Dressel Flies To Second Tokyo Berth At US Swimming Trials

(@FahadShabbir)

Dressel flies to second Tokyo berth at US swimming trials

Omaha, United States, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jun, 2021 ) :World record-holder Caeleb Dressel will try to add 100m butterfly Olympic gold to his two world titles after a victory Saturday at the US Olympic swimming trials.

Dressel, who clocked the world record of 49.50 at the 2019 World Championships, led wire-to-wire on the way to victory in 49.87sec.

That was a shade off his semi-final time of 49.76, but easily enough for victory over Tom Shields, a 2016 Rio Olympics relay gold medalist who was second in 51.19.

Dressel who won two relay golds in Rio but finished sixth in the 100m freestyle, has since emerged as a multi-event star, winning a record eight medals, six gold, at the 2019 world championships.

He had already punched his ticket to Tokyo in the 100m freestyle, and had the 50m free semi-finals later Saturday.

Katie Ledecky completed her qualifying campaign with another dominant victory in the 800m freestyle, her time of 8:14.62 putting her more than five seconds ahead of surprise second-place finisher Katie Grimes.

"It was a fine swim," Ledecky said. "I thought it would be a lot better than that just given how good my prelim swim felt.

"It's just a good reminder and I'll take that moving forward ... 8:14.6 was the time I won with in London so I can't be too hard on myself.

" The 15-year-old Grimes, swimming in lane eight, clocked 8:20.36. She hung on the lane rope and cried when she realized she had earned a trip to Tokyo, Ledecky swimming over to congratulate her.

"I told Katie Grimes after her third place in the mile (1500m) you're the future," Ledecky said. "I told her after that one she's the now." Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ledecky -- who launched her Olympic career with a surprise 800m free victory in London in 2012 at the age of 15 -- has lined up an ambitious programme for Tokyo.

She is qualified in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyles.

It was an upset in the women's 200m backstroke, as Rhyan White and 18-year-old Phoebe Bacon finished one-two to shut world record-holder Regan Smith out of the Tokyo berths.

White, 21, had already punched her ticket to Tokyo with a runner-up finish to Smith in the 100m back.

She won the 200m in 2:05.73sec while Bacon, an 18-year-old University of Wisconsin standout, was second in 2:06.46.

Smith, who is already on the team in 200m butterfly as well as the 100m back, was third in 2:06.79.

It was a season-best for the swimmer who set the world record at 2:03.35 in 2019, but not near enough to give her a chance at a backstroke double in Tokyo.