Rafael Fente-Damers was rightfully excited when he finished second in the French swimming championships in the 100-meter freestyle, because it meant the 17-year-old would be off to the Olympics in his home country.
So he slapped the water with his hand … and then as you’ll see from the video below, he grabbed his left shoulder. That was because it was dislocated, and Fente-Damers was later seen with a sling.
No word on what this means going forward, but the hope is he’ll be OK for when he’s slated to compete in about a month.
Here’s that bizarre and painful moment:
Hello @FFLose ! Rafael Fente-Damers 🏊♂️, pépite de 18 ans, a composté son billet pour le 100 mètres nage libre aux JO (48"14 !), et par la même occasion… s'est déboité l'épaule. Oui oui. pic.twitter.com/Ux1feNMx51
Six-time Olympic medalist Matt Grevers came out of retirement to swim the 50 freestyle at U.S. Olympic swimming trials.
INDIANAPOLIS — Matt Grevers is here for a good time, even if it isn’t a long time. Really, he’s at Lucas Oil Stadium for up to three 22-second races in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials pool.
The 39-year-old two-time Olympian just couldn’t resist a chance to swim in an NFL stadium. So he came out of a three-year retirement, trained for about six months, qualified for trials and will swim the men’s 50-meter freestyle.
“I just happened to be in a situation that I could put a little more time on myself and feel selfish,” Grevers said Tuesday. “But once I went the [trials qualifying] time, it felt really good! And it’s cool to know that at 39, my body definitely still has it. It’s just, what are you willing to put into it?
“So it was … really fun just to know that I get to swim here [and] hang out with a lot of friends. Walking on the pool deck saying hi to all the coaches and older athletes just felt kind of like a homecoming.”
Grevers has six Olympic medals on his resume, but individually, he was more of a backstroke specialist. He won silver in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2008 Beijing Games, along with two golds on relays. In London four years later, he was the 100 back Olympic champion and won another gold and silver on relays.
Matt Grevers (middle) of Tucson, AZ, dives off the block in the Men’s 50 Meter Freestyle Semi-finals, Saturday, June 30, 2012, during the USA Swimming Trials at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NE. (Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Staff )
Back for his seventh Olympic trials, Grevers qualified for the 50 free in May by just .29 seconds, as SwimSwam noted.
Prelims are Thursday morning, and Grevers is seeded 35th with an entry time of 22.50. He may be only a second behind top seed Ryan Held, but for the fastest event in the pool, that’s an eternity.
To swim more than once, Grevers will need to make the top 16 to advance to Thursday night’s semifinal, when the top-8 swimmers move on to Friday night’s final for a shot at making the 2024 Paris Olympic team.
“I love the anticipation of the race, and I’m going to love the race, and this time, it just happens where the outcome isn’t as significant as before,” Grevers said.
“It’s not too much race strategy. You don’t breathe. You don’t have to worry about walls messing up turns. You just jump off that block and go as fast as you can. It’s so pure, raw speed and power.”
Grevers is the latest older American sprinter to return to the pool and try to make the Olympics.
Five-time Olympian and 12-time medalist Dara Torres made her first Olympic team in 1984 and her last in 2008, when she won three silver medals at 41 years old. Three-time Olympian Anthony Ervin has a 16-year gap between Olympic golds in the 50 free after winning in 2000 and then again in 2016 at 35 years old.
Matt Grevers at U.S. Olympic swimming trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on Tuesday.
Even at trials, Grevers said he’s been inspired by Gabby Rose, a 46-year-old swimmer who finished 10th in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke semifinals Sunday. She also advanced to Wednesday night’s 200-meter breaststroke semi.
“Gabby’s cheer when she went out for semifinals, it was one of the loudest ones of the meet,” Grevers said. “I was like, so people are rooting for the old guys just to see what you can do.”
At previous trials, making the Olympics was his livelihood, and he said he felt like he owed it to his support system to make the team and win medals. While still grateful for his supporters, particularly his wife, Annie, he said he’s just enjoying himself.
