2024 U.S. Olympic Trials: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap
By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
June 15-23, 2024
Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
LCM (50 Meters)
Session Start Times (ET):
11 a.m. Prelims
7:45 p.m. Finals (varying based on broadcast needs)
Meet Central
Broadcast Info
SwimSwam’s Definitive Guide to Trials
Psych Sheets
Live Results
SwimSwam Preview Index
SwimSwam Pick ’em Contest
Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
Day 1 Finals Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
Prelims Live Stream
Day 3 Prelims Heat Sheet
Just three events will take place during Monday morning prelims at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, with the women’s 400 IM, women’s 100 back and men’s 800 free on the schedule.
Katie Grimes, the first athlete to qualify for Team USA in Paris after winning bronze in the women’s 10km at last summer’s World Championships, headlines the 400 IM as the double Worlds silver medalist, having placed in the runner-up position behind Canada’s Summer McIntosh in both 2022 and 2023.
Grimes has looked solid thus far in Indianapolis, advancing through to the final of the women’s 200 free which will take place tonight (she also made the 400 free final but scratched out).
Day 3 Prelims Heat Sheet
Prelims Live Stream
World and American Record watch will be on high alert for Regan Smith the next two nights in the 100 back, as the 22-year-old had a very impressive showing in the 100 fly, moving to #5 all-time (tie) despite placing 3rd and missing a spot on the Olympic team.
Smith lowered her American Record down to 57.51 less than a month ago, and could be taking aim at Kaylee McKeown‘s world record at some point over the next two days.
The battle for 2nd in the women’s 100 back has been a much-debated topic with 2023 World Championship bronze medalist Katharine Berkoff, 2024 world champion Claire Curzan and Tokyo Olympic finalist Rhyan White among the main players in the running.
Olivia Smoliga, the #4 seed coming into the meet, was a surprising scratch this morning, making the battle for lanes in the semis and final a little less crowded.
The session will wrap with seven heats of the men’s 800 free, where we expect to see an intense battle for lanes in the final with defending Olympic champion Bobby Finke the lone swimmer who will be able to put it on cruise control.
There are a total of 12 men entered sub-8:00—behind Finke’s 7:38, Ross Dant and David Johnston are the only others under 7:50.
One name to watch will be Luke Whitlock, the 18-year-old who rattled off a significant lifetime best in the 400 free to move into #2 all-time in the boys’ 17-18 age group.
Whitlock set a personal best of 7:50.20 in May, and only needs to drop two more seconds to take out Larsen Jensen‘s 17-18 NAG record of 7:48.09 from the 2003 World Championships.
WOMEN’S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS
World Record: 4:24.38, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2024 Canadian Trials
American Record: 4:31.12, Katie Hoff – 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials
U.S. Open Record: 4:28.61, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2022 U.S. Open
World Junior Record: 4:24.38, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2024 Canadian Trials
2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Emma Weyant, 4:33.81
2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 4:38.53
Final Qualifiers:
Emma Weyant (FLOR), 4:38.96
Katie Grimes (SAND), 4:39.63
Lucy Bell (ALTO), 4:40.79
Lilla Bognar (TG), 4:41.14
Leah Hayes (TIDEIL), 4:42.97
Zoe Dixon (FLOR), 4:43.30
Leah Smith (TXLA), 4:43.45
Audrey Derivaux (JW), 4:45.23
Emma Weyant made her move on the breaststroke leg in the final heat of the women’s 400 IM, overtaking Katie Grimes and holding her off to claim the top seed into tonight’s final in 4:38.96.
The performance from Weyant inches under her season-best time by four one-hundredths, having clocked 4:39.00 at the Atlanta Classic last month. The 22-year-old is the reigning Olympic silver medalist in this event, having set her PB of 4:32.76 in that Tokyo final.
Grimes, the two-time World Championship silver medalist in this event, looked comfortable en route to claiming the 2nd seed for the final in 4:39.63. She should have plenty more in the tank tonight having been as fast as 4:32.76 this year.
The top three spots heading into tonight came out of that final heat, as Alto Swim Club’s Lucy Bell knocked nearly a second off her personal best in 4:40.79 to advance in 3rd.
Team Greenville’s Lilla Bognar topped reigning World Junior champion Leah Hayes in the first circle-seeded heat, with Bognar clocking 4:41.14 for 4th overall. Bognar’s swim is just shy of her lifetime best 4:40.97 set last summer, while Hayes went 4:42.97 after setting a PB of 4:36.84 at World Juniors.
Age group standout Audrey Derivaux had a big swim out of an outside lane in Heat 3, dropping over four seconds to finish in a time of 4:45.23 and move up to #7 all-time in the girls’ 13-14 age group.
The 14-year-old, who came into the meet with a lifetime best of 4:49.32 set last summer, ended up cracking the final in 8th.
Notably missing the final was Carmel’s Kayla Han, who is coming off a very impressive 4th-place finish in the 400 free. Han, 16, owns a personal best of 4:42.32 but only mustered a time of 4:47.71 to finish 10th.
WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS
World Record: 57.33, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2023 World Cup – Budapest
American Record: 57.51, Regan Smith – 2024 NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge
U.S. Open Record: 57.51, Regan Smith (USA) – 2024 NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge
World Junior Record: 57.57, Regan Smith (USA) – 2019 World Championships
2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: 58.35, Regan Smith
2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 59.99
Semi-Final Qualifiers:
MEN’S 800 FREE — PRELIMS
World Record: 7:32.11 — Zhang Lin (CHN) — 2009 World Championships
American Record: 7:38.67 — Bobby Finke – 2023 World Championships
U.S. Open Record: 7:40.34 — Bobby Finke (USA) – 2023 U.S. National Championships
World Junior Record: 7:43.37 — Lorenzo Galossi (ITA) – 2022 European Championships
2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Bobby Finke, 7:48.22
2024 Olympic Qualifying Time — 7:51.65
Final Qualifiers:
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