2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
Gabrielle Rose would be the oldest swimmer since not less than 2004 — and presumably all of recent historical past — to compete on the U.S. Olympic Trials when the 46-year-old breaststroke specialist enters the water in Indianapolis subsequent week.
The 2-time Olympian is seeded twenty seventh within the 100 breast (1:09.13) and forty sixth within the 200 breast (2:31.68). Rose certified final November throughout an extended course time trial representing Alpha Aquatics, the place she additionally coaches. She has been coaching six days per week in Southern California with coaches Scott Hubbard and Erika Hansen-Stebbins (1988 and 1992 Olympian) whereas additionally working with Dave Salo, who guided Rose to a Seventh-place end within the 200 IM again on the 2000 Olympics. She represented the U.S. in 2000 after representing Brazil in 1996.
Earlier than Rose, Dara Torres held the dignity of oldest Olympic Trials qualifier in trendy historical past, putting 4th within the 50 free on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials at 45 years outdated. USA Swimming’s information don’t have any older swimmers, however the group is reportedly not 100% positive of its archives previous to 2004.
The oldest Olympic Trials qualifier in 2021 was 40-year-old Anthony Ervin, the oldest Olympic champion swimmer in historical past at age 35.
Rose is the one swimmer from the Seventies who certified, whereas 5 swimmers from the Nineteen Eighties made the minimize. 4-time Olympic champion Matt Grevers is the next-oldest qualifier behind Rose at 39 years outdated. His 22.50 50 free final month earned him the No. 35 seed within the occasion, marking his quickest time since December of 2015.
The third-oldest qualifier is 37-year-old Brooke Boak, a former captain at Stanford (the place she swam as Brooke Bishop) and mom of three. Her Olympic Trials journey started final yr after swimming a 25-yard free in 10 seconds at her children’ summer time league meet. Then in March, she blasted a 25.24 50 free throughout her first time swimming the occasion for the reason that 2008 Olympic Trials, seeding her twenty fourth subsequent week. Boak can also be seeded 54th within the 100 free with a time of 55.72.
“It’s been actually enjoyable having a purpose, I believe that’s what I struggled with earlier than, however as soon as I dedicated myself to creating trials, it’s been actually enjoyable,” mentioned Boak, a Pac-10 champion within the 50 free again in 2006.
The fourth-oldest qualifier is Brandon Fischer, mechanical technologist on the Lawrence Livermore Nationwide Laboratory, is aiming for his first Olympic berth at his fifth Olympic Trials. A former College of Wyoming standout (2009-12) who now trains with Tri Valley Aquatics, Fischer takes a cerebral strategy to the game that has earned him the No. 23 seed within the 100 breast (1:01.19) and the No.16 seed within the 200 breast (2:12.52).
Distance specialist Ashley Twichell is searching for a visit to her second Olympics, this time within the pool after putting Seventh within the 10km open water race just a few years in the past in Tokyo. At 32 years outdated, the TAC Titans veteran was the oldest American swimmer to qualify for his or her first Olympics in additional than a century since 1908. Now 34 and a mom since Could of 2022, Twichell is seeded thirty seventh within the 400 free (4:14.46), nineteenth within the 800 free (8:36.97), and 14th within the 1500 free (16:22.69). She’ll rejoice her thirty fifth birthday on the second day of Olympic Trials subsequent Sunday.
Kaitlyn Johnson took an attention-grabbing path to her second Olympic Trials. After retiring from swimming in 2016 following Olympic Trials that summer time, the previous Division II standout (Clarion College, 2007-11) found crossfit coaching in 2021 and commenced racing once more in 2022. Now 34 years outdated, Johnson is seeded forty first within the 50 free with a 25.44 from the 2022 U.S. Open. She owns a season better of 25.52 from the Professional Swim Sequence cease in San Antonio this April.
“I largely prepare as a crossfitter and solely spend in the future per week within the pool, so I really feel that could be a true testomony of the exhausting work I put in,” Johnson mentioned.