“To be in this environment without that much pressure is super refreshing and just a really great time,” he said. “Watching the finals of the 100 back [Monday] night, I was like, kind of want to be there. And then when they’re stepping up behind the blocks, and I saw faces and a little bit of pre-race anxiety, I was like, ‘I’m happy up here.’”
Clark seemingly pretending to jump into the pool before getting a quick touch of the pool water was pretty funny, as USA Swimming’s social media account shared the video on Tuesday.
In what’s been a very controversial start to her WNBA career, seeing Clark have some fun with her Fever teammates at such a neat sporting event is the kind of content we’d love to see more of these days.
Audrey Derivaux was far from the fastest swimmer entered in the women’s 400-meter individual medley at U.S. Olympic swimming trials. She was seeded in the third of six heats in an event where the top-2 finishers qualify for the Olympics.
But whether or not 14-year-old Derivaux makes the 2024 Paris Olympics team in the 400 IM, she could be one to watch at the 2028 Games. Especially after her impressive performance in the race’s prelims Monday at U.S. Olympic trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Derivaux is one of eight 14-year-olds at trials, per USA Swimming, and she put up a blazing fast swim to win her 400 IM heat at 4:45.23. In an absolutely brutal event, she shaved off about four seconds from her 4:49.32 seed time and locked up the eighth and last spot in Monday’s final.
It’s a long race, but by the end, it clearly belonged to Derivaux.
THE SPEED FROM 14-YEAR-OLD AUDREY DERIVAUX! 😱
She dominates her heat in the 400m IM. #SwimTrials24
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 17, 2024
The women’s 400 IM final is set for Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Derivaux likely would have to drop even more time to make the Olympics as one of the top-2 finishers, as Emma Weyant is the top qualifier after going 4:38.96 in prelims.
Katie Ledecky qualified for her fourth (!!!) Olympics during Team USA trials at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Katie Ledecky is officially headed to Paris later this summer.
The 27-year-old distance swimmer made her fourth Olympic team after winning the women’s 400-meter freestyle final in predictably dominant fashion Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
She’ll be just the eighth American swimmer to compete in four Olympic Games and the fifth American woman, as she looks to add to her already impressive 10 Olympic medals.
On the first day of U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Ledecky clocked a 3:58.35 time in the 400 final after swimming a 3:59.99 prelims race earlier in the day. Her finals time also broke a U.S. trials record, per USA Swimming.
Paige Madden finished second with a time of 4:02.08 in the mid-distance race and should be the second U.S. swimmer in the event in Paris.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 16, 2024
It was the first of four events Ledecky is entered in, along with the 200 freestyle, 800 freestyle and 1,500 freestyle. She’s the world record holder in the 800 and 1,500, and if she keeps racing like this, she’s all but guaranteed to qualify for Paris in at least two more events.
You’ll definitely want to watch these swimmers compete for a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympics team.
The moment elite swimmers have been training for the last three years — and, for some, their whole lives — is finally here after a shortened Olympics cycle.
Swimming trials for the 2024 Paris Olympics begin Saturday, as the best American swimmers compete for a coveted spot on the Team USA roster during the nine-day event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Hundreds of swimmers will compete, but only the top-2 finishers in each event will make the team (and top-6 finishers for some relays).
Up to 52 swimmers — 26 each on the men’s and women’s teams — will qualify for the Paris Games, and some of them are familiar stars from previous Olympics, including Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel. Along with athletes attempting to make their first, second, third and sometimes fourth Games, there are a few rising stars fans will want to keep an eye on too.
So ahead of the 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials, here are nine athletes to know, along with the trials events they’re entered in (but some could scratch).
A swimmer who needs no introduction, 27-year-old Ledecky is first in U.S. rankings in each of the events she’s entered and is the world record holder in the 800 and 1,500 — her most dominant event, which made its Olympic debut at the 2021 Tokyo Games. She should qualify in all four events, assuming she swims them all.
In addition to trying to add to her 10 Olympic medals, seven of them gold, Ledecky is aiming to become just the eighth American swimmer to compete in four Olympic Games.
After taking some time away from swimming following the Tokyo Olympics, the 27-year-old swimmer is back and hoping to make his third Olympic team. At trials, he’s entered in the same individual events he swam in Tokyo, but based on his times, he’s got some ground to make up. He’s the fastest American in the 100 fly this year so far but enters trials currently ranked third in the U.S. in the 50 free and is tied for fourth in the 100 free.
