2020 United States Olympic trials (swimming)

The 2020 USA Swimming Olympic trials was held at CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, for a fourth consecutive time. Originally scheduled from June 21 to 28, 2020, it was rescheduled to June 4 to 7, 2021, (wave I) and June 13 to 20, 2021, (wave II) due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics to 2021. The meet served as the national championships in swimming for the United States.[1][2][3] Those qualifying competed for the United States in swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

2020 United States Olympic trials (swimming)
Host cityOmaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Date(s)Wave I: June 4 – 7, 2021
Wave II: June 13 – 20, 2021
Venue(s)CHI Health Center Omaha
Events28 (men: 14; women: 14)
2024 trials →

Qualification criteria

A maximum of 52 swimmers (26 of each sex, not including open water swimmers) were chosen for the 2020 Summer Olympics from Wave II. To make the Olympic team, a swimmer must place in the top two in one of the fourteen individual events. To be considered for the U.S. 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter freestyle relay teams, a swimmer must place in the top six in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle, respectively. Swimmers must have achieved a time standard to be eligible to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials:[4]

EventMenWomenMenWomen
Wave I Wave II
50 m freestyle23.1925.9922.7125.65
100 m freestyle50.4956.4949.7455.56
200 m freestyle1:50.792:01.691:49.652:00.24
400 m freestyle3:57.294:16.893:54.214:13.28
800 m freestyle8:12.998:48.098:08.958:44.01
1500 m freestyle15:44.8916:49.1915:35.6916:44.60
100 m backstroke56.591:02.6955.511:01.49
200 m backstroke2:02.992:14.692:00.812:12.94
100 m breaststroke1:03.291:10.991:01.971:09.55
200 m breaststroke2:17.892:33.292:15.282:30.49
100 m butterfly54.191:00.6953.3759.59
200 m butterfly2:01.192:14.591:59.632:12.56
200 m individual medley2:04.092:17.392:03.022:15.26
400 m individual medley4:25.994:51.794:23.244:47.72

Two wave structure

In January 2021, USA Swimming announced its decision to break the Olympic trials into two meets called waves. This decision was made in part to follow social distancing protocols and keep attendees, athletes, and workers safer during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][5][6][7] Each wave had a different set of qualification time standards. The time standards took effect January 28, 2021 and an initial qualifying period for both waves ended May 30, 2021. Wave I swimmers who met the time standards for Wave II at the Wave I meet and finished first or second in their event qualified to compete at the Wave II meet.[3] Finals for Wave I were conducted in an A-final and B-final format.[8]

A total of 50 swimmers from Wave I qualified to compete in Wave II.[9] The first swimmer who swam in the Wave I meet and advanced to a second swim, semifinal or final, at the Wave II meet was Heather MacCausland in the women's 100-meter breaststroke on June 14, 2021.[10] The most watched YouTube video from the entire Olympic trials came from Wave I not Wave II. It was a clip of Kayla Han winning the B-final of the women's 400-meter individual medley and breaking a USA Swimming national age group record in the process.[11][12]

Between Wave I and Wave II, 2,285 individuals competed at the 2020 Olympic trials, a decrease of over 700 swimmers from the 2016 Olympic trials. As a whole, proportionally fewer Wave I swimmers and proportionally more Wave II swimmers swam faster than their seed times compared to swimmers at the 2016 Olympic trials.[13]

Events

The meet featured twenty-eight individual events in a long course (50-meter) pool—fourteen events for men and fourteen events for women. Events 200 meters and shorter were held with preliminaries, semifinals and finals, while events 400 meters and longer were held with preliminaries and finals. Semifinals featured sixteen swimmers in two heats; the finals included eight swimmers in a single heat. Preliminaries were seeded with ten lanes. Event order, which mimicked that of the 2020 Olympics, with the exception of the Olympic relay events, were the following for Wave II:[14]

