BY Mitchell Forde//Contributor
*Second place finishers do not automatically qualify for the Olympic roster. They will likely be added later in the week, pending swimmers qualifying in multiple events.
Men’s 400m Individual Medley – Final
1. Chase Kalisz (North Baltimore Aquatic Club) 4:09.54
2. Jay Litherland (Dynamo Swim Club) 4:11.02
3. Ryan Lochte (SwimMAC) 4:12.02
Race Notes
• This would be the first Olympic appearance for both Kalisz and Litherland, both of whom attended the University of Georgia. Kalisz red-shirted last year to prepare for Olympic Trials with coach Bob Bowman.
• Defending Olympic gold medalist in the event, Lochte, was nearly three seconds ahead of Kalisz, the top seed after the morning preliminary, at the halfway point. After the race, Lochte said he pulled his groin while swimming breaststroke in the morning race. That hampered his ability to swim breaststroke at night, he said, forcing him to take out the first half of the race faster than he normally would in hopes that he would be able to hold on to his lead. Lochte said he considered scratching the event at night, but was unwilling to forfeit an opportunity at finals of Olympic Trials. He says he will receive treatment throughout the week so that he can continue competing.
• Litherland’s closing 100 split of 57.38 seconds was the fastest of anyone in the field. Only Gunnar Bentz (Athens Bulldogs/UGA) and Sean Grieshop (Nitro Swimming) were within a second of the split.
Quotes
Chase Kalisz: “I had to play to my strengths and I knew what I needed to do was build the first 50 breaststroke and just hammer it as hard as I can coming home the last 150.”
“I know I need to be faster than I was tonight, and I think I'm very capable of it. Even looking at my lactate, it wasn't that high, and I don't even feel like -- I don't even feel that tired after the race, and I think I was just so nervous.”
Men’s 400m Freestyle—Final
1. Connor Jaeger (Club Wolverive) 3:43.79
2. Conor Dwyer (Trojan Aquatics) 3:44.66
3. Townley Haas (NOVA Aquatics) 3:45.04
Race Notes
• Jaeger’s time is the third fastest in the world this year and a personal best, eclipsing a best time he had not gone since 2013
• Clark Smith, who finished the race in fifth place, was leading in a blistering 1:49.48 at the 200-meter mark, over a second faster than Paul Biederman’s world record pace.
• After struggling in recent competitions, Jaeger said he was unsure of what to expect of himself – both leading up to and during the race. At the 200-meter mark, he said he thought he was out of contention.
Quotes:
Connor Jaeger: “I haven’t been where I’ve wanted to be at for eight months, and I kind of went into this really optimistic but honestly had no idea where I was going to land.”
“It was like having some sort of out-of-body experience around the 200 thinking, man am I out of this or am I going to be able to turn it around? And I basically said, like, there is no giving up in this race. No giving up, and I just went until I couldn't feel my legs or any arms any longer, and on my last 50 I peeked over, and I was ahead, which was kind of an incredible realization and, you know, just went as hard as I could and touched the wall. I couldn't believe that I placed first. What an exciting experience.”
Women’s 400m Individual Medley—Final
1. Maya DiRado (Stanford Swimming) 4:33.73
2. Elizabeth Beisel (Bluefish Swim Club) 4:36.81
3. Bethany Galat (Texas A&M) 4:37.69
Race Notes:
• Though they are both 23 years old, 2016 will be the first Olympic appearance for DiRado and would be the third for Beisel if she makes the team. She won a silver medal in this event in the 2012 Olympics.
• DiRado’s time is the fifth-fastest time in the world this year. Beisel owns the fourth-fastest, from the Atlanta Classic swim meet in May.
Quotes:
Maya DiRado: “We made some tweaks after the morning swim. Really the biggest thing was just staying calm and not getting flustered, and I was able to do that, and it’s really just a dream.
“I was here in the stands watching (Beisel) in 2008 when she made her first team, so to be able to make it together with her is just—I don’t know what life I’m living but it’s amazing.”
Women’s 100m Butterfly – Semifinal (Top 8 advance to tomorrow’s final)
1. Dana Vollmer (Cal Aquatics) 56.90
2. Kelsi Worrell (University of Louisville) 57.12
3. Sarah Gibson (Texas A&M) 58.02
4. Cassidy Bayer (Nation’s Capital Aquatic Club) 58.11
5. Kendyl Stewart (North Coast Aquatics) 58.33
6. Hellen Moffitt (Nation’s Capital Aquatic Club) 58.46
7. Claire Donahue (South Florida Aquatics) 58.76
8. Hali Flickinger (Athens Bulldogs Swim Club) 58.81
Race Notes
• Vollmer will seek to qualify for her third Olympic games in Rio. She previously swam in 2004 and 2012
• Though she sits second entering the final, Worrell had the fastest time of the day in the morning’s preliminaries at 56.84.
Men’s 100m Breaststroke—Semifinal (Top 8 advance to tomorrow’s final)
1. Kevin Cordes (Fox Valley Swim Club) 58.94
2. Cody Miller (Badger Swim Club) 59.09
3. Josh Prenot (California Aquatics) 59.60
4. Michael Andrew (Indie Swimming) 59.85
5. Andrew Wilson (Longhorn Aquatics) 59.87
6. Nic Fink (Athens Bulldog Swim Club) 59.88
7. Marcus Titus (Tucson Ford Dealer Aquatics) 1:00.19
8. Will Licon (Longhorn Aquatics) 1:00.30
Race Notes:
• Cordes’ time of 58.94 seconds is an American record and the second-fastest time in the world this year.
• Regardless of who qualifies for the Olympics in the final, the event will produce two Olympic rookies.
#SwimTrials16