Swimming
The United States Olympic Team Trials in Swimming were held on June 29 – July 6 in Omaha, Nebraska. The U.S. sent two people in each individual discipline and up to six people for the 4x100 freestyle relays and 4x200 freestyle relays. On August 1, Jessica Hardy, who had qualified in the 100 meter breaststroke and the 50 meter freestyle, withdrew from the Olympic team after failing an anti-doping test at the national trials. Hardy opted to pull out instead of contesting the test results at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The U.S. left Beijing with 31 swimming medals: 12 gold, 9 silver and 10 bronze. This surpassed the 28 medals won by the swimming team in Athens. In the process, the U.S. broke ten swimming world records and twenty-four American records. The American performance in swimming was highlighted by Michael Phelps, who won a total of eight gold medals, surpassing Mark Spitz's 36-year-old single Games record of seven gold medals. Phelps also surpassed Spitz, Larisa Latynina of the USSR, Paavo Nurmi of Finland, and American sprinter Carl Lewis to become the current record holder for the most Olympic gold medals (fourteen). All three men's relay teams set world records, and an additional six individual world records were set by Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Aaron Peirsol.
The United States also saw milestones in women's swimming. Natalie Coughlin won six medals, more than any other female swimmer in Beijing., and the most for any American female athlete in a single Olympics. Rebecca Soni set a world record in the 200 meter breaststroke. Dara Torres, who won 3 silver medals after her eight-year absence, became the oldest Olympic swimmer to win a medal, at age 41.
- Qualifiers for the latter rounds of swimming events were decided on a time only basis, therefore positions shown are overall results versus competitors in all heats.
- Men
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Garrett Weber-Gale | 50 m freestyle | 21.95 | 9 Q | 22.08 | 13 | Did not advance | |
| Ben Wildman-Tobriner | 21.75 | 3 Q | 21.76 | 7 Q | 21.64 | 5 | |
| Jason Lezak | 100 m freestyle | 48.33 | 11 Q | 47.98 | 6 Q | 47.67 | 03 ! |
| Garrett Weber-Gale | 48.19 | 8 Q | 48.12 | 10 | Did not advance | ||
| Michael Phelps | 200 m freestyle | 1:46.48 | 4 Q | 1:46.28 | 4 Q | 1:42.96 WR | 01 ! |
| Peter Vanderkaay | 1:47.39 | 12 Q | 1:45.76 | 1 Q | 1:45.14 | 03 ! | |
| Larsen Jensen | 400 m freestyle | 3:43.10 AM | 1 Q | 3:42.78 AM | 03 ! | ||
| Peter Vanderkaay | 3:44.22 | 6 Q | 3:43.11 | 4 | |||
| Larsen Jensen | 1500 m freestyle | 14:49.53 | 8 Q | 14:48.16 | 5 | ||
| Peter Vanderkaay | 14:52.11 | 11 | Did not advance | ||||
| Matt Grevers | 100 m backstroke | 53.41 OR | 1 Q | 52.99 | 2 Q | 53.11 | 02 ! |
| Aaron Peirsol | 53.65 | 3 Q | 53.56 | 5 Q | 52.54 WR | 01 ! | |
| Ryan Lochte | 200 m backstroke | 1:56.29 | 1 Q | 1:55.40 | 2 Q | 1:53.93 WR | 01 ! |
| Aaron Peirsol | 1:56.35 | 2 Q | 1:55.26 | 1 Q | 1:54.33 | 02 ! | |
| Mark Gangloff | 100 m breaststroke | 1:00.71 | 16 Q | 1:00.44 | 7 Q | 1:00.24 | 8 |
| Brendan Hansen | 1:00.36 | 10 Q | 59.94 | 5 Q | 59.57 | 4 | |
| Eric Shanteau | 200 m breaststroke | 2:10.29 | 7 Q | 2:10.10 | 10 | Did not advance | |
| Scott Spann | 2:10.61 | 10 Q | 2:09.08 | 3 Q | 2:09.76 | 6 | |
| Ian Crocker | 100 m butterfly | 51.95 | 13 Q | 51.27 | 3 Q | 51.13 | 4 |
| Michael Phelps | 50.87 | 2 Q | 50.97 | 2 Q | 50.58 OR | 01 ! | |
| Michael Phelps | 200 m butterfly | 1:53.70 OR | 1 Q | 1:53.70 =OR | 1 Q | 1:52.03 WR | 01 ! |
| Gil Stovall | 1:55.42 | 8 Q | 1:55.36 | 9 | Did not advance | ||
| Ryan Lochte | 200 m individual medley | 1:58.15 | 1 Q | 1:57.69 | 1 Q | 1:56.53 | 03 ! |
| Michael Phelps | 1:58.65 | 6 Q | 1:57.70 | 2 Q | 1:54.23 WR | 01 ! | |
| Ryan Lochte | 400 m individual medley | 4:10.33 | 4 Q | 4:08.09 | 03 ! | ||
| Michael Phelps | 4:07.82 OR | 1 Q | 4:03.84 WR | 01 ! | |||
| Nathan Adrian* Matt Grevers* Cullen Jones Jason Lezak Michael Phelps Garrett Weber-Gale Ben Wildman-Tobriner* |
4×100 m freestyle relay | 3:12.23 WR | 1 Q | 3:08.24 WR | 01 ! | ||
| Ricky Berens Klete Keller* Ryan Lochte Michael Phelps Peter Vanderkaay Erik Vendt* Dave Walters* |
