The 400-meter individual medley typically features several position changes through the race, as athletes surge during their best strokes. But during the second night of Wave I at the United States Olympic Trials, Kate McCarville opted for the follow-me approach. Racing at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, McCarville led for seven of the eight laps and prevailed in a personal-best time of 4:47.15.
En route to earning a trip to next week’s Wave II portion of the Olympic Trials, McCarville led from the 100-meter mark through the finish, and was followed to the wall by Ohio State’s Katie Trace, who was the winner of the 200 butterfly on Friday night. Trace, who registered a time of 4:48.76, was in the lead after the opening lap of butterfly, and then settled into second place for the duration of the race.
A Tennessee recruit, McCarville was fourth in the 200 butterfly on the opening night of the meet, so it was clear she entered the final of the 400 medley in form. After covering the butterfly leg in 1:02.84, McCarville was at 2:16.84 at the midway point and came through the 300-meter mark in 3:41.83, a little more than two seconds clear of Trace.
By finishing second in the 400 IM, Trace added a second event to her program for Wave II of Trials. She was followed in third place by Katie McCarthy, who went 4:50.72. In the B Final, Kayla Han, who just turned 13 after qualifying for Trials as a 12-year-old last week, was the winner in 4:51.08.
Results:
1. Kate McCarville, 4:47.15
2. Katie Trace, 4:48.76
3. Katie McCarthy, 4:50.72
4. Paige MacEachern, 4:50.85
5. Erin Cavanagh, 4:52.77
6. Hannah Ownbey, 4:53.34
7. Michelle Morgan, 4:54.59
8. Annika McEnroe, 4:54.85
In the men’s final, Cal’s Tyler Kopp, who just finished his freshman year in Berkeley, negotiated the race in 4:21.20, a little more than a second faster than the 4:22.23 of Kyle Ponsler. Kopp sat in second place at the halfway mark, but moved into the lead on the first lap of breaststroke and remained ahead of the field through the finish.
From the 150-meter mark forward, Ponsler was never lower than second place and, along with Kopp, will now get a chance at another 400 IM when Wave II action opens on June 13. The 400 medley is the first event on the schedule for the second wave.
Third place went to Dominic Falcon in 4:24.46, after Humberto Najera, who appeared to touch in third, was disqualified.
Results:
1. Tyler Kopp, 4:21.20
2. Kyle Ponsler, 4:22.23
3. Dominic Falcon, 4:24.46
4. Jay Baker, 4:27.25
5. Ryan King, 4:27.36
6. Jacques Rathle, 4:29.92
7. Humberto Najera, DSQ
8. Alexander Gusev, DSQ
- 2016 USA TRIALS ARCHIVE
- ARCHIVES OF OLYMPIC TRIALS VIA SWIMMING WORLD VAULT
- 2021 USA OLYMPIC TRIALS WAVE I CUTS
- 2021 USA OLYMPIC TRIALS WAVE II CUTS
- HEAD USA OLYMPIC COACHES
- 2016 FULL RESULTS
- WAVE I FULL RESULTS
- PSYCH SHEET
- DAY ONE RESULTS
- DAY TWO RESULTS
- DAY THREE RESULTS
- DAY FOUR RESULTS
- DAY FIVE RESULTS
- DAY SIX RESULTS
- DAY SEVEN RESULTS
- DAY EIGHT RESULTS
Way to go Tyler!!! What a swim! So happy for you! Go Katy Aquatics!!
Allison Hartman McCarville. So proud of Katie Mac!!!! See you at Wave 2!!!!!