In the fly, meanwhile, the Americans were shut out of the final at the World Championships, but in , Hali Flickinger and Katie Drabot finished with the top two times in the world and won silver and bronze, respectively, at the World Championships.
It will likely take a to qualify for the team, and that would indicate medal contention. Flickinger, at least, should be among the contenders for gold in Tokyo. The IMs were probably the weak spot for the U. But there have been some very promising signs so far in Madisyn Cox is first in the world right now with her Melanie Margalis , probably the top U.
IMer over the past few years, has been s on multiple occasions in the past, and Baker has been in that territory as well. So at least one and likely two medal contenders will emerge from that pack.
Meanwhile, Margalis has finally embraced the IM in recent years after trying to avoid the event previously, and she swam a She ranks third in the world this year at Again, probably some medal contenders, although expectations of gold are unlikely here.
Three relays with three very different status quo situations right now for the U. In the free relay, the Americans have played second fiddle to Australia for a long time, and with Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell ranking first and second in the world right now and McKeon having already been Simone Manuel is the free favorite for Trials, but teenagers Huske Six Americans have already been 53 in the free, but it will be impossible to fully project this relay until both the U.
The free relay looks like another USA vs. Australia matchup after Australia took gold by less than a half second over the Americans at both the Pan Pacific Championships and the World Championships, the latter of which saw both countries break the previous world record. Katie Ledecky is certain to be on the U. The medley relay, meanwhile, should see the Americans as heavy favorites. She made her Canadian senior debut in Rio, picking up a bronze in the back, and she could upgrade that to a silver or perhaps gold in Wang was a in the this year in September for seventh all-time and also sits third all-time in the from Wang won the bronze in the at the Worlds and it is worth noting she just celebrated her 18th birthday earlier this summer.
She is still young and has room to improve, which could spell out good things for the Chinese heading into Quadarella gave Katie Ledecky everything she could handle in the free final at the Worlds, finishing with the silver medal. Quadarella seemed a little off her game at the Sette Colli in her first meet in the pandemic but many will not count her out heading into Margalis is perhaps one of the most underrated swimmers in the world.
She has gotten agonizingly close to an individual medal for so many years, and could be her best chance. She was a in the IM before the pandemic and was a in the in December of last year. Margalis had been leading the ISL in both the and IM before exiting for personal reasons, and not many will take her lightly in Tokyo despite her lack of an individual medal.
Ohashi had a strong showing in the ISL this season with the top times in both the and IM after coming off a where she won Worlds bronze in the IM. With a home Olympics upcoming, Ohashi will be a crowd favorite on night one in the IM and the Japanese crowd could push her to a medal, and perhaps a gold one. Ohashi has been a steady performer the last few years and would be making her Olympic debut in Tokyo if she is to make the team at age Zhang had a huge year in joining the sub club in the butterfly , and also swam a Zhang has flown under the radar in the butterfly events and the free, but if her is anything like her , then Zhang could find herself on the podium in Tokyo in more than one event.
It is worth noting that China has won two of the last three Olympic gold medals in the butterfly and Zhang was a within the last few days. Campbell has long been one of the top sprinters in the world in the last ten years, first reaching the Olympic podium as a young teenager at the Beijing Games in the 50 free 12 years ago. Campbell is still at the top of her game leading into what would be her fourth Games if she makes it to Tokyo.
Campbell was underwhelming in Rio in , so she will be looking to avenge those demons this time around in Titmus made headlines in when she took down the almighty Katie Ledecky in the free at the World Championships. It is just a matter of getting on the plane to Tokyo for her.
Although Titmus is ranked among the best in the world in her events, Australia is particularly deep in the , and freestyle so she will not be able to afford to take it easy at Trials.
Smith was our world swimmer of the year in after breaking the world records in the and back, becoming the first woman to break 58 and in those two events. At just 18, Smith is a big favorite to make a number of events for Tokyo and in the early days of the pre-pandemic year, she had proved was no fluke by sitting near the top of the world in both the and back, as well as the fly.
King has been the top breaststroker in the world since winning gold in Rio McKeown had a big breakout year in , moving up to second all-time in the backstroke and third all-time in the McKeown also broke the short course meters world record in the back this year , putting a target on her back heading into as the one to beat for Olympic gold. Australia has a deep talent pool in both the and back with Atherton and Emily Seebohm in pursuit, but McKeown has momentum on her side.
It is hard to believe she is still only 19, as she chases her first Olympic berth. Manuel carries the mantle as perhaps the greatest American sprinter of all-time, winning the last two World titles in the free, as well as the title in the Manuel also made history in when she tied for gold in the freestyle as the first black woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal.
San Diego. Tampa Bay. Washington DC. By The Athletic Staff. Swimming, one of the most popular Olympic events, returns with plenty of fresh faces. Here is what you need to know about the stars to watch, schedule and events taking place in the Tokyo Olympic Aquatics Centre. More than athletes will compete in 37 swimming events in Tokyo. The first heats started July 24, a day after the opening ceremony, and the first finals were July Indoor competitions end Aug.
For live swimming coverage from The Athletic , click here. Katie Ledecky freestyle : One of the biggest stars not just in the pool but at the Tokyo Games, the year-old Ledecky will be competing in her third Olympic Games and will likely add to her medal collection.
In , she was the most decorated female athlete at the Rio Games, capturing four gold medals two of them in world record time and a silver. Caeleb Dressel freestyle, butterfly, medley : Dressel won 13 combined golds and two silvers at the and world championships, in addition to two golds as part of relays teams at Rio in If he progresses, his schedule could get very crowded, with the potential to have two races in the same day three times.
Ryan Murphy backstroke : Murphy won gold in the meter and meter backstroke in Rio and will be defending his titles in Tokyo. The American men have won both events in six straight Olympics, dating to in Atlanta.
Chase Kalisz medley : A silver medalist in the meter individual medley in at Rio, Kalisz claimed the first U. He will also compete in the IM next week, with the semifinals on Wednesday and finals on Thursday. Thirty-five of the 53 members of Team USA will be competing in their first Olympic Games, but the rookies have plenty of experience heading to Tokyo.
Eleven swimmers will still be teenagers when the Games begin — including year-old Katie Grimes m freestyle , who is the youngest swimmer to qualify since Ledecky in Torri Huske butterfly : Huske not only won the meter butterfly at the U.
Olympic trials, she posted a U. Michael Andrew freestyle, breaststroke, IM : The year-old qualified for a range of events at trials, winning the m IM and m breaststroke and taking second in the 50m freestyle to book his ticket to Tokyo.
Regan Smith backstroke, butterfly : Just 19 years old, Smith qualified for two events in Tokyo — the meter backstroke and meter butterfly. She won gold in the meter backstroke at the World Championships and is the current world record holder, but did not qualify in that event after finishing third at trials.
The U. We break down Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel and the rest of the person squad. For Katie Ledecky, the path to the ultimate Olympic record is clear.
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