Over the weekend at the Arena Pro Swim Series – Austin, 22 new swimmers booked their tickets to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska by swimming their first times under the Olympic Trials qualifying standards.
Not all of these swam best times, necessarily, but they all swam best times within the range of the qualifying period that began on July 30th, 2014 and included both Junior Nationals and Nationals in Irvine.
In addition to those 22 swimmers, 26 others added Olympic Trials qualifications in new events. This includes some of the true heavyweights of swimming, who haven’t necessarily swum many of these races in long course since the Olympic qualifying period opened.
That list includes Olympic gold medalists Katie Ledecky (200 IM), Matt Grevers (200 back), Tyler Clary (400 free), Ryan Lochte (400 IM), Natalie Coughlin (100 back), and Elizabeth Beisel (800 free); plus other big national stars like Megan Romano (200 free, 100 back, 200 back), Emily Brunemann (800 free), Katie McLaughlin (200 free), and Andrew Gemmell (400 IM).
Editor’s note: this list originally included Anna Belousova from Asphalt Green as a new qualifier. She is not eligible to represent the United States, which reduces the number of new Olympic Trials qualifiers from 23 to 22.
A few highlights:
- Texas A&M sophomore Sarah Gibson earned Olympic Trials standards in three different events by going best times in the 200 free (2:01.82), 400 free (4:16.54), and 800 free (8:49.32). Previously, she had no times faster than the Olympic cuts either within or outside of the qualifying period.
- Purdue commit Haley Rowley of the Denver Hilltoppers pulled off a similar feat. She swam lifetime bests in 6 events, including three that are Olympic Trials qualifying times: 200 back (22:14.87), 400 IM (4:49.86), and the 800 free (8:47.63).
- 13-year old Kate Douglass from the Westchester Aquatic Club in New York swam a 2:34.71 in the 200 meter breaststroke to earn her first Olympic Trials qualification. Douglass was named an honorable mention swimmer in the 11-12 age group for 2014.
- There was a good list of comeback kids in Austin, besides the obvious ones like Olympic Champion Kirsty Coventry (who swims for Zimbabwe and thus is not eligible for these lists). Among the more subtle names making a little comeback appearance and qualifying for the Olympic Trials include: former NCAA Champion at Texas Eric Friedland (100 breast – 1:02.99); former Toledo All-American Laura Lindsay (100 breast – 1:10.46); and former Big Ten freshman of the year at Indiana Taylor Wohrley.
New Olympic Trials Qualifiers
| Event | Swimmer | Team | Time |
| 200 fly | Andrew Torres | U. of Denver | 1:58.99 |
| 50 free | Avery Braunecker | Academy Bullets | 26.16 |
| 50 free | Brett Walsh | Alabama | 22.84 |
| 200 back | Callie Dickinson | Tide Swimming | 2:14.83 |
| 200 back | Caroline Arakelian | Queens University | 2:16.02 |
| 100 fly | Casey Clark | Rice | 1:00.42 |
| 1500 free | Chris Yeager | First Colony | 15:42.98 |
| 100 back | Claire Brandt | Texas A&M | 1:02.45 |
| 200 back | Claire Brandt | Texas A&M | 2:14.19 |
| 200 fly | Dakota Luther | Longhorn Aquatics | 2:13.32 |
| 800 free | Emily Brunemann | Club Wolverine | 8:48.53 |
| 100 breast | Eric Friedland | NYAC | 1:02.99 |
| 800 free | Haley Rowley | Denver Hilltoppers | 8:47.63 |
| 200 back | Haley Rowley | Denver Hilltoppers | 2:14.87 |
| 400 IM | Haley Rowley | Denver Hilltoppers | 4:49.86 |
| 100 back | Ian Lemaistre | Texas | 56.32 |
| 1500 free | Jared Graham | Penguin Aquatics | 15:47.99 |
| 200 back | Josh Artmann | Austin Swim Club | 2:02.33 |
| 200 breast | Kate Douglass | Westchester AC | 2:34.71 |
| 100 fly | Katelyne Herrington | Unattached | 1:00.04 |
| 100 breast | Laura Lindsay | Canton City Schools | 1:10.46 |
| 100 back | Lucie Nordmann | The Woodlands ST | 1:03.05 |
| 200 back | Lucie Nordmann | The Woodlands ST | 2:14.73 |
| 200 free | Meredith Oliver | Texas A&M | 2:02.39 |
| 100 free | Meredith Oliver | Texas A&M | 56.46 |
| 800 free | Sarah Gibson | Texas A&M | 8:49.32 |
| 400 free | Sarah Gibson | Texas A&M | 4:16.54 |
| 200 free | Sarah Gibson | Texas A&M | 2:01.82 |
