U.S. Olympic Trials: Gabrielle Rose, Meet’s Oldest Swimmer at Age 46, Reaches Surprise Semifinal

Gabrielle Rose -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Olympic Trials: Gabrielle Rose, Meet’s Oldest Swimmer at Age 46, Reaches Surprise Semifinal

During her elite swimming career, Gabrielle Rose represented two countries at the Olympic Games, Brazil in 1996 and the United States in 2000. She she won international medals at events including the World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships and Pan American Games. She figured her career swimming at major meets was over after the 2004 Olympic Trials.

But as she forayed into masters competition, she ended up with some surprisingly swift results. The spark for trying to qualify for Olympic Trials came at Masters Nationals in Irvine, Calif., last spring.

“I went a lifetime best,” Rose said. “I wasn’t expecting to get a lifetime best at age 45. So I’m like, ‘Let’s see what’s possible.’ It happened to line up with the Olympic year and Olympic Trials. I absolutely loved going back to my roots as a professional athlete.”

That road led Rose to a semifinal at Olympic Trials Sunday night, sealed by finishing 11th in prelims in the 100 breast in the morning session.

The swim last spring set Rose in pursuit first of an Olympic Trials cut. Previously, she had focused on freestyle, butterfly and IM events, but breaststroke became her focus. “It used to be my stroke,” she said. “That’s where I knew had something special in swimming, because of breaststroke. I set a national age group record at 12, and then I lost it. It took a couple decades, but I found it.”

In late 2023, she made stunning gains in the 100 breast, dropping her Masters world record from 1:12.34 to 1:11.68 before a November swim when she cut the time down by almost two more seconds. The mark of 1:09.82 was under the Olympic Trials time of 1:10.29.

Gabrielle Rose — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

That gave Rose the opportunity to swim in an Olympic Trials in an NFL stadium, a huge step up from the temporary stadium in Long Beach, Calif., in which she competed in her most recent Trials, or the IUPUI Natatorium a few blocks away in Indianapolis where she qualified for the American team in 2000. Now 46, Rose would be the oldest swimmer in the meet.

With her seed time lowered to 1:09.13, Rose swam heat seven of prelims Sunday, one before the circle-seeded heats. Rose produced another huge jump to 1:08.43, the fastest of the session by almost a half-second. The crowd inside Lucas Oil Stadium issued its loudest cheer of the day to that point in recognition of her unlikely comeback. Rose called the reaction “really, really moving.”

After the next three heat Rose sat 11th, with her ticket into the semifinals secured.

“That was my big stretch goal. I was really, really nervous because I just wanted to have the swim that I’m capable of,” Rose said of her performance. “Just relieved that the swim I knew I was capable of came out in that moment. And I’ve been so nervous. I’ve been surprised by how nervous I’ve been at this meet, having been through this.”

In the second semifinal heat Sunday night, Rose will race three lanes away from 2016 Olympic champion and world-record holder Lilly King, who is the second-oldest swimmer in the field. King was born in 1997, about six months after the conclusion of Rose’s first Olympics. No other top-16 finisher was born in the 20th century.

But Rose is not worried about her age, even if she knows she will not qualify for the Olympics. Just being part of this historic Trials event is plenty, and now, with her longshot goal of qualifying and an even-longer shot of making semifinals achieved, Rose is playing with house money while proudly advocating for what older swimmers and athletes can accomplish.

“I like think of myself as young,” Rose said. “I think of myself as really lucky to feel so young and feel so strong, and just to have this experience and I don’t really relate to oldest. I’m just hoping to show people that you’re capable of doing more. You can have more energy and have more strength than you thought were possible. I want women in particular to not be afraid to be strong, to lift weights, to take care of themselves and just know that they can have a lot more.”

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SETH

10 days ago

Brava Gabrielle!

Steve West

10 days ago

She did an incredible job! Her race was really fun to watch!

Jon Sinnreich

10 days ago

Wow. Just… wow!!