Dressel knows nothing but gold at the Olympics as a seven-time Olympic champion.
3. Kate Douglass
(Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Entered: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 IM College: Virginia
If you can’t tell from her lineup, Douglass is one of the most versatile swimmers. It’s nearly unheard of to see a swimmer excel in such drastically different events like the 50 free and 200 breaststroke, but she’s definitely one to watch at trials. The 22-year-old swimmer enters trials seeded first in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 breaststroke and 200 IM, and she’s fifth in the 100 breaststroke.
After winning bronze in the 200 IM in Tokyo, Douglass is a good bet to make the U.S. Olympic team in multiple events.
4. Jack Alexy
(Joe Warner/Correspondent / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Entered: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle College: Cal
This 21-year-old sprinter isn’t a household name, but that could easily change with a strong outing at trials and — should he make his first Olympic team — in Paris. Especially after standout performances at the 2023 world championships, where he won five medals, including gold in the 4×100 medley relay. On his way to worlds last year, Alexy was the 100 free U.S. national champion and finished second in the 50. Definitely one of the swimmers to beat at trials, he enters the meet ranked second in the 50 free to Ryan Held and first in the 100 free.
Manuel also took a break from swimming after winning her fifth Olympic medal in Tokyo, and, based on her times, it could be challenging for her to qualify individually for Paris, especially in the two shorter sprint races. However, the 27-year-old sprinter could be a solid pick to make the team via relays if she doesn’t qualify outright for her third Olympic team.
6. Gretchen Walsh
(Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Entered: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly College: Virginia
Although Walsh is aiming to make her first Olympic team, she has tremendous star potential, especially after a record-breaking NCAA championship run in March when she won all seven of her events. Olympic trials are obviously on another level, but Walsh has a strong shot. She enters trials ranked third in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free, along with being second in the 100 butterfly.
She’s looking to make the team with her sister, Alex Walsh, who won Olympic silver in the 200 IM in Tokyo. For trials, Alex is entered in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke.
Entered: 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly College: Cal
Although this isn’t Rose’s first Olympic trials, this is definitely his best shot at making his Olympics debut.. After winning the 100 butterfly at the 2023 U.S. national championships, Rose went on to win bronze in the event in his world championship debut that year. He was also a world champion in the 4×100 medley relay. Going into trials, the 21-year-old swimmer is seeded first in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 200 butterfly.
Another versatile swimmer, 22-year-old Smith is looking to build on her Olympic resume after winning three medals in Tokyo, including a silver in the 200 butterfly and bronze in the 100 backstroke. She heads into Olympic trials ranked first in the U.S. this year in the 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke, and she’s third in the 100 butterfly, behind Walsh and Torri Huske. She should qualify for Paris in multiple events and could make a medley relay team too.
9. Ryan Murphy
(Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
Entered: 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 100 butterfly College: Cal
Already a two-time Olympian, Murphy is looking to add to his five Olympic medals, four of which are gold. He enters trials with the fastest seed time in his two backstroke events — he’s still the American record-holder in the 100 back from 2016 — but in 2024, he has the second-fastest American time in each event. As for the 100 butterfly, Murphy is seeded sixth at trials but said competing in the event at trials will be a “game-time call.”
“Acknowledge that this is a brutal meet,” 12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin told For The Win.
Natalie Coughlin knows a few things about how to qualify for the Olympics in the pool.
The 41-year-old retired swimmer is a three-time Olympian with 12 medals, putting her in a three-way tie for the most Olympic medals won by an American woman. Not to mention she was also the first American woman to win six medals at a single modern Olympic Games in 2008.
But unlike the Olympics themselves, trials are a different psychological game and require an altered approach and mentality, Coughlin explained. Relays aside, only the top-2 swimmers in each event go to the Games.
Coughlin is now on the board of directors for USA Swimming and co-hosts the NBC Sports podcast My New Favorite Olympian. Ahead of 2024 U.S. Olympic trials, she shared three pieces of advice for swimmers looking to make Team USA’s roster.
