Tag: Kieran Smith

Four Gators medaled on Day 4 of Phillips 66 National Championships

Four members of the Florida swimming team earned medals on the fourth day of the Phillips 66 National Championships on Friday.

Four members of the Florida swimming team earned medals on the fourth day of the Phillips 66 National Championships held in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Friday. Men’s swimmers [autotag]Kieran Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Mitchell[/autotag] as well as women’s team members [autotag]Katie Ledecky[/autotag] and [autotag]Bella Sims[/autotag], all reached the podium on the penultimate day of competition as the quartet dominated in the 400-meter freestyle event.

Smith and Mitchell secured second and third-place finishes with times of 3:46.11 and 3:46.87, respectively, in the A-finals. Ledecky and Sims one-upped their male counterparts, finishing first and second with times of 4:00.45 and 4:03.25, respectively in the A-finals.

The women’s pair have already earned a bid in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan while their male counterparts earned a trip to Land of the Rising Sun with their performances on Thursday.

Adam Chaney placed fifth in the 100-meter backstroke, shaving off more than half a second from his prelim time for a finals swim of 53.34, while assistant Coach Annie Lazor posted a sixth-place finish in the 100-meter breaststroke on Friday night in the A-finals, touching the wall in 1:07.77.

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Five Florida swimmers earned medals at Phillips 66 Championships Wednesday

Five Florida swimmers earned medals at the Phillips 66 Championships on Wednesday night as the Gators continue to dominate the water.

Five Florida swimmers earned medals at the Phillips 66 Championships on Wednesday night as the Gators continue to dominate the water at this summer’s latest competition. Caeleb Dressel, Annie Lazor, Katie Ledecky, Bella Sims and Kieran Smith all took home some hardware after putting up superb performances in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Volunteer coach Ledecky earned a silver medal for her 1:55.28 in the women’s 200m freestyle — just .02 away from first — while incoming freshman Sims took home the bronze in the same event with a personal-best 1:56.08 — almost a second better than her previous top mark.

In the men’s 200m free, Smith notched a 1:45.63 time — dropping .47 seconds off his prelim time — to earn silver. The other member of the men’s team to earn a medal was Dressel, who dropped an event-best .44 seconds off his prelim time to swim a 23.35 as he continues his work his way back into Olympian form.

Finally, assistant coach Lazor added to the Gators’ haul with a 2:25.86 finish to earn the bronze in the women’s 200m breaststroke.

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Gators News: Olympics roundup plus Florida golf updates

Asides from the news overseas, there are also a few stories closer to home involving both the men’s and women’s golf teams.

Welcome back from a historic weekend at the Tokyo Olympics, where a pair of Gators made their mark on international athletics immortality — including one who not only broke his own record but ascended into the Pantheon of all-time greats at the summer games. And speaking of great, the University of Florida currently leads all American schools in the overall medal count, holding the lead over the Stanford Cardinals by a healthy margin.

Asides from the news overseas, there are also a few stories closer to home involving both the men’s and women’s golf teams. Here is a look at the latest from the Gator Nation.

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Former Florida star Caeleb Dressel wins first gold medal of Tokyo Olympics

Caeleb Dressel was named the heir to Michael Phelps after his retirement. He won his first gold of the Tokyo Olympics Sunday.

Former Florida men’s swimming star Caeleb Dressel won his first gold medal and the Gators’ third medal overall in the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday. He helped the United States defend its gold medal in the men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay.

He started the relay for the Red, White and Blue where he grabbed the lead in the first 15 meters of his opening leg. Dressel finished his swim in 47.29 seconds then his teammates Blake Pieroni, Bowe Becker and Zach Apple sealed the win for the U.S with a time of 3:08.97 and a 1.14-second margin of victory over Italy and Australia.

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“It feels great, we knew there was a huge target on our backs,” he said in an interview after the race, according to The Alligator. “We’re never going to doubt ourselves, that’s how Team USA works.”

Dressel also won two gold medals in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay and in the men’s 4×100 meter medley relay.

On Saturday, fellow Gators Kieran Smith and Natalie Hinds earned bronze medals in the men’s 400-meter freestyle and in the women’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay, respectively.

