Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

Swim Fans, I hope you are excited about the action-packed evening schedule we have on tap. There are eight events on the program, five of which are finals in what is the busiest night of these 2024 Trials. A possible 14 (or 18) new names could be hypothetically added to the roster, but we are likely to see some of the stars add more events to their Olympic schedule.

We start the evening off with a string of two successive finals, the women’s 100 free and the men’s 200 butterfly. Taking lane 4 tonight in the 100 free is Torri Huske. Huske finished 2nd in the 100 fly on night 2 and likely already has a ticket to Paris and will be looking to add another event. In the semifinals, Huske’s time of 52.90 not only stood as a new personal best but was the only time under 53.00.

Looking to join Huke under 53.00 is the second seed, the 2016 co-Olympic Gold medalist in his event, Simone Manuel. In the prelims, Manuel was 53.09, and in the finals nearly replicated that time, swimming 53.16. The 53.09 is her fastest time since 2019 and she will be looking to get back under that 53.00 barrier.

The men’s 200 fly, the second final of the evening, is an entertaining mix of young stars and established veterans. Luca Urlando and Thomas Heilman were the only two swimmers under 1:55 last night and will look to punch their tickets to Paris. Urlando, is looking to bounce back onto the national team after shoulder surgery in 2022, and Heilman, who is still in high school, is looking to build upon his breakout performance last summer. Behind them, it’s a tight pack as 3rd through 8th are separated by less than 2 seconds and sees new names like Mason Laur and established veterans like Zach Harting, a crowd favorite.

We have an interlude of semifinals in the middle of the night’s schedule, but right in between them is the final of the women’s 1500 free. Fans will be treated to another viewing of Katie Ledecky as she takes on another one of her trademark distance events. Ledecky was 15:39.73 in prelims on Day 3 and cruised to the 23rd-fastest swim in history and 22nd-fastest of her career. No one else was under the Olympic Qualifying time of 16:09.09, but Katie Grimes, the winner of the 400 IM, was just a second off in prelims. Don’t count out the outside lanes, as Tokyo Silver medalist Erica Sullivan will occupy lane 8 tonight and could bring some outside smoke.

We end the night on American Record watch in both the men’s 200 breaststroke and men’s 100 free. Penn’s Matt Fallon shocked himself last night as he swam a new personal best of 2:07.39. With Olympic spots on the line, Fallon may be pushed to break Josh Prenot’s 2:07.17 AR from 2016. AJ Pouch has had the meet of a lifetime and sits just on the cusp of joining the sub 2:08.00 club as he hit that time in the semifinals to take the second seed. Looking to punch their tickets to the Olympics for the first time, Josh Matheny and Jake Foster lurk behind and will be desperate after missing out in the 100 breast.

In the prelims of the 100 free, Jack Alexy popped off a 47.08 to come within .14 of Caeleb Dressel‘s AR, but it was Chris Guiliano who got his hand to the wall first in the semifinals as he stopped the clock in 47.25, becoming the 3rd fastest American ever. Alexy, Dressel, and Hunter Armstrong were all within half a second and will all be vying for one of the four guaranteed roster spots. Dressel will be hunting to return to the Olympics, where in 2021, he won five medals, all gold.

Remember, however, that those five finals are not the only events on the docket; we also have the semifinals from this morning’s swims.

• Women’s 200 Fly – There was a minor upset this morning as Alex Shackell passed the American record-holder Regan Smith to take the top time this morning. Smith likely didn’t push the pace this morning and should be okay to sail into tomorrow’s final
• Men’s 200 Back – Ryan Murphy did Ryan Murphy things, looking smooth and controlled in the heats swim of the 200 back, but fellow Cal swimmer Keaton Jones got the better of him in the last heat. Both of them will be chasing Jack Aikins, who, after 3rd in the 100 the other night, will be looking to remain top dog in the 200 into tomorrow’s final.
• Women’s 200 Breast – While the American Record in the Men’s 200 breast and 100 free may fall, Kate Douglass may eclipse her own mark earlier in the session. This morning, Douglass was 2:19.66 and just .36 away from the 2:19.30 she swam in Knoxville this past January. Lilly King will look to join her in the finals tomorrow, and one should expect a big cheer from the crowd from her.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel, 2019
• U.S. Open Record: 52.54 – Simone Manuel (USA), 2018
• World Junior Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak (CAN), 2016
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Abbey Weitzeil – 53.53
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 53.61

