PVS at Olympic Trials

Get your popcorn ready.  The 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (June 26 – July 3) start today at CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska.  More than 1,800 swimmers will compete for a maximum of 52 spots on the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (August 5 – 21).

Up to 52 spots?  A maximum of 26 men and 26 women can be named to the team, but swimmers often qualify in multiple events.  The top male and female finisher in each of the 26 Olympic swimming events (and the top four in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle) will automatically earn a spot on the Olympic team. After that, the 2nd-place finishers in all events, and 5th and 6th place finishers in the 100 and 200 free, will be added to the team if spots remain.  For example, if PVS’s Katie Ledecky wins the 800 and 400 freestyle, she frees up spots for 2nd place finishers in other events (or for herself if she finishes, say 5th in 200 or 100 free).  In 2012, the U.S. took 49 swimmers to the London Olympics.

Here is the schedule of events for Trials in Omaha.  And here is the heat sheet for today (Sunday).  NBC Sports will live stream preliminary sessions and then broadcast on TV a tape delay of prelims each evening directly before each day’s final sessions.  NBC (as opposed to NBC Sports) will broadcast all final sessions live each day at 8pm ET.  Here is more info on where you can view Trials.

Confused?  SwimSwam laid out the following schedule for your viewing pleasure, with times in Eastern Time.

Some fun facts about Trials:

• If Michael Phelps qualifies for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, he will become the first male swimmer to make five U.S. Olympic Teams.
• Natalie Coughlin is going for her fourth Olympic Team.
• 9 of Team USA’s 10 individual gold medalists from the 2012 Olympic Games will be competing in Omaha – Nathan Adrian, Tyler Clary, Missy Franklin, Matt Grevers, Katie Ledecky, Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt and Dana Vollmer. The only one missing? Rebecca Soni, who retired from the sport after London.
• Since the last Olympic Trials, Katie Ledecky has won 15 international titles at the 2012 Olympic Games, the 2013 FINA World Championships, the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships and the 2015 FINA World Championships. She has also set 11 world records in the 400m free, 800m free and 1500m free, and owns 17 of the top 20 all-time combined performances in the women’s 400m free.
• 3 swimmers have already qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic swimming team: Jordan Wilimovsky, Sean Ryan and Haley Anderson will be making the trip to Rio in the 10k open water event. They qualified last year at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia.

Below are the PVS swimmers who will be in action today (Sunday, June 26) at prelims (let us know if we missed anyone).

Men’s 400 IM:

Andrew Seliskar (NCAP), Heat 5, Lane 2,  the last ‘circle seeded’ heat.  Andrew will be battling with Josh Prenot, Tyler Clary (2012 Olympian gold medal 200 backstroke), and Jay Litherland.

Women’s 100 Fly:

Alexa Cuomo (MAKO), heat 5, lane 6; Jasmine Hellmer (NCAP) Heat 7, Lane 9; Kylie Jordan (NCAP), Heat 8, Lane 8; Amanda Kendall (MAKO), Heat 12, Lane 6, first ‘circle seeded’ heat, will set the mark for the other heats to beat; Janet Hu (NCAP), Heat 13, Lane 1; Cassidy Bayer (NCAP), Heat 13, Lane 6, second to last ‘circle seeded’ heat. Cassidy will likely need to place no worse than 5th in this heat to make the top 16 and swim tonight.

Men’s 400 Freestyle:

Ben Lawless (PEAK), Heat 1, Lane 9; Matthew Hirschberger (NCAP), Heat 4, Lane 8; Andrew Gemmell (NCAP), Heat4, Lane 9. We’re certain this battle has played out daily in practice; now they get to go at each other in Omaha! Lane Stone (NCAP), Heat 6, Lane 6; Brennan Novak (RMSC), Heat 7, Lane 4; James Murphy (Machine), Heat 7, Lane 9; Sam Pomajevich (NCAP) Heat 9, Lane 7; Andrew Greenhalgh (RMSC), Heat 10, Lane 7.

Women’s 400 IM:

Kaitlin Pawlowicz (NCAP), Heat 3, Lane 2; Megan Byrnes (NCAP) Heat 6, Lane 2; Charlotte Meyer (NAVY former RMSC),  Heat 11, Lane 9; Katie Ledecky (NCAP) scratched from the 400 IM.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke:

Brandon Fiala (former Machine), Heat 3, Lane 3; Carsten Vissering (NCAP), Heat 12, Lane 2, the first ‘circle seeded’ heat. His heat will set the precedent for the other 2 to chase – all he needs is top 16 to swim at night!

Good luck all PVS swimmers who are swimming at Trials!  We’re cheering you on here at home.