Race Videos: Watch Hinds, Lazor, Mefford, Brown Qualify For Their 1st Olympics

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
• Day 6 Finals Heat Sheet

Day 6 of the 2021 US Olympic Trials featured yet another lineup of exciting races full of returning and first-time Olympians.

In the women’s 100 free, Abbey Weitzeil was fast enough to book a ticket to her second Olympic Games with a 53.53 victory and was joined by Erika Brown with a 53.59 who will swim at her first Games this summer. Olivia Smoliga made a comeback after missing out on qualification in the 100 backstroke with a third-place finish to give her a spot on the 4×100 freestyle relay. Her Georgia pro-group teammate Natalie Hinds came in fourth with a 53.84 to also join the relay and qualify for her first Olympic Games.

Also securing their spots on the team on day 6 were Annie Lazor in the women’s 200 breast and Bryce Mefford in the men’s 200 backstroke. Lazor placed first in her event with a 2:21.75 and Mefford was second in a 1:54.79 which will allow them to join Lilly King and Ryan Murphy who had already qualified in the 100 versions of their respective strokes.

Michael Andrew and Chase Kalisz delivered a top 2 finish in men’s 200 IM to solidify their spots on the team in that event. Both of them had already qualified to swim in Tokyo as Andrew won the 100 breast and Kalisz the 400 IM.

Lastly, Caeleb Dressel swam on night 6 in the men’s 100 butterfly and lowered the US Open record to a 49.76 to qualify first for the final and trail his own world record of 49.50 from 2019. Dressel went on to win the 100 butterfly final on day 7 in a 49.87 to add the event to his Olympic event lineup.

Catch the race videos for all 5 of those races, courtesy of the NBC Sports YouTube channel:

WOMEN’S 100 FREE FINAL

1. Abbey Weitzeil (CAL), 53.53
2. Erika Brown (TNAQ), 53.59
3. Olivia Smoliga (ABSC), 53.63
4. Natalie Hinds (ABSC), 53.84

MEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

1. Ryan Murphy (CAL), 1:54.20
2. Bryce Mefford (SMST), 1:54.79
3. Austin Katz (TXLA), 1:55.86

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST FINAL

1. Annie Lazor (MVN), 2:21.07
2. Lilly King (ISC), 2:21.75
3. Emily Escobedo (COND), 2:22.64

MEN’S 200 IM FINAL

1. Michael Andrew (RPC), 1:55.44
2. Chase Kalisz (ABSC), 1:56.97
3. Kieran Smith (FLOR), 1:57.23

MEN’S 100 FLY SEMI-FINALS

1. Caeleb Dressel (GSC), 49.76 US
2. Tom Shields (CAL), 51.20
3. Coleman Stewart (WOLF), 51.54
4. Danny Kovac (UMIZ), 51.61
5. Trenton Julian (SMSC), 51.70
6. Luca Urlando (DART), 51.77
7. Zach Harting (CARD), 51.99
8. Tyler Sesvold (BAMA), 52.06