U.S. Olympic Trials: Katie Grimes, Regan Smith, Bobby Finke Top Seeds on Day 3 (Heat Sheet)

Katie Grimes -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Olympic Trials: Katie Grimes, Regan Smith, Bobby Finke Top Seeds on Day 3 (Heat Sheet)

Day three of the U.S. Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will feature qualifying heats in three events: the women’s 400 IM, women’s 100 backstroke and men’s 800 freestyle.

Click here to view the full heat sheet.

Katie Grimes, an 18-year-old who has already secured her spot on her second Olympic team in the 10-kilometer open water swim, is the big favorite in the 400 IM after winning silver in the event at the last two World Championships. Grimes owns a best time of 4:31.41, less than three tenths off Katie Hoff’s 16-year-old American record of 4:31.12. Grimes will swim in the final heat in between Emma Weyant, the silver medalist at the 2021 Olympics, and Justina Kozan. In the previous heat, teenagers Leah Hayes, Lilla Bognar and Kayla Han will race with veteran Leah Smith.

In the 100 back, Regan Smith is the big favorite after recently lowering her American record to 57.51. She will swim in a heat with fellow Olympians Olivia Smoliga, Rhyan White and Phoebe Bacon while Katharine Berkoff and Claire Curzan occupy lane four in the other circle-seeded heats.

In the 800 free, defending Olympic gold medalist Bobby Finke is expected to cruise onto the Olympic team, but the battle for second place is completely open. Finke will be in the final heat with David Johnston and Charlie Clark on either side of him while the middle lanes in the previous heat belong to Ross Dant, a member of last year’s World Championships team in the event, and teenager Luke Whitlock, fresh of a huge best time in the 800 free that made him the top seed in the Trials final.

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