4×200 m freestyle relay | 7:04.66 OR | 1 Q | 6:58.56 WR | 01 ! | ||
| Ian Crocker* Matt Grevers* Mark Gangloff* Brendan Hansen Jason Lezak Aaron Peirsol Michael Phelps Garrett Weber-Gale* |
4×100 m medley relay | 3:32.75 | 1 Q | 3:29.34 WR | 01 ! | ||
| Mark Warkentin | 10 km open water | 1:52:13.00 | 8 | ||||
- Women
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Kara Lynn Joyce | 50 m freestyle | 25.01 | 14 Q | 24.63 | 7 Q | 24.63 | 6 |
| Dara Torres | 24.58 | 3 Q | 24.27 | 1 Q | 24.07 AM | 02 ! | |
| Natalie Coughlin | 100 m freestyle | 53.82 | 4 Q | 53.70 | 1 Q | 53.39 AM | 03 ! |
| Lacey Nymeyer | 54.62 | 14 Q | 54.74 | 12 | Did not advance | ||
| Katie Hoff | 200 m freestyle | 1:57.20 | 4 Q | 1:57.01 | 2 Q | 1:55.78 AM | 4 |
| Allison Schmitt | 1:57.38 | 7 Q | 1:58.01 | 9 | Did not advance | ||
| Katie Hoff | 400 m freestyle | 4:03.71 | 3 Q | 4:03.29 | 02 ! | ||
| Kate Ziegler | 4:09.59 | 14 | Did not advance | ||||
| Katie Hoff | 800 m freestyle | 8:27.78 | 11 | Did not advance | |||
| Kate Ziegler | 8:26.98 | 10 | Did not advance | ||||
| Natalie Coughlin | 100 m backstroke | 59.69 | 4 Q | 59.43 | 2 Q | 58.96 AM | 01 ! |
| Margaret Hoelzer | 1:00.13 | 7 Q | 59.84 | 6 Q | 59.34 | 03 ! | |
| Elizabeth Beisel | 200 m backstroke | 2:09.02 | 6 Q | 2:07.90 | 2 Q | 2:08.23 | 5 |
| Margaret Hoelzer | 2:09.12 | 7 Q | 2:08.25 | 5 Q | 2:06.23 | 02 ! | |
| Megan Jendrick | 100 m breaststroke | 1:08.07 | 9 Q | 1:08.07 | 7 Q | 1:07.62 | 5 |
| Rebecca Soni | 1:07.44 | 4 Q | 1:07.07 | 2 Q | 1:06.73 | 02 ! | |
| Amanda Beard | 200 m breaststroke | 2:27.70 | 18 | Did not advance | |||
| Rebecca Soni | 2:22.17 OR | 1 Q | 2:22.64 | 1 Q | 2:20.22 WR | 01 ! | |
| Elaine Breeden | 100 m butterfly | 58.06 | 2 Q | 58.55 | 10 | Did not advance | |
| Christine Magnuson | 57.70 | 6 Q | 57.08 AM | 2 Q | 57.10 | 02 ! | |
| Elaine Breeden | 200 m butterfly | 2:07.92 | 9 Q | 2:07.73 | 8 Q | 2:07.57 | 7 |
| Kathleen Hersey | 2:07.65 | 7 Q | 2:06.96 | 5 Q | 2:08.23 | 8 | |
| Natalie Coughlin | 200 m individual medley | 2:11.63 | 3 Q | 2:11.84 | 4 Q | 2:10.34 | 03 ! |
| Katie Hoff | 2:11.58 | 2 Q | 2:10.90 | 3 Q | 2:10.68 | 4 | |
| Elizabeth Beisel | 400 m individual medley | 4:34.55 | 1 Q | 4:34.24 | 4 | ||
| Katie Hoff | 4:34.63 | 2 Q | 4:31.71 | 03 ! | |||
| Natalie Coughlin Kara Lynn Joyce Lacey Nymeyer* Emily Silver Julia Smit* Dara Torres |
4×100 m freestyle relay | 3:37.53 | 3 Q | 3:34.33 AM | 02 ! | ||
| Caroline Burckle Natalie Coughlin Katie Hoff Christine Marshall* Allison Schmitt Julia Smit* Kim Vandenberg* |
4×200 m freestyle relay | 7:52.43 | 2 Q | 7:46.33 AM | 03 ! | ||
| Elaine Breeden* Natalie Coughlin Margaret Hoelzer* Megan Jendrick* Kara Lynn Joyce* Rebecca Soni Christine Magnuson Dara Torres |
4×100 m medley relay | 3:59.15 | 3 Q | 3:53.30 AM | 02 ! | ||
| Chloe Sutton | 10 km open water | 2:02:13.6 | 22 | ||||
Read more about this topic: United States At The 2008 Summer Olympics
Famous quotes containing the word swimming:
“Whenever parents become overly invested in a particular skill or accomplishment, a child’s fear of failure multiplies. This is why some children refuse to get into the pool for a swimming lesson, or turn their back on Daddy’s favorite sport.”
—Cathy Rindner Tempelsman (20th century)
“Awareness of having better things to do with their lives is the secret to immunizing our children against false values—whether presented on television or in “real life.” The child who finds fulfillment in music or reading or cooking or swimming or writing or drawing is not as easily convinced that he needs recognition or power or some “high” to feel worthwhile.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)
“Mead had studied for the ministry, but had lost his faith and took great delight in blasphemy. Capt. Charles H. Frady, pioneer missionary, held a meeting here and brought Mead back into the fold. He then became so devout that, one Sunday, when he happened upon a swimming party, he shot at the people in the river, and threatened to kill anyone he again caught desecrating the Sabbath.”
—For the State of Nebraska, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)