1. Kate Douglass (NYAC) – 52.56
2. Torri Huske (AAC) – 52.93
3. Gretchen Walsh (NAC) – 53.13
4. Simone Manuel (SUN) – 53.25
5. Abbey Weitzeil (CAL) – 53.70
6. Catie Deloof (NYAC)/ Erika Connolly (TNAQ) – 53.86
8. Beata Nelson (UN-WI) – 54.00

With Eminem’s 8 Mile and tens of thousands of cell phone lights waving, I didn’t think the 100 free could be hyped up anymore. AND THEN THE RACE HAPPENED.

It was an electric atmosphere over the first 50 and got more intense on the backhalf. Gretchen Walsh, known for her speed, was out fast in 25.00 and was just .19 off Simone Manuel‘s American record of 52.04. Manuel herself was right with Walsh as she flipped at the halfway point in 25.16. Torri Huske, who last night became the 4th fastest American ever in the event, was third at turn just .04 back.

However, it was Kate Douglass, who despite being the American record holder in the 50 free used her back half speed to pull herself from fourth at the turn (25.39) into first with 15 meters remaining. Douglass had the fastest split coming home and was the only swimmer under 27.5, as she surged home in 27.17. For Douglass, the swim represents a new personal best by .01 and makes her the 5th fastest swimmer this season.

Huske, who also closed under 28.00, passed Walsh and claimed 2nd in 52.93, just .03 off her PB from yesterday. Manuel tried to run down Walsh as well but fell short with Walsh touching 3rd and Manuel 4th. Manuel, who has been open with her overtraining syndrome and mental health will return to the Olympics for the 3rd time.

In a surprise twist, Erika Connolly may have to swim a second swim off in the 100 free as she and Catie Deloof dead-tied for 6th in 53.86, and if roster spots allow, up to six swimmers are eligible to go to Paris in the 4×100 free relay.

UPDATE: We anticipated a possible swim-off between Catie Deloof and Erika Connolly nee Brown, but the evening session has wrapped up. If we hear more details, we will update this page.  The Swim off for 6th place has been schedule for the end of tomorrow morning’s (Day 6) prelims session.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• World Record: 1:50.34, Kristof Milak (HUN) – 2022 World Championships
• American Record: 1:51.51, Michael Phelps – 2009 World Championships
• U.S. Open Record: 1:52.20, Michael Phelps (USA) – 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials
• World Junior Record: 1:53.79, Kristof Milak (hun) – 2017 European Junior Championships
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 1:55.06, Zach Harting
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:55.78

1. Thomas Heilman (CA-Y) – 1:54.50
2. Luca Urlando (DART) – 1:55.08
3. Mason Laur (FLOR) – 1:55.37
4. Dare Rose (CAL) – 1:55.70
5. Colby Mefford (CAL) – 1:56.43
6. Jack Dahlgren (TRI) – 1:56.63
7. Trenton Julian (MVN) – 1:57.07
8. Zach Harting (CARD) – 1:57.69

It was the tale of the rabbit and the tortoise in the 200 fly. Trenton Julian, known for going out fast, did not deviate from his game plan and attacked the opening legs of the race. Julian was out in 25.04 and was 53.33 at the 100, leading over 17-year-old Thomas Heilman by .74.

Julian expanded the lead, outsplitting the youngster on the 3rd 50 by .05, but unfortunately, his early bravery would not pay off as he faded from 1st to 7th, splitting 33.95 on the last 50.

Heilman, for his part, kept his head down and just continued to race, and dropped the fastest last 50 of the field to touch in 1:54.50. While a little off his personal best of 1:53.82, the swim was enough to punch his ticket to Paris and make him the youngest American male since 2000.

Luca Urlando, who holds the 17-18 Age Group record of 1:53.84, bided his time and was just 4th at the 150 turn but used a strong 30.91 to move past Julian and Dare Rose to place 2nd and likely book his ticket to Paris. It’s a strong return for Orlando, who was one of the best junior swimmers in the US but suffered shoulder injuries and underwent surgery, which required him to miss a season of collegiate swimming to recuperate.