U.S. swimming trials begin Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and after the nine-day event, up to 52 swimmers will be off to Paris.
(Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
“First and foremost, don’t get ahead of yourself,” Coughlin told For The Win. “Take each session, each swim, one at a time. If you’re someone who’s going to compete in multiple events over the trials, it’s easy to look at [the schedule and say], ‘I have prelims there, then semis here, then finals here,’ and really get overwhelmed looking at the entire week.
“You have to take it race by race, hour by hour, and really try not to look ahead too much because that could be too daunting.”
Coughlin — whose Olympic events included the 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 200 IM — also emphasized the importance of recovery and swimmers babying themselves a little more, including extra massages and plenty of stretching and relaxing, along with staying extra hydrated.
“Secondly, just know that you’re not gonna get any fitter,” she continued. “All the work is already done. All you have to do is rest at this point.”
And then, swimmers need to recognize and prepare for how grueling trials can be, especially for swimmers trying to qualify in multiple events. It requires a “difference in psychological preparation,” especially if a swimmer’s lifelong dreams could be made or broken in a single race, Coughlin said.
“Acknowledge that this is a brutal meet,” she said. “Knowing and accepting that and knowing that you are someone who is tough and who is ready for that challenge and facing it head-on.
“Trials is truly a brutal, brutal, brutal meet for everyone involved. Whether you make the team or don’t make the team, it’s hard. And just accepting that and facing that head-on, I think, is really important.”
With just the top-2 swimmers in each trials event going to the Olympics — assuming they also meet the Olympic standard — personal-best times take a backseat to everything else.
“All that matters is you get first or second,” Coughlin continued. “And that, in a lot of ways, is so much harder than just straight up competing when you get to the Olympics.
“Because when you’re at the Olympics, it’s just pure racing. … But when the Olympic trials is just a stepping stone along the way and it’s just a hurdle that you need to get past, it doesn’t really matter how great you do at trials — just as long as you get past them. And that’s just a different mental approach, in my experience, at least.”
Coughlin pointed to one of her former teammates, four-time Olympian Amanda Beard — a swimming legend in her own right with seven medals — who had a devastating but apt way of describing Olympic trials.
“She once described it as, ‘The Olympic trials pool is filled with chlorine and tears,'” Coughlin recalled laughing. “And that’s such a great image because it’s so true. People are crying because they’re sad, crying because they’re relieved — it’s a lot.”
Everything you need to know before Team USA swimmers qualify for the Paris Olympics.
The 2024 Summer Olympics begin next month in Paris, but Team USA’s Olympic swimming trials start Saturday, as the best American swimmers race to make the team.
U.S. Olympic swimming trials are a nine-day event and consist of two sessions nearly every day with prelims heats in the mornings and semifinals and finals in the evening. And this time around, they’re at the biggest venue to date: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
While there’s a sizable contingent of veteran swimmers — including Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel — returning to trials to try to qualify for the Games again, there are plenty of newcomers who could emerge as Team USA’s newest swimming stars.
Here are six things to know about the nine-day trials.
1. The basics: When and how to watch U.S. Olympic swimming trials
Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
For the 2024 Paris Games, the U.S. Olympic swimming trials will be from June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Competition wise, heats will be in the mornings, and semifinals and finals will take place in the evening local time.
Like the Olympics, trials will be broadcast by NBC and Peacock.
Qualifying heats begin at 11 a.m. ET live on Peacock and will be tape-delayed on the USA Network later in the day. Semifinals and finals will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will air live on both NBC and Peacock.
2. How many swimmers qualify for the Olympics?
Katie Ledecky of the United States competes in the Women’s 200m freestyle final during Day Four of the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at CHI Health Center on June 16, 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Up to 52 swimmers can qualify for Team USA’s Olympic roster. The top-2 finishers in each event will make the team, given that they also meet the Olympic qualifying standard. For the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races, up to six swimmers can qualify for the respective relays.
Swimmers officially will be named to the Olympic team each night of trials
The Team USA head coaches, however, have already been announced. Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo will lead the U.S. women’s team, while Florida head coach Anthony Nesty will lead the men’s. They were both assistant coaches for Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and both served as head coaches of the 2022 world championship team.
