Each day during the pre-scheduled days of the 2020 US Olympic Trials, Swimming World will take its readers back four years to the 2016 Trials in Omaha to recap each event, and will offer some insight into what the events will look like in 2021.
The 200 freestyle is one of the most interesting races in the sport. It is a crossroads. You get sprinters that can perform in a slightly longer race, middle-distance specialists and distance swimmers that can put together a 200 as a sprint.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
What that means in a race like the Olympic Trials is a stacked race full of stars who represent each of those factions. And since it factors into the 4×200 free relay, as six spots make the team, there is an extra level of excitement to the final.
At the 2016 Trials, the names in the field were big — full of gold medalists.
You had the distance specialists in Katie Ledecky, Leah Smith and Cierra Runge.
Then there was the middle distance specialist — Allison Schmitt, and the sprinter — Simone Manuel.
Then there were middle distance swimmers who excelled in multiple strokes — Missy Franklin, Melanie Margalis and Katie McLaughlin.
The result was an intriguing shuffling of the styles with different strategies leading to a spectacular race.
Katie Ledecky was at the top of her game at the 2016 Trials. She had already made the Olympic team as a teenager, and was STILL a teenager in 2016. She was by far the favorite in several events and predictably crushed the field in the 200 free, winning in 1:54.88 to secure a spot in Rio.
Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith, Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The real race was for second place, to see who else was going to swim the event as an individual, while the next four would be part of the relay, and two of the sport’s top swimmers would be left out of the party this time.
After missing a spot in the 100 backstroke the night before with a disappointing finish, Missy Franklin bounced back, taking the second spot in 1:56.18 to hold off the rest of the field and earn the individual swim.
Leah Smith, Allison Schmitt, Cierra Runge and Melanie Margalis followed, snagging the relay spots.
Simone Manuel led at the 100 mark, but couldn’t keep up the pace and finished seventh, though she would qualify for Rio in the sprints.
Meanwhile, Katie McLaughlin, who has made her mark on the sport with how she performs with tough doubles, was again swimming a double that night, and finished eighth at the 2016 Trials.
Results
- Katie Ledecky, 1:54.88
2. Missy Franklin, 1:56.18.
3. Leah Smith, 1:56.63
4. Allison Schmitt, 1:56.72
5. Cierra Runge, 1:57.16
6. Melanie Margalis, 1:57.65
7. Simone Manuel, 1:57.84
8. Katie McLaughlin, 1:58.60
On to Rio
In one of the most star-studded events in women’s Olympic history, Ledecky went on to win the gold medal in a stunning 1:53.73.
She held off Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (1:54.08), Australia’s Emma McKeon (1:54.92) and Italy’s Federica Pellegrini (1:55.18).
Meanwhile, Franklin finished tied for 14th in the event in Rio, in what turned out to be an extremely tough Olympic Games for the champion.
The U.S. won gold in the 4×200 relay, and Manuel, who missed by one spot, made it in both sprint events and won the gold medal in the 100 free in historic fashion.
2016 Trials Throwbacks:
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports