Live recap day 9 finals

USA OLYMPIC TRIALS 2024

Friends, this is it: the final session of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. After a week of incredible racing, there are only two finals left to race: the women’s 50 freestyle and the men’s 1500 freestyle.

Gretchen Walsh And Torri Huske threw down the gauntlet last night in the 50 freestyle semi-finals, achieving lifetime bests of 24.06 and 24.09 respectively. Not only did that move them into fourth and sixth places on the list of the fastest Americans in history, but it also put them about four-tenths clear of the rest of the field – a huge margin. But Weitzeil Abbey And Simone Manuel the last two Olympic Trials were the top two in this event. They are the third and fourth qualifiers for the finals and are both aiming to secure an individual event for the Paris Games.

Bobby Finke should take the lead in the men’s 1500 freestyle. He will be aiming for victory in the men’s distance events in Indianapolis after winning the 800 freestyle earlier this week. It would be a huge shock if anyone were to dethrone Finke, the American record holder and third fastest of all time, as he looks to win this event for the second consecutive Trials. The race for second place is becoming increasingly exciting behind him Luke Whitlock eyes lock another Olympic event. But since he is, besides Finke, the only man in the final who has been under the OQT (15:00.99) it is Charlie Clark who may have an advantage over Whitlock and the other likely contenders David Johnston And Daniel Matheson.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE — Final

Last:

1. Simone Manuel (SUN), 24.13
2. Gretchen Walsh (NAC), 24.15
3. Weitzeil Abbey (CAL), 24.26
4. Torri Huske (AAC), 24.33
5. Rylee Erisman (LAKR), 24.62
6. Erika Connolly (TNAQ), 24.63
7. Catie DeLoof (NYAC), 24/69
8. Maxine Parker (CA-Y), 24.90

On the last night of Trials, Simone Manuel took her swimming comeback to a new level by adding an individual event to her Olympic schedule in Paris. She had already qualified for Team USA in the 4×100 freestyle relay, but her victory here in the 50 freestyle gives her the opportunity to compete in the 50 freestyle for the third straight Olympic Games.

In 2021, Manuel punched her ticket to Paris at this event – her last chance. Tonight, Manuel grabbed her last opportunity for an individual event with both hands, swimming her fastest time since the 2019 World Championships and taking victory in 24.13. The time takes 0.21 seconds off her seasonal best and puts her at 8th in the world this season.

Both Gretchen Walsh And Torri Huske added to the times of their semi-finals, which would have finished first and second in this final. Despite adding 0.09 seconds, Walsh still managed to get her hand on the wall in 2nd place with a 24.15, adding to her Paris program. She was 0.02 seconds behind Manuel’s time and the swim is the second fastest of her career.

Weitzeil Abbey had a strong swim, placing third in 24.26, knocking 0.01 seconds off her season record and finishing ahead of Huske’s 24.33.

15 years old Rylee Erisman finished 5th in 24.62, taking a further 0.04 seconds off her personal best. In the semifinals, she moved up to 2nd place in the 15-16 age group per USA Swimming with a 24.66. With this swim she improves her position to 2nd place in the age group, behind only Claire Curzan‘s 24.17.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE — Final

• World record: Sun Yang (CHN) – 14:31.02 (2012)
• American record: Bobby Finke – 14:31.59 (2023)
• American open record: Bobby Finke (US) – 14:42.81 (2023)
• Junior world record: Franko Grgic (CRO) – 14:46.09 (2019)
• 2021 US Olympic Trials Champion: Bobby Finke – 14:46.06
• Olympic qualifying time 2024: 15:00.99

Last:

1. Bobby Finke (SPA), 14:40.28 American open record
2. David Johnston (TST), 14:52.74
3. Luke Whitlock (FAST), 2:53 p.m
4. Daniel Matheson (SE), 14:59.51
5. Luke Ellis (SAND), 15:06.71
6. Charlie Clark (OSU), 15:12.60
7. William Mulgrew (SAC), 15: 17.62
8. Carson Hick (KYA), 15:17.92

As expected, Bobby Finke ran away in the men’s 1,500 freestyle and captured the men’s distance races for the second straight Olympic Trials. Finke pulled away to win the event in 14:40.28, erasing his own US Open Record. He set that mark at 14:42.81 at the 2023 US Nationals; later that summer in Fukuoka he became the third fastest performer in history (14:31.59) and won World Cup silver after an incredible race with Ahmed Hafnaoui.

His time here tonight moves him into second place in the world this season Daniel Wiffen‘s gold medal performance at the Doha Worlds in February.

There was a great race for second and last place on the men’s Olympic roster. That was the case during the first part of the race Daniel Matheson out in lane 1 which had a grip on second place, which he turned towards Luke Whitlock at the 250 meter mark. David Johnston also hung around, and he passed Matheson at the 450-meter turn and moved up to third.

Matheson began to lose contact with Whitlock and Johnston during the second 500 meters. Whitlock and Johnston raced right next to each other and kept a close eye on each other. Johnston took over second place in the 1100 meters and from there began to extend his lead over Whitlock, consistently splitting 29-mids to Whitlock’s 29-highs.

Johnston had a 1.75 second lead over Whitlock heading into the final 100 meters. But like the 800 freestyle, Whitlock had a killer close to his race. He switched gears and almost erased all of Johnston’s lead over him. The 18-year-old split 57.19 in the final 100 (with a best 27.74 in the final 50), but ran out of room to catch Johnston and fell 0.26 seconds behind Johnston for third.

Johnston held off Whitlock for second, clocking a huge lifetime best time of 14:52.74. It’s a drop of 9.68 seconds for Johnston, who runs under the OQT and gives him his first Olympic berth after finishing third in the 400 free and fourth in the 800 free earlier this week.

When they reached the final, only Finke and Clark had broken fifteen minutes earlier. Johnston, Whitlock (14:53.00) and Matheson (14:59.51) crossed that barrier for the first time tonight. Whitlock lost a whopping 14.36 seconds for third place and Matheson improved his old personal best by 2.44 seconds to finish fourth in 14:59.51.