3. Quick things to know about Lucas Oil Stadium for U.S. Olympic swimming trials
Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
With more space, USA Swimming is hoping to break the attendance record for an indoor swim meet, expecting up to 30,000 fans on Day 1 to hit maximum capacity for the reconfigured venue.
It took about a month to build and required 1.8 million gallons of water to fill the competition pool, along with the two warmup pools. Temporary but not trash, the pools have been bought for permanent homes once trials are over.
4. Olympians returning to U.S. Olympic swimming trials
Caeleb Dressel (USA) celebrates after winning the men’s 100m freestyle final during the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
For those who watched the 2021 Tokyo Olympics or the 2016 Rio Games, there will be a lot of familiar names at trials this quad.
The biggest, of course, is three-time Olympian Katie Ledecky, who’s won 10 Olympic medals, including seven golds, since the 2012 London Games. The 27-year-old swimmer is expected to swim the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle races — all events in which she’s been an Olympic champion.
Other Olympians who are expected to compete at trials include Caeleb Dressel (50 free, 100 free, 100 butterfly), Simone Manuel (50 free, 100 free, 200 free), Lilly King (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke), Ryan Murphy (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke) and Torri Huske (100 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 IM).
5. Aren’t some American swimmers already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Katie Ledecky (USA) high fives Katie Grimes (USA) after the women’s 800m freestyle heats during the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, but they’re not strictly pool swimmers. Three open-water swimmers — Katie Grimes, Mariah Denigan and Ivan Puskovitch — have already made the Olympic team with Grimes being the first American athlete overall to qualify for the 2024 Games after winning a bronze medal in the 10-kilometer race at 2023 world championships.
But Grimes is the only American swimmer attempting to qualify in the pool too. For the 2024 trials, she’s entered in the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle, 1,500 freestyle, 400 IM and 200 backstroke.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Grimes finished fourth in the 800-meter freestyle.
6. Full order of events at U.S. Olympic swimming trials
(USA Swimming)
Saturday, June 15 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 100 butterfly
Women’s 400 freestyle
Men’s 100 breaststroke
Men’s 400 freestyle
Saturday, June 15 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 100 butterfly semi
Men’s 400 freestyle final
Women’s 400 freestyle final
Men’s 100 breaststroke semi
Sunday, June 16 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Men’s 200 freestyle
Men’s 400 IM
Women’s 100 breaststroke
Men’s 100 backstroke
Women’s 200 freestyle
Sunday, June 16 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 400 IM final
Women’s 100 butterfly final
Men’s 200 freestyle semi
Women’s 100 breaststroke semi
Men’s 100 backstroke semi
Men’s 100 breaststroke final
Women’s 200 freestyle semi
Monday, June 17 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 400 IM
Women’s 100 backstroke
Men’s 800 freestyle
Monday, June 17 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 400 IM final
Men’s 200 freestyle final
Women’s 100 backstroke semi
Men’s 100 backstroke final
Women’s 100 breaststroke final
Women’s 200 freestyle final
Tuesday, June 18 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 100 freestyle semi
Men’s 200 butterfly semi
Women’s 100 backstroke final
Men’s 800 freestyle final
Women’s 100 freestyle semi
Men’s 200 breaststroke semi
Wednesday, June 19 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 200 breaststroke
Men’s 200 backstroke
Women’s 200 butterfly
Wednesday, June 19 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 100 freestyle final
Men’s 200 butterfly final
Women’s 200 butterfly semi
Women’s 1,500 freestyle final
Men’s 200 backstroke semi
Women’s 200 breaststroke semi
Men’s 200 breaststroke final
Men’s 100 freestyle final
Thursday, June 20 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 200 backstroke
Men’s 50 freestyle
Men’s 200 IM
Thursday, June 20 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 200 butterfly final
Men’s 200 backstroke final
Men’s 50 freestyle semi
Women’s 200 breaststroke final
Women’s 200 backstroke semi
Men’s 200 IM semi
Friday, June 21 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Men’s 100 butterfly
Women’s 200 IM
Women’s 800 freestyle
Friday, June 21 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 50 freestyle final
Women’s 200 backstroke final
Men’s 200 IM final
Men’s 100 butterfly semi
Women’s 200 IM semi
Saturday, June 22 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 50 freestyle
Men’s 1,500 freestyle
Saturday, June 22 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 100 butterfly final
Women’s 50 freestyle semi
Women’s 200 IM final
Women’s 800 freestyle final
Sunday, June 23 — finals, 8 p.m. ET (no morning session)
Women’s 50 freestyle final
Men’s 1,500 freestyle final
USA Swimming replaced the Indianapolis Colts’ home turf with three temporary pools for Olympic trials.
