Day six. Finals. U.S. Olympic Trials. *Pressure intensifies*
As we come down the back nine here in Omaha, almost all swimmers, minus the men tackling the 100 fly/50 free double and the women in the 100 free final tonight and 50 free starting tomorrow, are onto their last event of the meet. And for those in contention for Olympic qualification, but haven’t yet done so, it’s now or never.
We’ve got four more finals on tonight’s schedule, led off by the women’s 200 breaststroke, where Lilly King and Annie Lazor, training partners in Bloomington, come in favored to go 1-2, with Emily Escobedo projected to be a major factor as well.
King is the only swimmer in the field already qualified for the Olympic team, and Micah Sumrall, a 2012 Olympian in this event, is the only other swimmer that has ever qualified for the Games.
We’ll then have the men’s 200 back, where Ryan Murphy is a near lock to win, and the second spot is largely up for grabs. Murphy will be the elder statesman of the field at 25, with the rest of the heat aged 22 and under.
The third final of the night comes in the men’s 200 IM, which is expected to be Ryan Lochte‘s last race on U.S. soil. Lochte will need his best swim of the meet by far to qualify for a fifth straight Olympic team, with Michael Andrew head and shoulders ahead of the field in the semis after dropping a sizzling 1:55.26.
Chase Kalisz, the winner of the 400 IM on opening night, will be favored by many to snag the second spot. Carson Foster was painfully close to qualifying in the 400 IM, so this will be his last chance, and Andrew Seliskar scratched out of the 100 fly to put all his eggs in the medley basket (Andrew and Lochte also dropped the 100 fly).
Kieran Smith will also be dangerous, coming in with no pressure and nothing to lose after winning the 200 and 400 freestyle earlier.
The women’s 100 freestyle will be the last final of the night, with the top five seeds from the semis having yet to qualify for Tokyo. Olivia Smoliga and Natalie Hinds tied for the top time last night in 53.55, and Abbey Weitzeil, the 2016 Trials winner, was close behind in 53.66.
Allison Schmitt (200 free) and Kate Douglass (200 IM) are the only two swimmers in the field already qualified for the Games, with Catie Deloof, Linnea Mack and Erika Brown joining Hinds in the hunt to become a first-time Olympian.
With Simone Manuel failing to advance from the semis, this event has become completely wide open.
We’ll also see semi-final heats in the women’s 200 back and men’s 100 fly, where reigning world champions and world record holders Regan Smith and Caeleb Dressel headlining their respective fields.
Dressel has a shot to go sub-50 tonight after setting a U.S. Open Record of 50.17 in the prelims.
Every event on tonight’s schedule will include a current individual long course world record holder, other than the women’s 100 free.
WOMEN’S 200 BREAST FINAL
- World Record: Rikke Moller Pedersen (DEN) – 2:19.11 (2013)
- American Record: Rebecca Soni – 2:19.59 (2012)
- US Open Record: Rebecca Soni (USA) – 2:20.38 (2009)
- World Junior Record: Viktoriya Zeynep Gunes (TUR) – 2:19.64 (2015)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Rie Kaneto (JPN) – 2:20.30
- 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Lilly King – 2:24.08
- Wave I Cut: 2:33.29
- Wave II Cut: 2:30.49
- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 2:25.52
MEN’S 200 BACK FINAL
- World Record: Aaron Peirsol (USA) – 1:51.92 (2009)
- American Record: Aaron Peirsol – 1:51.92 (2009)
- US Open Record: Aaron Peirsol (USA) – 1:53.08 (2009)
- World Junior Record: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 1:55.14 (2017)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Ryan Murphy (USA) – 1:53.62
- 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Ryan Murphy – 1:53.95
- Wave I Cut: 2:02.99
- Wave II Cut: 2:00.81
- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:57.50
WOMEN’S 200 BACK SEMI-FINALS
- 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
MEN’S 200 IM FINAL
- World Record: Ryan Lochte (USA) – 1:54.00 (2011)
- American Record: Ryan Lochte – 1:54.00 (2011)
- US Open Record: Ryan Lochte (USA) – 1:54.56 (2009)
- World Junior Record: Hubert Kos (HUN) – 1:56.99 (2021)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Michael Phelps (USA) – 1:54.66
- 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Michael Phelps – 1:55.91
- Wave I Cut: 2:04.09
- Wave II Cut: 2:03.02
- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:59.67
WOMEN’S 100 FREE FINAL
- World Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 51.71 (2017)
- American Record: Simone Manuel – 52.04 (2019)
- US Open Record: Simone Manuel (USA) – 52.54 (2018)
- World Junior Record: Penny Oleksiak (CAN) – 52.70 (2016)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Simone Manuel (USA) / Penny Oleksiak (CAN) – 52.70
- 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Abbey Weitzeil – 53.28
- Wave I Cut: 56.29
- Wave II Cut: 55.56
- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 54.38
MEN’S 100 FLY SEMI-FINALS
- World Record: Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 49.50 (2019)
- American Record: Caeleb Dressel – 49.50 (2019)
- US Open Record: Michael Phelps (USA) – 50.22 (2009)
- World Junior Record: Kristof Milak (HUN) – 50.62 (2017)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Joseph Schooling (SGP) – 50.39
- 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Michael Phelps – 51.00
- Wave I Cut: 54.19
- Wave II Cut: 53.37
- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 51.96