| 100 back | Taylor Wohrley | Cy Fair Swim Club | 1:02.65 |
Old Qualifiers, New Events
| Event | Swimmer | Team | Time |
| 400 IM | Andrew Gemmell | NCAP | 4:25.92 |
| 200 breast | Andrew Seliskar | NCAP | 2:15.92 |
| 200 breast | Brooke Forde | Lakeside Swim Team | 2:34.73 |
| 400 IM | Brooke Forde | Lakeside Swim Team | 4:51.20 |
| 200 breast | Caitlin Leverenz | California Aquatics | 2:31.18 |
| 200 IM | Cassidy Bayer | NCAP | 2:18.20 |
| 100 breast | Conor Dwyer | Trojan Swim Club | 1:03.49 |
| 800 free | Elizabeth Beisel | Bluefish Swim Club | 8:39.76 |
| 200 fly | Emma Seiberlich | Phoenixville YMCA | 2:14.61 |
| 50 free | Karlee Bispo | Unattached | 25.74 |
| 200 IM | Katie Ledecky | NCAP | 2:16.04 |
| 200 free | Katie McLaughlin | Mission Viejo | 1:59.70 |
| 100 back | Lisa Boyce | Longhorn Aquatics | 1:03.15 |
| 200 IM | Lisa Bratton | Texas A&M | 2:17.74 |
| 200 back | Matt Grevers | Tucson Ford | 1:57.43 |
| 800 free | Megan Byrnes | NCAP | 8:48.09 |
| 400 IM | Megan Byrnes | NCAP | 4:54.40 |
| 200 free | Megan Romano | NYAC/Longhorn | 1:58.99 |
| 100 back | Megan Romano | NYAC/Longhorn | 1:01.94 |
| 200 back | Megan Romano | NYAC/Longhorn | 2:11.26 |
| 200 breast | Michael Andrew | Indie Swimming | 2:16.76 |
| 100 back | Natalie Coughlin | California Aquatics | 1:00.70 |
| 200 breast | Olivia Anderson | Aquajets | 2:33.46 |
| 200 back | Regan Barney | Nitro Swimming | 2:15.76 |
| 200 back | Ryan Harty | GMSC | 2:02.93 |
| 400 IM | Ryan Harty | GMSC | 4:25.92 |
| 400 IM | Ryan Lochte | SwimMAC Carolina | 4:18.68 |
| 100 free | Ryan Murphy | Cal | 49.88 |
| 100 fly | Ryan Murphy | Cal | 53.81 |
| 200 breast | Sarah Henry | Texas A&M | 2:30.67 |
| 1500 free | Townley Haas | NOVA | 15:41.27 |
| 400 free | Tyler Clary | SwimMAC Carolina | 3:56.36 |
Just For Fun, Better Seeds for Old Events
| Event | Swimmer | Team | Time |
| 100 breast | Andrew Wilson | Unattached | 1:02.51 |
| 100 fly | Cassidy Bayer | NCAP | 59.31 |
| 400 IM | Connor Jaeger | Club Wolverine | 4:24.63 |
| 400 free | Conor Dwyer | Trojan Swim Club | 3:49.33 |
| 200 back | Emma Seiberlich | Phoenixville YMCA | 2:14.02 |
| 200 free | Grant Shoults | Mission Viejo | 1:50.10 |
| 100 fly | Jack Conger | Texas | 51.64 |
| 200 back | Karling Hemstreet | Nitro Swimming | 2:16.12 |
| 100 free | Katie Ledecky | NCAP | 54.55 |
| 800 free | Katie Lededcky | NCAP | 8:11.21 |
| 100 breast | Kaylin Burchell | Alabama | 1:08.21 |
| 100 breast | Kennedy Lohman | Lakeside Swim Team | 1:11.33 |
| 200 back | Lisa Bratton | Texas A&M | 2:10.61 |
| 400 IM | Madison Homovich | North Carolina AC | 4:49.14 |
| 400 free | Matthew Hirschberger | NCAP | 3:56.27 |
| 400 free | Megan Byrnes | NCAP | 4:16.26 |
| 100 free | Megan Romano | NYAC/Longhorn | 54.79 |
| 100 breast | Michael Andrew | Indie Swimming | 1:01.67 |
| 100 back | Ryan Harty | GMSC | 55.42 |
| 100 back | Tyler Clary | SwimMAC Carolina | 56.24 |
| 200 fly | Victoria Edwards | Longhorn Aquatics | 2:12.79 |
| 100 fly | Will Glass | Texas | 53.76 |
Few things I noticed: It says that Michael Andrew’s team is NYAC, not Indie Swimming, and that he’s qualified with a 2:17.30 (and I believe he went a 2:16.76 in Austin). Also, it says that Ryan Murphy swims for Texas and not Cal for his 100 fly.
Thanks Daromo – fixed above.
I don’t think Katie L improved her 800 trials cut unless she set a WR? almost by not quite!
her WR was set in June 2014, outside of the qualifying period: http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=2016&itemid=6370&mid=10340
Yes, Joe is correct, and her time in Austin was faster than her time at Pan Pacs or Nationals.
Her seed time improved, but she was already the number one seed.
Has Anna Belousova switched nationality? I remember watching her swim for Russia very recently at European Juniors.
Dee – I’m not positive. She’s not listed as foreign in the SWIMS database, but there are many others in there who are mis-labeled as not being foreign. I’ve sent an email to AGUA coaches to ask.
Awesome, that would be an Interesting decision if she has made the switch!
Hey Dee, was able to verify that you are correct: Belousova is not eligible to represent the United States. Making updates above now.