The pair both find themselves among the world’s top 10 with their results from tonight.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY — Semi-Finals

• World Record: 2:01.81 — Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
• American Record: 2:03.87 — Regan Smith, 2023
  
• U.S. Open Record: 2:03.87 — Regan Smith (USA), 2023
  
• World Junior Record: 2:04.06 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 2:05.85 — Hali Flickinger
  
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 2:08.43

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Regan Smith (TXLA) – 2:04.91
2. Alex Shackell (CSC) – 2:06.10
3. Emma Sticklen (TXLA) – 2:07.44
4. Dakota Luther (TXLA) – 2:08.36
5. Lindsay Looney (TXLA) – 2:08.60
6. Tess Howley (LIAC) – 2:08.79
7. Lucy Bell (ALTO) – 2:08.90
8. Charlotte Hook (ALTO) – 2:09.50

Regan Smith wasted no time in the first semifinal, swimming under her own American record pace for much of the beginning of the race. At the 50, she was little more than a tenth under the pace, but when she hit the halfway mark in 59.07, she was half a second under.

It started to fade on the back 100, as she was just .12 ahead at the 150, but Smith did enough to shake away the cobwebs from this morning and reassert herself as the presumptive favorite.

The battle behind her for spots 2-8 was intense, but it was Alex Shackell, sister of 2024 Paris Olympian Aaron Shackell, who will take lane 5 tomorrow. In a sense, Shackell beat Smith as her time of 2:06.10 wipes away Smith’s 17-18 NAG record of  2:06.39.

The Longhorn’s dominance in the 200-yard fly carried over to meters as half of the field represents Longhorn aquatics. Emma Sticklen, who was doing her best to shadow Smith over the course of the first semi-final finished in 2:07.44, a new personal best by over half a second. Shackell was tied for the 9th fastest performer in US history, now ranks 8th and Sticklen jumps into the top 20 to rank 19th.

Audrey Derivaux finished in 10th overall but continued her impressive week, setting a new personal best and breaking the 2:10 barrier. Her time of 2:09.83, ranks her 3rd amongst 13-14 year olds in American history

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – Finals

1. Katie Ledecky (GSC) – 15:37.35
2. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 15:57.77
3. Ashley Twitchell (TAC) – 16:08.07
4. Kate Hurst (SCAR) – 16:09.77
5. Aurora Roghair (ALTO) – 16:09.76
6. Rachel Stege (ABSC) – 16:10.03
7. Erica Sullivan (SAND) – 16:29.88
8. Mariah Denigan (ISC) – 16:34.19

Ledecky was unsurprisingly alone in her quest to continue to be the only female swimmer to have won a gold medal in the 1500 at the Olympics. By the 200, Ledecky had opened up a lead of over two seconds over Katie Grimes, as Ledecky recorded the only sub 2:00 split (1:59.96). By the 400, that lead had grown to over five seconds (4:05.56), and at the 800-meter mark (8:17.13), the lead was ten seconds over Grimes.  Ledecky, as usual, was a pillar of consistency, splitting 31 lows to mids from the 200 mark through 1450.

With the crowd on their feet with 100 left, Ledecky stormed home in 1:01.50 to stop the clock at 15:37.35. Her time tonight is the 16th-fastest swim in the event ever, with all 16 held by Ledecky. The next closest performance in history belongs to Lotte Friis, which ranks 20th. In Paris, it is likely that Ledecky will own all of the top 20 performances.

With the win, Ledecky adds the 1500 to her 400 win and 200 wins (although she has confirmed her intentions to drop this individual race.

Grimes had a controlled race for 2nd and held 31 highs to 32 lows over the middle part of the race to finish second in 15:57.77. Grimes was already the 9th fastest performer in history, but her swim tonight was her 7th time under 16 minutes. Grimes had already been 15:57.31 this season but has had a busy schedule of racing and has already qualified for the team in the 400 IM.

