Olympic Trials Update: Mitchell Qualifies for Tokyo After Unique Time Trial
6/16/2021 4:13:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
» Rising sophomore Jake Mitchell placed second in the 400-meter freestyle and is eligible for Team USA.
» The Wolverines have six competitors in seven event finals so far at the USA Swimming Trials.
» Rising senior Patrick Callan awaits his Olympic fate after finishing sixth in the 200-meter freestyle.
OMAHA, Neb. -- The 2021 USA Swimming Trials reached their midpoint Wednesday (June 16), and the University of Michigan swim and dive program has represented well in both the men's and women's side of competition.
Michigan has had six current or former student-athletes qualify for finals in their respective events, with rising sophomore Jake Mitchell's 400-meter freestyle highlighting the effort.
On Monday (June 14), Mitchell finished the 400-meter freestyle final with a 3:48.17, good for second place. However, that time did not meet the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) standard to make the Olympic Games, so a time trial for the men's 400 freestyle was arranged after all races Tuesday night (June 15). As the 400-meter runner-up, the Carmel, Ind., native got first crack at securing a time under the required 3:46.78, and Mitchell put on a show.
The rising sophomore stepped to the blocks by himself and with an engaged crowd cheering him on, swam his personal-best 400 time, touching the wall at 3:45.86. Though not officially a part of Team USA yet, no eligible swimmer that finished No. 2 in the U.S. Trials has ever been left off an Olympic roster.
In a similar wait-and-see mode is Patrick Callan, who finished sixth in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:46.49. As the sixth-place finisher, he is eligible to be selected for Team USA's 200-meter relay team. Final selections for the team will be announced Sunday (June 20).
A trio of Wolverines are alive in the men's 200-meter breaststroke, as AJ Bornstein, and 2020 alumni Tommy Cope and Charlie Swanson all qualified for Wednesday night's semifinal.
On the women's side, a quartet of alumnae have seen the most success through the first half of the trials. 2021 alumna Sierra Schmidt has made two finals, finishing sixth in the 400-meter freestyle, and will compete Wednesday night (June 16) in the 1,500-meter freestyle. 2020 graduate Miranda Tucker finished ninth in the 100-meter breaststroke, and still has the 200-meter breaststroke and 50-meter freestyle to compete.
2019 alumna Catie DeLoof made the finals in the 100-meter backstroke, finishing seventh with a time of 59.87. Her sister, 2018 grad Gabby DeLoof, has made the 200-meter freestyle final and will compete Wednesday night for a shot at the Olympic team.
The remaining schedule, heat sheet, and broadcast information can be found at USASwimming.org/trials.
Players Mentioned