Ryan Murphy spends a lot of time looking up at the ceiling. More than the average swimmer, but it’s what backstrokers do. They try to swim straight, count their strokes and note the flags, signaling the wall is coming up fast.
So when he learned U.S. Olympic swimming trials for the 2024 Paris Games would be at Lucas Oil Stadium from June 15-23, he wondered what he’d be looking at. And if the giant windows above each end zone at the Indianapolis Colts’ venue could impact swimmers.
“Being in an NFL stadium is going to be wild for us because it’s just a very far way to look,” the two-time Olympian told For The Win.
“I asked if the sun sets on the same side of the stadium where the pool is going to be, and I think they said that it sets on the opposite side.”
It’s a valid concern, considering this is the first time trials have been at a football stadium after a basketball arena in Omaha hosted the last four. And while USA Swimming is well-versed in building temporary pools, Lucas Oil Stadium offers the chance for more of everything — more space and amenities for athletes, more fans, more pizzazz to match the stakes of the meet.
At one time, trials at a big venue like CHI Health Center Omaha was considered groundbreaking for the sport. But with tickets selling quickly, trials had simply outgrown the building, USA Swimming chief commercial officer Shana Ferguson said.
Now for a couple weeks, Lucas Oil Stadium is the nation’s largest natatorium, simultaneously providing an intimate atmosphere in a significantly larger venue.
Yet more space for trials also comes with more challenges, both logistically and in ensuring pool conditions are technically flawless in a controlled environment, including blacking out the windows (and assuaging Murphy’s concerns).
How do you fit an Olympic Trials pool inside an NFL Stadium?
USA Swimming built three pools: a standardized 10-lane, 50-meter competition pool and two connected warmup pools — another 10-lane, 50-meter one and a seven-lane, 25-meter one.
The overall cost of trials is split between USA Swimming and Indiana Sports Corp, with Ferguson saying it’s “deep into seven figures” and Patrick Talty, president of Indiana Sports Corp, noting sponsorship and ticket sales help offset the price tag. However, both declined to provide a specific number.
Beginning of pool construction at Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
The competition pool is on the stadium’s south side with a huge curtain hanging around the 50-yard line, separating the competition pool from the warmup ones. About 20 rows of seats on the north side are on wheels and were relocated to the south side to make the competition pool more of a round arena instead of a horseshoe, Ferguson said.
Organizers are expecting to hit the 30,000 capacity Saturday for the first day of trials, which would break the attendance world record for an indoor swim meet. The current mark, according to USA Swimming, is 25,000 from the 1936 Olympics. Even hoping for 20,000 fans each night is a huge difference compared with Omaha’s approximate sellable capacity at about 9,700, Ferguson said.
A bigger venue also opened the possibilities for more athlete amenities. In addition to more space to warm up and stretch, swimmers will have access to more massage tables and therapists and serenity suites for quiet relaxation. Coaches will have a designated wellness area too. There’s also room for more food options, including smoothie and coffee bars, along with space for a video game area, table tennis and cornhole.
Lucas Oil Stadium warmup pools for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
Perhaps most importantly — what Ferguson described as “the most popular amenity” at the 2016 trials — is space for swimmers to play with more therapy dogs, who were absent in 2021 because of COVID-19.
“We knew that that was the right package to elevate swimming and to [put] it on a grander stage,” Talty said, adding that the stadium was built to be flexible beyond Colts games. “To take it from a supercharged swim meet to really an event that people look forward to coming to every four years and really making it a big deal.”