Dressel returns to the pool again for the men’s 100-meter freestyle prelims Monday. Then he will team up again for the men’s 4×200 meter freestyle relay, men’s 100-meter butterfly, men’s 50-meter freestyle and the new men’s 4×100 meter mixed medley relay later in the games.

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Former Florida star Caeleb Dressel wins first gold medal of Tokyo Olympics

Caeleb Dressel was named the heir to Michael Phelps after his retirement. He won his first gold of the Tokyo Olympics Sunday.

Former Florida men’s swimming star Caeleb Dressel won his first gold medal and the Gators’ third medal overall in the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday. He helped the United States defend its gold medal in the men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay.

He started the relay for the Red, White and Blue where he grabbed the lead in the first 15 meters of his opening leg. Dressel finished his swim in 47.29 seconds then his teammates Blake Pieroni, Bowe Becker and Zach Apple sealed the win for the U.S with a time of 3:08.97 and a 1.14-second margin of victory over Italy and Australia.

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“It feels great, we knew there was a huge target on our backs,” he said in an interview after the race, according to The Alligator. “We’re never going to doubt ourselves, that’s how Team USA works.”

Dressel also won two gold medals in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay and in the men’s 4×100 meter medley relay.

On Saturday, fellow Gators Kieran Smith and Natalie Hinds earned bronze medals in the men’s 400-meter freestyle and in the women’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay, respectively.

Dressel returns to the pool again for the men’s 100-meter freestyle prelims Monday. Then he will team up again for the men’s 4×200 meter freestyle relay, men’s 100-meter butterfly, men’s 50-meter freestyle and the new men’s 4×100 meter mixed medley relay later in the games.

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Gators News: Weekend roundup of U.S. Olympic Trials in swimming, track and field

Members of the Gator Nation — both current and alumni — vied for international athletic immortality this summer in Tokyo over the weekend.

Welcome back from a weekend filled with U.S. Olympic Trials action as members of the Gator Nation — both current and alumni — vie for international athletic immortality this summer in Tokyo. While the track and field team still has not earned a qualifier, the men’s team has three members heading across the Pacific while a former women’s team swimmer earned her first Olympic bid. Here is a look at the roundup from the weekend.

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Gators News: Kieran Smith earns another Olympics bid, softball gets final ranking

While there is not much to talk about in the midweek, the main topic on the table is the one Gator who continues his Olympic Trials tear. 

Welcome to a humpday edition of Gators News, and while there is not much to talk about as we are mired in the midweek, the main topic on the table is huge as one Gator continues his Olympic Trials tear. Let us take a look at what is happening in the world of Florida athletics.

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Gators News: Kieran Smith earns another Olympics bid, softball gets final ranking

While there is not much to talk about in the midweek, the main topic on the table is the one Gator who continues his Olympic Trials tear. 

Welcome to a humpday edition of Gators News, and while there is not much to talk about as we are mired in the midweek, the main topic on the table is huge as one Gator continues his Olympic Trials tear. Let us take a look at what is happening in the world of Florida athletics.

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This Florida swimmer qualified for U.S. Olympic Team on Sunday

Smith became the first Florida swimmer to grab a spot on the USA Swimming Olympics Team. He finished first in the 400 free finals.

Florida men’s swimmer Kieran Smith launched himself into the water for the 400-meter freestyle finals.

Once he emerged from beneath the surface, he caught his breath and broke into form. Smith peeked to his left and right and saw that he was ahead. He cruised to victory as he never glanced in his rearview mirror to secure the win and recorded a blistering 3:44.86. He became the first Gators swimmer to qualify for the U.S. Swimming Olympic Team.

“I just had to tell myself that I belong here and I do,” Smith said, according to FloridaGators.com. “I think that 3:44.00 is pretty good for now, but I know I still need to do a bit more work and I know I can give more in the back half of the 400 free. For tomorrow, I feel confident and am ready for the 200 free.”

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It’s not surprising to see Smith secure a spot in the Tokyo Olympics this summer. The junior is a 14-time All-American and has shattered several records donning the orange and blue. He holds the American record for the best time in the 500 free with a 4:06.32 at the 2020 SEC Championships.

Day three of U.S. team trials continue Monday from Omaha, Nebraska.