By: Jerry Zhang

From June 15 – 23, 2024, the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials were held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. During this event, 46 people were chosen to represent the U.S. during the Summer Olympics held in Paris.

Sports legends including Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel, and Regan Smith returned to compete in this year’s U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. Seven-time Olympic gold medalist, Katie Ledecky, who has been dominant in freestyle swimming for the past decade, competed and won in four categories: the 200, 400, 800, and 1500-meter freestyle trials. However, she did not seem too thrilled about her performances, even though she was leagues ahead of her competition.

Another returning champion isCaeleb Dressel, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist. He will be competing in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, and the 4 x 100 free relay during the Paris Olympics. Back in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he won gold in several competitions including the 50 and 100-meter freestyle, as well as the 100-meter fly. Caeleb has been out of the spotlight for the past few months due to mental health struggles that led to him missing the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. Now, he is back and better than ever.

A newcomer in this year’s Olympic trials is Thomas Heilman. Despite being only 17 years old, he has shown great potential. Some have even compared him to Michael Phelps. So far, he has placed first in the 200-meter butterfly and placed second in the 100-meter fly.

With both new and old competitors on this year’s U.S. Olympic swim team, it seems that this team could be one of the best we’ve ever seen. However, we are still a month away from the Paris Olympics, which begins on July 26. So, let’s wait and see.

Link:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5585954/2024/06/24/us-olympic-swimming-trials-caeleb-dressel-katie-ledecky/