Grimes, like Ledecky, never faced much pressure as by the 400, she was over five seconds clear of third place, but it ended up a tight race for 3rd between lanes 2, 6 and 7, with veteran Ashley Twitchell getting the touch in 16:08.07.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — Semi-Finals

• World Record: 1:51.92 — Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
• American Record: 1:51.92 — Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
• U.S. Open Record: 1:53.08 — Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
  
• World Junior Record: 1:55.14– Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 1:54.20 — Ryan Murphy
  
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 1:57.50

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Keaton Jones (CAL) – 1:55.49
2. Ryan Murphy (CAL) -1:55.69
3. Jack Aikins (SA) – 1:55.95
4. Tommy Janton (ND)- 1:56.87
5. Daniel Diehl (WOLF) – 1:57.29
6. Jay Litherland (TXLA)- 1:57.59
7. Hunter Tapp (WOLF) – 1:57.79
8. Caeleb Maladari (FLOR) – 1:57.99

The first semifinal saw Keaton Jones continue to impress the crowd and swimming community as the Cal swimmer dropped over two seconds from his prelims swim to take the semifinal in 1:55.49. Jones, who just finished his first year at Berkeley, placed just 10th in this event at NCAAs, but seems to have hit a massive taper.

Before this week, his personal best was 1:56.79, but lowered it tonight by over a second. Jones’s win propelled him up the world rankings, but would have to wait to see the results of the second semifinal to figure out how far he moved up.

After missing out on making a final in the 200 free, Daniel Diehl put himself in a good position as he finished 2nd to only Jones, stopping the clock in 1:57.29.

The second semifinal saw Jones’ Cal training partner, Ryan Murphy wrestle for the win with Notre Dame’s Tommy Janton and UVA’s Jack Aikins. Janton led at the 100, flipping in 56.50, .50 ahead of Murphy, but the veteran and winner of the 100 back, bided his time and waited until the last 50 to make his move.

Murphy unleashed a 28.74 last 50, the only swimmer in both semifinals to swim sub-29, to pass both Aikins and Janton and out split both by over a second. Murphy’s winning time of 1:55.69 slots him into second place right behind Jones, with Aikins and Janton not too far behind.

Both Jones and Murphy now rank within the top ten of the world

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE — Semi-Finals

• World Record: 2:17.55 — Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
• American Record: 2:19.30 — Kate Douglass, 2024
  
• U.S. Open Record: 2:19.30 — Kate Douglass (USA), 2024
  
• World Junior Record: 2:19.64 – Viktoriya Zeynep Gunes (TUR), 2015
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 2:21.07 — Annie Lazor
  
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 2:23.91

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Kate Douglass (NYAC) – 2:21.23
2. Lilly King (ISC) – 2:22.45
3. Alex Walsh (NAC) – 2:22.81
4. Ella Nelson (NAC) – 2:23.84
5. Kaelyn Gridley (DUKE) – 2:25.82
6. Anna Keating (CA-Y) – 2:27.60
7. Raya Mellot (CROW) – 2:28.61
8. Isabell Odgers (TROJ) – 2:29.03

We know that Lilly King doesn’t like to lose, but something about this crowd brings out her fighting spirit even more. King and Alex Walsh separated themselves from the pack and where the only pair under 1:10 at the 100 mark with Walsh getting the better of King 1:08.78 to 1:08.90.

Approaching the last turn, it appeared as if Walsh would cruise to victory as she had opened up about a half-a-body length lead over King. But King, in front of this home crowd, was not going to let that happen, and to raucous cheering, the Indiana swimmer surged home in 36.28, out-splitting Walsh by half a second on the last 50 to take the win in 2:22.45, dropping three seconds from this morning. Walsh, who was a little more conservative this morning, was touched in 2:22.81, which represents a four-second drop and a new personal best by .06.

The second semifinal was all Kate Douglass. Despite having just won the 100 freestyle final (in a new PB) roughly an hour ago, Douglass still easily outpaced her training partner, Ella Nelson, to take the win in 2:21.23. For her part, Nelson broke 2:24 for the first time and is now tied with Madisyn Cox as the 14th fastest swimmer in history.

