U.S. Olympic Trials: Thomas Heilman, Luca Urlando Seal 200 Fly Spots

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Olympic Trials: Thomas Heilman, Luca Urlando Seal 200 Fly Spots

The weight of prodigy can weigh heavily on different sets of shoulders. When it comes with tags like, “they guy who took down Michael Phelps record,” so it, the effect is even less certain.

That’s the challenge that both Thomas Heilman and Luca Urlando carried, a half-generation of swimmers apart.

It was 2019 when Urlando took down the 17-18-year-old national age-group record of the greatest butterflier in history. That was a pandemic, two shoulder surgeries and a couple of ruined college seasons ago.

It was 2023 when Heilman downed the 15-16 NAG that Phelps had owned for the better part of two decades.

Each swim christened them the heir apparent. Each would have to wait, in Urlando’s case at least, for the formal crown presentation.

That came Wednesday, Heilman going 1:54.50 to win and Urlando finishing second in 1:55.08. Both are headed to Paris.

Heilman, just 17, is the youngest American male Olympian since Phelps in Sydney at age 15 in 2000. He undercuts that mark set by Luke Whitlock in the 800 free a day earlier. Being compared to Phelps is something he’s grown accustomed to.

“It’s always great to be in the same conversation as him (Phelps),” Heilman said. “But I try not to worry about it too much but try to take things day by day through the rest of the meet and into Paris.”

Both Heilman and Urlando were decently pleased by their races, though time wasn’t of paramount importance on the day.

“Looking up at the board and seeing my name at the top was really special,” Heilman said. “It’s a goal I’ve had for years now, and kind of just to see it up there was some disbelief, but it was just a really special moment.”

“It wasn’t pretty but it got the job done,” said Urlando, who called it “a little bit of a stiff swim.” “I will definitely cherish the moment.”

The pair in the middle of the pool ran second and third at the 100-meter and 150-meter walls, Trenton Julian playing the Lane-8 rabbit. Julian faded to seventh, and while Zach Harting looked like he’d briefly mount a charge in Lane 1, the center held. Heilman had separated by that point, and Urlando confidently stroked his way away.

Mason Laur, the Pan Am Games medalist, was third in 1:55.37. Dare Rose was fourth in 1:55.70.

The night, though, was about Heilman and Urlando. For the latter, the journey has been arduous, though issues with his shoulders, through an American record in backstroke, through dalliances with the 200 free and multiple interrupted seasons, Urlando is in position to make his Olympic dream come true.

That it comes with Heilman, one of the few who understands the pressure he feels, is fitting.

“It definitely feels kind of like a full loop type of experience,” Urlando said. “We both did the 2-fly, both have broken his (Phelps’) records. I don’t know what else to say other than that it’s a really cool experience to get to share with him. … He’s an incredibly resilient person. He’s able to deal with pressure in ways that have really impressed me. It’s amazing to be able to have experiences like this with him.”

To do it with Luca, I got to know him really well this year after we were up at the Olympic Training Center together for a few weeks. Throughout this week, we’ve been talking about it here and there. To be able to do it with him is really awesome. I think both of us were kind of in the same boat and really excited to do it together.

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