Date Sunday
June 13, 2021		 Monday
June 14, 2021		 Tuesday
June 15, 2021		 Wednesday
June 16, 2021
M
o
r
n
i
n
g		 Men's 400 IM (heats)
Women's 100 butterfly (heats)
Men's 400 freestyle (heats)
Women's 400 IM (heats)
Men's 100 breaststroke (heats)		 Women's 100 backstroke (heats)
Men's 200 freestyle (heats)
Women's 100 breaststroke (heats)
Men's 100 backstroke (heats)
Women's 400 freestyle (heats)		 Women's 200 freestyle (heats)
Men's 200 butterfly (heats)
Women's 200 IM (heats)
Women's 1500 freestyle (heats)		 Men's 100 freestyle (heats)
Women's 200 butterfly (heats)
Men's 200 breaststroke (heats)
Men's 800 freestyle (heats)
E
v
e
n
i
n
g		 Men's 400 IM (final)
Women's 100 butterfly (semi-finals)
Men's 400 freestyle (final)
Women's 400 IM (final)
Men's 100 breaststroke (semi-finals)		 Women's 100 butterfly (final)
Men's 200 freestyle (semi-finals)
Women's 100 breaststroke (semi-finals)
Men's 100 breaststroke (final)
Women's 400 freestyle (final)
Men's 100 backstroke (semi-finals)
Women's 100 backstroke (semi-finals)		 Women's 200 freestyle (semi-finals)
Men's 200 freestyle (final)
Women's 100 backstroke (final)
Men's 100 backstroke (final)
Women's 100 breaststroke (final)
Men's 200 butterfly (semi-finals)
Women's 200 IM (semi-finals)		 Men's 100 freestyle (semi-finals)
Women's 200 freestyle (final)
Men's 200 butterfly (final)
Women's 200 butterfly (semi-finals)
Men's 200 breaststroke (semi-finals)
Women's 200 IM (final)
Women's 1500 freestyle (final)
Date Thursday
June 17, 2021		 Friday
June 18, 2021		 Saturday
June 19, 2021		 Sunday
June 20, 2021
M
o
r
n
i
n
g		 Women's 100 freestyle (heats)
Men's 200 backstroke (heats)
Women's 200 breaststroke (heats)
Men's 200 IM (heats)		 Women's 800 freestyle (heats)
Men's 100 butterfly (heats)
Women's 200 backstroke (heats)		 Men's 50 freestyle (heats)
Women's 50 freestyle (heats)
Men's 1500 freestyle (heats)		 No morning session.
E
v
e
n
i
n
g		 Men's 800 freestyle (final)
Men's 200 breaststroke (final)
Women's 100 freestyle (semi-finals)
Men's 200 backstroke (semi-finals)
Women's 200 butterfly (final)
Men's 100 freestyle (final)
Women's 200 breaststroke (semi-finals)
Men's 200 IM (semi-finals)		 Women's 200 breaststroke (final)
Men's 200 backstroke (final)
Women's 200 backstroke (semi-finals)
Men's 200 IM (final)
Women's 100 freestyle (final)
Men's 100 butterfly (semi-finals)
 Men's 100 butterfly (final)
Women's 200 backstroke (final)
Women's 800 freestyle (final)
Men's 50 freestyle (semi-finals)
Women's 50 freestyle (semi-finals)		 Men's 50 freestyle (final)
Women's 50 freestyle (final)
Men's 1500 freestyle (final)

U.S. Olympic Team

The following swimmers qualified to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics (for pool events):[15]

Men

Michael Andrew, Zach Apple, Hunter Armstrong, Bowe Becker, Gunnar Bentz, Michael Brinegar, Patrick Callan, Brooks Curry, Caeleb Dressel, Nic Fink, Bobby Finke, Townley Haas, Zach Harting, Chase Kalisz, Drew Kibler, Jay Litherland, Bryce Mefford, Jake Mitchell, Ryan Murphy, Blake Pieroni, Andrew Seliskar, Tom Shields, Kieran Smith, Andrew Wilson.

Women

Phoebe Bacon, Erika Brown, Claire Curzan, Catie DeLoof, Kate Douglass, Hali Flickinger, Brooke Forde, Katie Grimes, Natalie Hinds, Torri Huske, Lydia Jacoby, Lilly King, Annie Lazor, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Simone Manuel, Katie McLaughlin, Allison Schmitt, Bella Sims, Regan Smith, Olivia Smoliga, Erica Sullivan, Alex Walsh, Abbey Weitzeil, Emma Weyant, Rhyan White.

