U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials are taking place June 13-20 in Omaha, Nebraska. Saturday's finals session can be seen live on NBC at 9 p.m. ET, as well as streamed on NBCOlympics.com [HERE] and the NBC Sports App.
The two brightest stars in the sport of swimming look to qualify in their signature events Saturday night at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.
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Caeleb Dressel leads off Night 7 with the final of the men’s 100m butterfly, the event in which he holds the world record at 49.50. He challenged that mark in Friday’s semifinal, coming up just 0.26 seconds short.
SEE MORE: Caeleb Dressel scares own world record, continues path to historic Games
Perhaps Dressel will have an extra gear in the final, though he’ll need to conserve some energy for the semifinals of the 50m free taking place later in the session. Dressel clocked the top time in the prelims at 21.29.
Meanwhile, to say Katie Ledecky is a safe bet to qualify for her fourth individual event in the women’s 800m freestyle is an understatement. Ledecky owns the 23 fastest women’s 800 times in history and is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the event. Prior to her four-gold medal performance in Rio, a 15-year-old Ledecky won the 800 at the 2012 London Olympics, her first international meet.
Ledecky has already qualified in the 200, 400 and 1500m freestyle events. A top-two finish in the 800 would set her up for an unprecedent distance sweep in Tokyo, where the women’s 1500 will make its Olympic debut.
Elsewhere, Regan Smith is a favorite to add the 200m backstroke to her Olympic schedule which already includes the 100 back and the 200 fly.
Finally, two swimming icons will attempt to keep their Tokyo hopes alive in the semifinals of the men’s and women’s 50 free. Neither eight-time Olympic medalist Nathan Adrian nor four-time medalist Simone Manuel qualified for the final of their respective 100m freestyle events, but both can do so in the splash-and-dash semifinals Saturday.
SEE MORE: Defending Olympic champion Simone Manuel misses out on 100m free final at Trials
Follow along below for up-to-the-minute highlights and results as the action unfolds.
Men's 100m Butterfly - Final
The race really was between Caeleb Dressel and Caeleb Dressel (of two years ago).
The world record holder was ahead of his own 2019 World Championships pace through 75 meters but ultimately touched in 49.87, just 0.37 off the record.
With the record-setting win, Dressel clinched qualification in his second individual event for the Tokyo Olympics where seven gold medals could be at play. He hopes to round out individual qualification in the 50m freestyle this weekend, then could compete on as many as four relay teams this summer.
Tom Shields, who finished second in the 100 fly at the 2016 edition of Trials, repeated the feat in 51.19 to qualify for his second Olympics.
RESULTS
1. Caeleb Dressel – 49.87
2. Tom Shields – 51.19
3. Luca Urlando – 51.64
4. Trenton Julian – 51.78
4. Coleman Stewart – 51.78
6. Zach Harting – 52.39
7. Tyler Sesvold – 52.60
8. Danny Kovac – 52.68
SEE MORE: Trials: Caeleb Dressel takes 1st in men's 100m fly final
Women's 200m Backstroke - Final
Regan Smith, the world record holder in the 200m backstroke, will not contest that event in Tokyo.
Smith finished third in 2:06.79, over three seconds off her 2019 best-ever mark.
Rhyan White won the event in 2:05.73 to clinch her second Tokyo event alongside the 100 back.
Eighteen-year-old Phoebe Bacon becomes a first-time Olympian by placing second in 2:06.46.
RESULTS
1. Rhyan White – 2:05.73
2. Phoebe Bacon – 2:06.46
3. Regan Smith – 2:06.79
4. Isabelle Stadden – 2:07.86
5. Kathleen Baker – 2:08.78
6. Lisa Bratton – 2:09.03
7. Jo Jo Ramey – 2:09.90
8. Katharine Berkoff – 2:10.20
SEE MORE: Trials: Rhyan White wins 200m back; Regan Smith misses cut
Women's 800m Freestyle - Final
RESULTS
1. Katie Ledecky – 8:14.62
2. Katie Grimes – 8:20.36
3. Haley Anderson – 8:20.51
4. Ally McHugh – 8:23.51
5. Bella Sims – 8:23.55
6. Eric Sullivan – 8:24.02
7. Kaersten Meitz – 8:31.88
8. Sierra Schmidt – 8:39.51
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SEE MORE: Katie Ledecky dominates 800m free, sets up historic Tokyo sweep
SEE MORE: Trials: Katie Ledecky dominates women's 800m freestyle final
Men's 50m Freestyle - Semifinal
A star-studded final is on tap for Sunday featuring Dressel, who won Heat 2 in 21.51, Michael Andrew, victorious in Heat 1 in 21.55, and Nathan Adrian (21.78).
Both Dressel and Andrew are already qualified for Tokyo in multiple events. Adrian needs the 50 free to make his fourth Olympic Team.
ADVANCED TO FINAL
1. Caeleb Dressel – 21.51
2. Michael Andrew – 21.55
3. Nathan Adrian – 21.78
4. Bowe Becker – 21.83
5. Justin Ress – 21.91
6. Adam Chaney – 22.00
7. Michael Chadwick – 22.01
8. David Curtiss – 22.07
SEE MORE: Swimming Trials: Dressel, Adrian advance to 50m free final
Women's 50m Freestyle - Semifinal
ADVANCED TO FINAL
1. Abbey Weitzeil – 24.27
2. Torri Huske – 24.45
3. Simone Manuel – 24.50
4. Linnea Mack – 24.54
5. Erika Brown – 24.57
6. Gretchen Walsh – 24.64
7. Kate Douglass – 24.67
8. Catie DeLoof – 24.68
SEE MORE: Trials: Simone Manuel qualifies for women's 50m free final