How to build an Olympic pool from scratch inside Lucas Oil Stadium
What Lucas Oil Stadium was not built for is a plumbing and irrigation system that can handle 1.8 million gallons of water. But that’s necessary for three pools, and USA Swimming — along with its longtime contractors, including Myrtha Pools — knows how to build it.
Beginning of pool construction at Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
“It’s essentially a very intricate above-ground pool” masquerading as an in-ground one with a plumbing system resembling “a grown up Erector Set,” Ferguson said.
You’d never know because 78,000 square feet of decking are built nearly 10 feet above the turf-less concrete ground, swallowing up eight rows of seats and concealing the two gigantic holding tanks for water filtration.
Throughout four weeks, nearly 200 workers built the pools. Hidden below deck are 5,000 linear feet of PVC piping creating a closed filtration loop with pumps capable of moving more than 8,500 gallons per minute, according to USA Swimming.
“I’ve talked to plenty of people about Olympic trials, and they’re all shocked that we could put a swimming pool inside of an NFL stadium,” Murphy said. “I don’t think many people are aware that you can build a pool above ground and just have all the piping on the floor and then build a temporary deck to make it look totally seamless.”
Water from the nearby White River was delivered to the stadium via fire hydrants and hoses with an assist from the Indianapolis Fire Department. It was treated before flowing through the hydrants and snaking its way into the building from the 100-level concourse down to the pool, where it was treated again with chlorine and other chemicals, Ferguson said.
Workers install the pool liner at Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
“It’s an interesting science experiment of keeping the same 1.8 million gallons of water in this building, and it’s just recirculated, re-cleaned, re-filtered, re-chlorinated and reused the entire time,” Ferguson said.
But getting that water out is “a little bit of a physics problem,” she added, because organizers can’t simply drain it. So they have to reverse pump the water up and out again through the concourse.
“It’s an engineering feat,” Ferguson said. “We will remove all the impurities before we pump it out. So we’re removing the chlorine, removing body fluids and so forth in order to put it back into the White River cleaner, actually, then when we got it we got it.”
The competition pool being filled at Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
Once the water is out and deconstruction begins, the competition pool will go to Fort Wayne, Indiana, while the two warmup pools are off to the Cayman Islands.
As for the football turf, it worked out for all parties that the Colts were already replacing it ahead of the 2024 season, so USA Swimming is off the hook for replacing it.
Will the atmosphere be like a Sunday Colts game for swimmers?
No one really knows what the vibes at trials will be like until Saturday, but organizers caught a glimpse of what’s possible during a test meet with Indiana high school swimmers last weekend, Ferguson said.
It was a practice run for all aspects of operations, from the timing system to officials and volunteers to the pool itself. After what she said was a smooth test, final additions are being made this week, like installing underwater cameras.
Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
Similar to standardized lighting, other trials conditions need to be regulated. So the water temperature will be set to about 78-79 degrees, while the deck temperature will be a little cooler, Ferguson said. Cold and deep water makes a pool faster, and an advantage of building a pool from scratch is ensuring the whole thing is just shy of three meters deep.
“They build pools from scratch for a lot of meets, and I think it’s really cool because you can just put it wherever you want,” two-time Olympian Abbey Weitzeil said. “They can just build a pool in any arena which is super cool [and] allows for the grandstand seating.”
With the pool deck covering some rows of seats, spectators will feel like they’re much closer to the action, allowing for an intimate feel despite the size of Lucas Oil Stadium, Talty said.
Lucas Oil Stadium for 2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials (Photo courtesy of USA Swimming)
The four-sided center-hung scoreboard — 20 times the size of the one at 2021 trials — will create basketball vibes, and for the evening events, swimmers will walk out on deck underneath a 50-foot video board displaying each of them in pre-recorded videos.
Between the “blocks walk” entrances and orchestrated lighting effects, it’ll feel like a prize fight. Or, for swimming devotees, it’s the distant American cousin of the short-lived International Swimming League.
“The grandeur of that stage, being in an NFL stadium is going to be unbelievable,” said Murphy, a Florida native and huge Jacksonville Jaguars fan. “Last year, the Jaguars won both games against the Colts, including the one in the Colts stadium. So I’m hoping that’s some good luck for me.”
