U.S. Olympic Trials Preview, Day One: 400 Freestyle Finals to Open Selection Extravaganza (2024)

U.S. Olympic Trials Preview, Day One: 400 Freestyle Finals to Open Selection Extravaganza

American swimmers, coaches, officials and hundreds of thousands of fans will make their way to Lucas Oil Stadium — home of the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts — for a unique U.S. Olympic Trials, complete with three temporary pools (two 50-meter and one 25-meter). The action takes place from June 15-23, with swimmers putting their hopes and dreams on the line for the opportunity to represent Team USA at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Previews are part of a comprehensive Trials edition of Swimming World, which is set to be released next week.

• Full Meet Coverage
• More Information

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE

The first final of the Olympic Trials will be the weakest event in the United States in recent years, the only individual event out of 34 contested at last year’s World Championships in which no American qualified for the final.

Kieran Smith has the best credentials of anyone in the field, with an Olympic bronze medal in this event from the Tokyo Olympics, but Smith has not approached the 3:43-territory that won him an Olympic medal since then.

David Johnston was the winner of the event at U.S. Nationals last year, while Jake Mitchell was an Olympic finalist in Tokyo after he made the team in dramatic fashion, not achieving the Olympic “A” cut until a solo time trial midway through Olympic Trials.

There have been indications that Carson Foster, better known for his medley and butterfly swimming, will throw his name into the 400 free. But whoever makes the team, they would have to annihilate their best times to become medal contenders for Paris, where it will surely take at least 3:41 to make the podium.

Favorites: Kieran Smith, David Johnston, Jake Mitchell
Contenders: Jake Magahey, Ross Dant, Carson Foster
Wild Cards: Drew Kibler, Rex Maurer
Top 2 at 2021 Trials: Kieran Smith 3:44.86, Jake Mitchell 3:48.17 (3:45.86 in time trial)
World Record/Splits: 3:40.07 Paul Biedermann, GER (Rome 7-26-09)
26.29 54.42 (28.13) 1:22.43 (28.01) 1:51.02 (28.59)
2:18.78 (27.76) 2:47.17 (28.39) 3:14.30 (27.13) 3:40.07 (25.77)

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE

While Ariarne Titmus, Summer McIntosh and Erika Fairweather have reached or surpassed Katie Ledecky’s level in the 400 free, she remains untouchable among Americans. Ledecky has hit marks in the 3:58-range each of the last two years, and her final tune-up race before Olympic Trials produced another sub-4:00 effort, which is quicker than any other American in history. The only question here will be how Ledecky’s Trials time compares to what her rivals reach at their domestic selection meets.

As for other contenders, Leah Smith has been a medalist behind Ledecky at the 2016 Olympics and three World Championships, although she is coming off a labrum injury earlier this year, while Bella Sims was a finalist at last year’s Worlds. Paige Madden, an Olympic finalist in 2021, has been resurgent in 2024. Teenagers Katie Grimes and Claire Weinstein could put themselves into the mix, although their better events will come later in the meet.

Favorite: Katie Ledecky
Contenders: Bella Sims, Leah Smith, Paige Madden, Katie Grimes, Claire Weinstein
Wild Cards: Jillian Cox, Erin Gemmell
Top 2 at 2021 Trials: Katie Ledecky 4:01.27, Paige Madden 4:04.86
World Record/Splits: 3:55.38 Ariarne Titmus, AUS (f*ckuoka 7-23-23)
27.56 56.92 (29.36) 1:26.92 (30.00) 1:56.94 (30.02)
2:27.13 (30.19) 2:56.90 (29.77) 3:26.51 (29.61) 3:55.38 (28.87)