The U.S. Olympic swimming team is officially set for the 2024 Paris Games with Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel as the headliners.
Ledecky, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, clocked 8:14.12 to win the 800-meter freestyle race, becoming the first woman to win four titles in a single event at the U.S. trials. It wasn't too surprising as she has won gold in that event in the past three Olympics.
"I'm happy to have gotten the job done here in Indy tonight and this week," Ledecky said. "It was a thrill to race in front of this crowd all week, and of course tonight to reminisce a bit on 12 years ago when my international career got kickstarted by that 800 in Omaha."
Paige Madden was second place in the 800m freestyle with at time of 8:20.71. The top two swimmers in each men's and women's event made the Team USA roster, as well as the top six in the 100m and 200m freestyles.
Ledecky also won the 1,500-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, and the 200-freestyle. However, she will be skipping the 200m individual event and just focus on the 4×200 free relay in Paris.
Dressel, also a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, took care of business in the 100-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle finals. He will also be participating in the 4×100 free relay.
This represents a comeback for him because he had failed to qualify for the 2023 world championships during the 2023 U.S. national championships. Dressel had taken a break from competing for about eight months after withdrawing from the 2022 world championships to take care of his mental health.
"I am happy with a lot of my swims, and to be back to a place that I wanted to be with the sport is exceptional," he said. "I'm really proud of myself for that."
World records broken during trials
Regan Smith set a world record in the women's 100-meter backstroke with a time of 57.13 seconds. The previous record was 57.33 seconds set by Australia's Kaylee McKeown in 2023. The 22-year-old is not settling and thinks she can improve her performance.
"I think 56 is a possibility, for sure," she said. "Whether it's me or one of my competitors, who knows. But yeah, I'm not going to sell myself short, absolutely not. That was an amazing race, but it wasn't a perfect race. I know there's things that I can clean up and do better, and I'm going to work towards that."
Meanwhile, Gretchen Walsh broke the 100-meter butterfly record with a time of 55.18 seconds in a semifinal heat. She beat the 55.48 time set by Sarah Sjostrom in 2016.
"I'm still in shock, I don't even know what to say," Walsh said. "Making the team was the biggest goal, but getting a world record was absolute insanity. I couldn't ask for a better first event of the meet."
Full roster for 2024 Paris Olympics U.S. swimming team:
Men's team:
- Jack Alexy, Morristown, New Jersey: 100 freestyle; 4x100 freestyle relay
- Hunter Armstrong, Dover, Ohio: 100 backstroke; 4x100 freestyle relay
- Shaine Casas, McAllen, Texas: 200 individual medley
- Brooks Curry, Atlanta: 4x200 freestyle relay
- Caeleb Dressel, Green Cove Springs, Florida: 50 freestyle; 100 butterfly; 4x100 freestyle relay
- Matt Fallon, Warren, New Jersey: 200 breaststroke
- Nic Fink, Morristown, New Jersey: 100 breaststroke
- Bobby Finke, Clearwater, Florida: 800 freestyle; 1,500 freestyle
- Carson Foster, Cincinnati: 200 individual medley; 400 individual medley
- Chris Guiliano, Douglassville, Pennsylvania: 50 freestyle; 100 freestyle; 200 freestyle; 4x100 freestyle relay; 4x200 freestyle relay
- Thomas Heilman, Charlottesville, Virginia: 100 butterfly; 200 butterfly
- Ryan Held, Springfield, Illinois: 4x100 freestyle relay
- Luke Hobson, Reno, Nevada: 200 freestyle; 4x200 freestyle relay
- David Johnston, Dallas: 1,500 freestyle
- Keaton Jones, Gilbert, Arizona: 200 backstroke
- Chase Kalisz, Baltimore: 400 individual medley
- Drew Kibler, Carmel, Indiana: 4x200 freestyle relay
- Matt King, Snohomish, Washington: 4x100 freestyle relay
- Josh Matheny, Pittsburgh: 200 breaststroke
- Ryan Murphy, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida: 100 backstroke; 200 backstroke
- Blake Pieroni, Chesterton, Indiana: 4x200 freestyle relay
- Ivan Puskovitch, West Chester, Pennsylvania: 10-kilometer marathon
- Aaron Shackell, Carmel, Indiana: 400 freestyle
- Kieran Smith, Ridgefield, Connecticut: 400 freestyle; 4x200 freestyle relay
- Charlie Swanson, Richmond, Virginia: 100 breaststroke
- Luca Urlando, Sacramento, California: 200 butterfly
- Luke Whitlock, Noblesville, Indiana: 800 freestyle
Women's team:
- Phoebe Bacon, Chevy Chase, Maryland: 200 backstroke
- Katharine Berkoff, Missoula, Montana: 100 backstroke
- Erika Connolly, Modesto, California: 4x100 freestyle relay
- Mariah Denigan, Walton, Kentucky: 10-kilometer marathon
- Kate Douglass, Pelham, New York: 200 breaststroke; 100 freestyle; 200 individual medley; 4x100 freestyle relay
- Erin Gemmell, Potomac, Maryland: 4x200 freestyle relay
- Katie Grimes, Las Vegas, Nevada: 1,500 freestyle; 400 individual medley; 10-kilometer marathon
- Torri Huske, Arlington, Virginia: 100 butterfly; 100 freestyle; 4x100 freestyle relay
- Lilly King, Evansville, Indiana: 100 breaststroke; 200 breaststroke
- Katie Ledecky, Bethesda, Maryland: 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle; 800 freestyle; 1,500 freestyle
- Paige Madden, Mobile, Alabama: 400 freestyle; 800 freestyle; 4x200 freestyle relay
- Simone Manuel, Sugar Land, Texas: 50 freestyle; 4x100 freestyle relay
- Anna Peplowski, Germantown Hills, Illinois: 4x200 freestyle relay
- Alex Shackell, Carmel, Indiana: 200 butterfly; 4x200 freestyle relay
- Regan Smith, Lakeville, Minnesota: 100 backstroke; 200 backstroke; 200 butterfly
- Alex Walsh, Nashville, Tennessee: 200 individual medley
- Gretchen Walsh, Nashville, Tennessee: 100 butterfly; 50 freestyle; 4x100 freestyle relay
- Emma Weber, Denver: 100 breaststroke
- Claire Weinstein, White Plains, New York: 200 freestyle
- Abbey Weitzeil, Santa Clarita, California: 4x100 freestyle relay
- Emma Weyant, Sarasota, Florida: 400 individual medley
