. It will be.
How fast must a swimmer run to earn a spot on the team? Let's take a look at each event. We'll also be keeping an eye on the deadline for qualifying for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic team, as well as qualifying times for the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.
Men's 200 Freestyle
2021: 1:46.49 (Patrick Curran)
2022: 1:46.93 (Trey Freeman)
2023: 1:47.02 (Henry McFadden)
Kieran Smith has been a consistent member of the U.S. men's 800 free relay for several years — Photo by Peter H. Bick
This year's U.S. men's 800-meter freestyle relay will face a big challenge from reigning Olympic champions and last year's world champions Great Britain, but we can expect fast swims as the team gathers. luke hobson She finished fifth in the 200 free at last year's world championships and is considered the favorite after winning the bronze medal at this year's inflated world championships. He also swam the fastest time ever in the 200-yard free at the NCAA Championships.
Drew Kibler and Kieran Smith Both athletes are capable of performance in the low 1:45 range in this event, and finished 4th and 5th, respectively, at last year's World Championships. carson foster At this year's world championships, he recorded an astonishing time of 1:43.94. jake mitchell In 2023, the flat start was in the 1 minute 46 second range, and the relay time was in the 1 minute 45 second range. These are just the winning candidates.preferred by swimmers baylor nelson, aaron shackel, henry mcfadyen, brooks curry, Patrick Sammon Some have the potential to be under 1:46 (or even better).
My guess is that there will be 5 or 6 athletes running under 1:46 in the semifinals of the trials, and some will run 1:46.2 or 1:46.3 and be eliminated. In the finals, perhaps he will be able to enter the team with one player recording his 1 minute 46 seconds, but no one better.
Women's 200 Freestyle
2021: 1:57.61 (Brooke Ford)
2022: 1:57.82 (Alex Walsh)
2023: 1:56.91* (Leah Smith)
*In 2023, katie Ledecky He withdrew from the 200 individual freestyle race. Anna Peplowski He was added to the world championship team after finishing seventh in the 200 free in 1:57.59. USA Swimming has announced that it will no longer add new relay athletes to teams if an athlete withdraws from an individual event.
Katie Ledecky remains a force in the U.S. women's 800 free relay — Photo by Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Last year, the United States had a clear top four spot. claire weinstein Hit Ledecky to achieve 200th free national title bella sims and Erin Gemmell Both times were in the 1 minute 56 second range.teenager alex shackel He finished in fifth place, dropping five seconds from his personal best, and had a tough time against Weinstein in the world championship relay in Fukuoka.
Qualifying for the relay will largely depend on Ledecky being able to swim the individual 200 free to the finals. If she already qualifies for Paris (likely), she might swim only the prelims or semifinals, allowing another swimmer to compete for a top-six spot in the final.
Regardless of Ledecky's participation, swimming in the mid-1 minute 56 second time period seems to be the key hurdle this time.All of last year's major candidates return, while veterans also perform well. paige madden I'm good at swimming and I like swimmers. katie grimes, camille spink and Cavan Gormsen Everyone was able to participate in the mix.
Women's 100 Freestyle
2021: 54.12 (Alison Schmidt)
2022: 54.09 (Mallory Comerford)
2023: 53.51 (Maxine Parker)
Kate Douglas is currently America's fastest 100 freestyler — Photo by Peter H. Bick
Last year's U.S. Championship final was with Sims. katie deroof Both finished outside the top six with a time of 53.7 seconds. The situation continued this year, with four American swimmers scoring 53.25 points or higher at the TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio last month. kate douglas, tori husk, Gretchen Walsh And the veteran has regained his form. Simone Manuel. meanwhile, Abby Weitzeil He has achieved sub-53 many times in the past, including last year.
Do we need to achieve sub-53 to finish in the top six at trials? No, probably not, but as American women are showing better sprint depth than ever before, we may not be far away. That 53.51 Maxine Parker The swim that finished sixth last year is probably close to the numbers needed to reach the finals of the Olympic Trials and could probably make the team a tick or two faster.
Don't forget about our veterans olivia smoliga, Natalie Hines and Claire Curzan In all of these, the 100 free is Gemmell, Shackel, Spink, katherine berkoff, Gabi Albiero or beata nelson. Anna Moesch I am a teenager who cannot be discounted. With six spots and several openings, this event has improved overall recently as it makes sense for women to target it.
Men's 100 Freestyle
2021: 48.22** (Bow Becker)
2022: 48.38 (Justin Less)
2023: 48.18 (Justin Less)
**In 2021, Ryan Held Although she finished 6th in the 100 freestyle with a score of 48.46, she was unable to qualify for the Olympic team as the number of relay-only participants was limited to 12.
Jack Alexie broke out last year by winning an individual silver medal in the sprint freestyle event at the World Championships. — Photo by Peter H. Bick
The field for the men's 100 free at last year's U.S. championships was the deepest ever assembled on U.S. soil, with 48-second laps in the preliminaries and 48.37 seconds required to advance to the finals. In addition to the prospect of qualifying for the Olympics, and the fact that the Olympic Trials are a three-round format, the young American men who headlined last year's finals have had an important year and are returning. Considering the facts, this time should be even tougher.of caleb dressel.
jack alexie He won silver in the 100 free at last year's World Championships, making him the second-fastest American in history. Chris Guiliano He ran a time trial of 47.49 earlier this year. The two are favored to go 1-2 at trials, but Dressel, who recently ran a time of 48.40 seconds at the San Antonio Pro Series, also has a chance.
meanwhile, matt king Held, who has built a solid relay reputation over the past 12 months, is aiming to return to the Olympic team after a heartbreak in 2021. This year's roster of swimmers will include more than a dozen male swimmers who have been in their 48s or older in their careers. Destin Lasko, mcguire mcduff, Justin LessKibler, Smith, Currie, Hobson; hunter armstrong, Johnny Crow There are many other potential threats.
The 100 free semifinals in Indianapolis will be conducted electronically. Book it. Swim 48.2, sometimes 48.1, and you'll be able to watch the finals from your seat. At least six players will be under the age of 48 at some point in the trials. And at least one person will be left behind in a heat of the championship, falling short of that time. In the final, we expect a slightly slower race from 4th or 5th to 8th, but we'll see who emerges victorious when it matters most.