U.S. Olympic Team members in open water swimming events:[15]

Men

Jordan Wilimovsky.

Women

Haley Anderson, Ashley Twichell.

Results

Key:   Highlighted swimmers achieved the qualification conditions to be included in the Olympic team in that respective event.

Men's events
Event Gold Silver Bronze
50 m freestyle[16] Caeleb Dressel21.04 US Michael Andrew21.48 Nathan Adrian21.73
100 m freestyle[17] Caeleb Dressel47.39 =US Zach Apple47.72 Blake Pieroni48.16
200 m freestyle[18] Kieran Smith1:45.29 Townley Haas1:45.66 Drew Kibler1:45.92
400 m freestyle[19] Kieran Smith3:44.86 Jake Mitchell3:48.17 Ross Dant3:48.30
800 m freestyle[20] Bobby Finke7:48.22 Michael Brinegar7:49.94 Ross Dant7:50.66
1,500 m freestyle[21] Bobby Finke14:46.06 Michael Brinegar15:00.87 Jordan Wilimovsky15:05.29
100 m backstroke[22] Ryan Murphy52.33 Hunter Armstrong52.48 Shaine Casas52.76
200 m backstroke[23] Ryan Murphy1:54.20 Bryce Mefford1:54.79 Austin Katz1:55.86
100 m breaststroke[24] Michael Andrew58.73 Andrew Wilson58.74 Nic Fink58.80
200 m breaststroke[25] Nic Fink2:07.55 Andrew Wilson2:08.32 Will Licon2:08.50
100 m butterfly[26] Caeleb Dressel49.87 Tom Shields51.19 Luca Urlando51.64
200 m butterfly[27] Zach Harting1:55.06 Gunnar Bentz1:55.34 Luca Urlando1:55.43
200 m IM[28] Michael Andrew1:55.44 Chase Kalisz1:56.97 Kieran Smith1:57.23
400 m IM[29] Chase Kalisz4:09.09 Jay Litherland4:10.33 Carson Foster4:10.86

Women's events
Event Gold Silver Bronze
50 m freestyle[30] Simone Manuel24.29 Abbey Weitzeil24.30 Torri Huske24.46
100 m freestyle[31] Abbey Weitzeil53.53 Erika Brown53.59 Olivia Smoliga53.63
200 m freestyle[32] Katie Ledecky1:55.11 Allison Schmitt1:56.79 Paige Madden1:56.80
400 m freestyle[33] Katie Ledecky4:01.27 Paige Madden4:04.86 Leah Smith4:06.27
800 m freestyle[34] Katie Ledecky8:14.62 Katie Grimes8:20.36 Haley Anderson8:20.51
1,500 m freestyle[35] Katie Ledecky15:40.50 Erica Sullivan15:51.18 Katie Grimes15:52.12
100 m backstroke[36] Regan Smith58.35 Rhyan White58.60 Olivia Smoliga58.72
200 m backstroke[37] Rhyan White2:05.73 Phoebe Bacon2:06.46 Regan Smith2:06.79
100 m breaststroke[38] Lilly King1:04.79 Lydia Jacoby1:05.28 Annie Lazor1:05.60
200 m breaststroke[39] Annie Lazor2:21.07 Lilly King2:21.75 Emily Escobedo2:22.64
100 m butterfly[40] Torri Huske55.66 AM, US Claire Curzan56.43 Kate Douglass56.56
200 m butterfly[41] Hali Flickinger2:05.85 US Regan Smith2:06.99 Charlotte Hook2:07.92
200 m IM[42] Alex Walsh2:09.30 Kate Douglass2:09.32 Madisyn Cox2:09.34
400 m IM[43] Emma Weyant4:33.81 Hali Flickinger4:33.96 Melanie Margalis4:34.08

Olympics freestyle relay qualifiers

Key:   Highlighted swimmers achieved the qualification conditions to be included in the Olympic team in that respective relay event based on their
performance in the corresponding 100 meter or 200 meter freestyle individual event.[15]

