Omaha (United States) (AFP) – Reigning Olympic champion Nathan Adrian stormed home to win the 100m freestyle at the US Olympic swimming trials to set up a repeat bid at the Rio Games.
Adrian clocked 47.72sec, improving on the 47.91 he produced in the semi-finals. Only Cameron McEvoy of Australia (47.04) has gone faster in 2016.
Caeleb Dressel, a double freestyle sprint gold medalist at the NCAA collegiate championships, seized second in 48.23, booking an individual berth in Rio as he edged another collegiate standout, Ryan Held, who settled for third in 48.26.
Held nabbed a trip to Rio as part of the relay pool, as did fourth-placed Anthony Ervin — who earned a third Olympic appearance 16 years after he won gold in the 50m free in 2000.
Josh Prenot poured it on in the back half to win the 200m breaststroke in 2:07.17 — becoming the second-fastest performer all-time behind Japan’s Akihiro Yamaguchi — who holds the current world record of 2:07.01.
Prenot, who missed out on a Rio berth in the 100m breaststroke with a third place finish behind Cordes and Cody Miller, was fourth at the halfway mark as Cordes set a blistering pace.
Cordes was still leading at the final turn, with Prenot in second and both under world record pace and it was Prenot who powered home for the win with Cordes second in 2:08.00.
“The mistake I made last night was being a little too aggressive through the first 100,” Prenot said of his modest semi-final swim. “I just tried to stay calm in order finish hard my last 50.”
World championships silver medalist Cammile Adams won the 200m butterfly to line up another Olympic shot in the event in which she finished fifth in London.
Adams, rattled by a disqualification that was overturned on video review in the heats, clocked 2:06.80 with Hali Flickinger second in 2:07.50.
– Phelps, Lochte set IM clash –
Michael Phelps and longtime foe Ryan Lochte set up a 200m medley clash with semi-final wins.
Lochte, nursing a groin injury suffered in the 400m medley heats on Sunday, notched the fastest time of the semis of 1:56.71.
Phelps, celebrating his 31st birthday, won his semi in 1:57.61. In Friday’s final he’ll be gunning to add the 200m medley to his Rio slate along with the 200m butterfly. The 200m medley is one of two events, along with the 100m butterfly, that Phelps has won in three straight Olympics — part of his astonishing tally of 18 golds.
Elsewhere in the semi-finals, Abbey Weitzeil led the way into Friday’s women’s 100m freestyle final in 53.57sec.
Katie Ledecky, winner of the 200m and 400m free already this week and a virtual certainty to punch her ticket to Rio in the 800m free, made the final in the less familiar sprint with the seventh-fastest time, while Missy Franklin and three-time Olympian Natalie Coughlin failed to advance.
Franklin, who had an individual berth in the event in 2012 but didn’t medal in London, finished 11th-fastest. She’ll have a chance to qualify in a second individual event, after punching her ticket with a runner-up finish in the 200m free, in the 200m backstroke.
“That speed just doesn’t feel like it’s quite there this meet,” said Franklin, who came up short in the 100m backstroke this week. “No idea why.”
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