The race tomorrow will likely come down between the top as they are the only swimmers under 2:25. Like Texas in the Women’s 200 fly, half of the field tomorrow night will have trained at UVA.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE — FINALS

• World Record: 2:05.48 — Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2024
• American Record: 2:07.17 — Josh Prenot, 2016
• U.S. Open Record: 2:07.17 — Josh Prenot (USA), 2016
• World Junior Record: 2:08.04 — Dong Zhihao (CHN), 2023
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Nic Fink — 2:07.55
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 2:09.68

1. Matt Fallon (UPN) – 2:06.54 ***NEW AMERICAN, US OPEN RECORD***
2. Josh Matheny (ISC) – 2:08.86
3. AJ Pouch (VT) – 2:09.05
4. Will Licon (TXLA) – 2:09.38
5. Daniel Roy (TDPS) – 2:09.44
6. Nic Fink (NYAC) – 2:09.56
7. Jake Foster (RAYSOH) – 2:09.64
8. Josh Bey (HHSC) – 2:11.66

I MENTIONED WE WERE ON AMERICAN RECORD WATCH and Matt Fallon did not disappoint. Fallon, who has incredible closing speed, was just 5th at the first turn and 3rd at the 100 (1:01.50), but surged over the last 100, using some incredible splits. He was the only swimmer under 33 on either the 3rd or 4th 50s where he split 32.50 and 32.54. At the 150 turn, he was a little over a half a second off the record but closed with such speed to be able to crush the record by over half a second.

With the win tonight, Fallon books his ticket to Paris and is likely to be joined Josh Matheny who joined Fallon in Fukuoka last summer. Matheny was a little off his personal best of 2:08.32, but in the finals of the Olympic Trials, top 2 matters more than time.

MATT FALLON. AMERICAN RECORD. 🇺🇸

He punches his ticket to Paris in EMPHATIC fashion.

📺 NBC & @peacock | #SwimTrials24 pic.twitter.com/SXsgDDSMiF

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 20, 2024

With the swim, Fallon vaunts into the top of the World and now ranks as the 5th fastest all time.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE — FINALS

• World Record: 46.80 — Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024
• American Record: 46.96 — Caeleb Dressel, 2019
• U.S. Open Record: 47.08 — Jack Alexy (USA), 2024
• World Junior Record: 46.86 – David Popovici (ROU), 2022
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Caeleb Dressel, 47.39
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 48.34

1. Chris Guiliano (ND) – 47.38
2. Jack Alexy (CAL) – 47.47
3. Caeleb Dressel (GSC) – 47.53
4. Hunter Armstrong (NYAC) – 47.78
5. Ryan Held (NYAC) – 47.82
6. Matt King (TFA) – 47.94
7. Destin Lasco (CAL) – 48.14
8. Macguire McDuff (FLOR) – 48.64

WHAT A WAY TO END THE NIGHT. Heightened by the fact that a massive Notre Dame crowd was cheering behind the SwimSwam staff, this race lived up to its billing. Jack Alexy, who set the US Open Record in the prelims, and Chris Guiliano, who was the top seed out of the semifinals, were dead even at the 50 turn, flipping in 22.51, but it was Guiliano who got the better of the last 50s, as he split 24.87 compared to Alexy’s 24.96.

Guiliano’s time of 47.38 was slower than his semifinal time of 47.25, but as mentioned above, matters less than earning a place on the team. The Notre Dame swimmer was previously named to the team in the 200 free by virtue of finishing second but now adds a second event.

Alexy, who was a surprise silver medalist in Fukuoka swimming out of lane 8, also earned his first Olympic berth.

The fight for the guaranteed relay berths was intense, but Caeleb Dressel secured third and earned a trip to his third Olympics. It’s a strong return to form for the American Record holder, who is slowly crawling his way back to the top of American sprinting and recently celebrated his first Father’s Day this past Sunday. Dressel was 4th at the turn, flipping in 22.70, but had the second fastest last 50, coming home in 24.83 to stop the clock in 47.53, his fastest time since the Tokyo Games.

Hunter Armstrong, who pulled a magic trick to touch ahead of Aikins in the 100 back, employed another sleight of hand trick to nab 4th. Armstrong, who was once the 50 back WR holder and is known for his front-end speed, was tied for 6th at the 50 turn with Destin Lasco (23.02) but dropped the hammer of a last 50, splitting 24.76 to finish in 47.78, just .04 ahead of Ryan Held.

The quartet should be the favorites in Paris for the 4×100 free relay as all four entered the World’s top 10 over the past two days.

UPDATE: We anticipated a possible swim-off between Catie Deloof and Erika Connolly nee Brown, but the evening session has wrapped up. If we hear more details, we will update this page.