Men
Place → 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
4×100 m freestyle[17]Caeleb Dressel
47.39		Zach Apple
47.72		Blake Pieroni
48.16		Brooks Curry
48.19		Bowe Becker
48.22		Ryan Held
48.46		Brett Pinfold
48.47		Coleman Stewart
48.51
4×200 m freestyle[18]Kieran Smith
1:45.29		Townley Haas
1:45.66		Drew Kibler
1:45.92		Andrew Seliskar
1:46.34		Zach Apple
1:46.45		Patrick Callan
1:46.49		Blake Pieroni
1:46.57		Carson Foster
1:46.67

Women
Place → 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
4×100 m freestyle[31]Abbey Weitzeil
53.53		Erika Brown
53.59		Olivia Smoliga
53.63		Natalie Hinds
53.84		Catie DeLoof
53.87		Allison Schmitt
54.12		Kate Douglass
54.17		Linnea Mack
54.32
4×200 m freestyle[32]Katie Ledecky
1:55.11		Allison Schmitt
1:56.79		Paige Madden
1:56.80		Katie McLaughlin
1:57.16		Bella Sims
1:57.53		Brooke Forde
1:57.61		Gabby DeLoof
1:57.86		Leah Smith
1:58.13

Television coverage and viewership

Two national television networks covered the US Olympic trials in swimming in the United States, NBC and NBCSN.[44] NBCSN aired the heats later the same day and NBC aired the finals and some of the semifinals same day.[45] This coverage was part of the NBC Olympics television and digital programming covering the U.S. Olympic Team trials in various sports that set a new record in number of hours of coverage of the Olympic trials for all sports in the United States at 85.25 hours.[44][45]

Sunday coverage of the U.S. Olympic Team trials in swimming on NBC made it into the top 20 most viewed programs for the day.[46] For the top five most viewed days of U.S. Olympic Team trials across all sports, the swimming team trials had one day make it in the top five along with two days from team trials in track and field and two days from gymnastics team trials.[11]

References
  1. Rieder, David (May 1, 2017). "USA Swimming Announces 2020 Olympic Trials Will Return to Omaha". Swimming World. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  2. "U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials set new dates in 2021 in Omaha". NBC Sports. April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  3. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming Split Into Two Events". USA Swimming. January 26, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  4. "2020 Olympic Trials Official Time Standards" (PDF). USA Swimming. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  5. Bachman, Rachel (January 26, 2021). "U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials Will Be Cut in Half". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  6. D'Addona, Dan (January 26, 2021). "USA Olympic Swimming Trials to be Split into Two Waves For Better Social Distancing". Swimming World. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  7. Keith, Braden (January 26, 2021). "(UPDATE) USA Swimming Will Split 2021 Olympic Trials Into Two Separate Meets". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  8. USA Swimming (June 7, 2021). "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave I: Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  9. Shinn, Peggy (June 8, 2021). "50 Athletes From Swimming's U.S. Olympic Team Trials Wave I Qualify For Wave II". TeamUSA.org. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  10. Johnson, Annika (June 14, 2021). "Women's 100 Breast Prelims Sees First Wave I Swimmer to Make Semi's". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  11. McCormick, Jack (July 2, 2021). "Tokyo 2020 Round-Up: US Gymnastics Leads All Trial's Viewership". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  12. Thuc Nhi Nguyen (August 21, 2022). "La Mirada teen swimmer Kayla Han makes national waves with Paris 2024 on horizon". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  13. Johnson, Annika (July 12, 2021). "More Swimmers Beat Their Seed Times at U.S. Olympic Trials in 2020 Than in 2016". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  14. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming Wave II Event Order". USA Swimming. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  15. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Roster". USA Swimming. June 21, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  16. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
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  18. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  19. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 400m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
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  21. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 1500m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  22. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Backststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  23. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
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  25. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  26. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Butterfly Final Results". Omega Timing. June 19, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  27. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Butterfly Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  28. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  29. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Men's 400 metre individual medley (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  30. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  31. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
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  40. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Women's 100 metre butterfly (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  41. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 200m Butterfly Final Results Summary". Omega Timing. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  42. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 200m Individual Medley Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  43. "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Women's 400 metre individual medley (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  44. Keith, Braden (May 27, 2021). "NBC Networks Will Air All 12 Nights of Olympic Swimming Trials Coverage in June". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
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