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.
Heading into the 2016 Trials, it was expected that Maya DiRado would not only emerge as a first-time Olympian, but would have one of the busiest schedules of all the American swimmers before heading to Rio. Her first event was the 400 IM, where she was the favorite after winning the silver medal at the World Championships in 2015. DiRado and two-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel had been the top two IM’ers in the United States each of the last three years and it would have been shocking if either of them didn’t touch first or second.
Beisel had a rough 2015 with injuries, missing the final at the World Championships, but had been swimming well in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Trials. So much so that Swimming World’s David Rieder boldly predicted she would get under Katie Hoff’s American record of 4:31.12 on the first night of Trials.
Four years prior, Beisel carried the flag for the United States along with Caitlin Leverenz, who entered Trials as the third seed. But the bronze medalist from London figured to factor more in the 200 IM, so her time would come later in the meet. The NCAA champion that year was Stanford freshman Ella Eastin, who was seeded eighth on the psych sheet and looked to be a spoiler if she was on. Another factor was 18-year-old Becca Mann, who had been a big name on the national junior team and looked primed to make her senior team debut in the pool.
The Race
With a big program ahead of her, DiRado qualified fourth after prelims and drew lane six in the final with an easy 4:38.54 in the heats. The top seed was 2015 NCAA champ Sarah Henry (4:36.93) ahead of the 2012 Olympic silver medalist Beisel (4:37.61), and fellow Texas A&M Aggie Bethany Galat (4:38.39), who had a big breakout meet at the 2016 Trials.
Leverenz qualified fifth (4:39.55) while Eastin missed the final in ninth (4:42.08).
Elizabeth Beisel. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
DiRado had established herself early on as the clear leader, taking a substantial lead after 50 meters in the backstroke and never relinquishing it. Beisel followed her closely in second as the two backstrokers used that stroke to their advantage in hopes of holding off a slew of breaststrokers capable of running them down – Leverenz, Galat and Madisyn Cox.
At the 300 turn, it was still DiRado and Beisel, but Galat was surging. Earlier in the night, Jay Litherland had caught Ryan Lochte in the men’s 400 IM with a wild freestyle leg. Many in the crowd wondered if it could happen again, but it was not in the cards for Galat, who would have another chance at the team in the 200 breaststroke.
DiRado touched first and solidified her qualification to her first Olympic Games with a 4:33.73, while Beisel got on to her third team with a 4:36.81.
- Maya DiRado, 4:33.73
- Elizabeth Beisel, 4:36.81
- Bethany Galat, 4:37.69
- Madisyn Cox, 4:38.85
- Caitlin Leverenz, 4:39.58
- Sarah Henry, 4:42.01
- Lindsey Clary, 4:42.81
- Kate Mills, 4:46.58
On To Rio
Maya DiRado won the silver medal in Rio with a 4:31.15, just missing Katie Hoff’s American record of 4:31.12. It was one of four medals she won at her one and only trip to the Games, along with a gold in the 200 back, bronze in the 200 IM, and gold in the 4×200 free relay.
Elizabeth Beisel finished sixth in the final with a 4:34.98, and she retired shortly after the 2017 World Championships.
Maya DiRado reacts to her silver medal in Rio. Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports