U.S. Olympic Trials: Scott Weltz Turns on Afterburners for 200 Breast Trials Record; Clark Burckle Places Second

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OMAHA, Nebraska, June 29. SCOTT Weltz, training with the Marin Pirates and having been a part of a cut men's college team at UC Davis, pulled off the second breaststroke upset of the meet with a Trials record time in the men's 200 breast at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Weltz powered down the final 50 meters to win the event by nearly a second with a 2:09.01. That performance clipped Brendan Hansen's Trials record of 2:09.04 set back in 2004 in Long Beach, and jumped Weltz to fifth in the world this year. His previous best had been a 2:10.90 from prelims. Weltz has had a meteoric rise in the event, having finished well back in 37th in 2008, with his previous best finish being a 30th-place effort in the 400 IM that year as well.

Clark Burckle edged Eric Shanteau for the second Olympic spot, 2:09.97 to 2:10.05, just off his personal best of 2:09.72 that puts him seventh in the world. Shanteau, who placed second in the event in 2008, already made the team in the 100 breast, so likely was not too upset by the finish. Burckle now joins his sister as an Olympian. Caroline made the 2008 squad as a member of the 800 free relay.

Brendan Hansen, who won the event in 2004 and claimed a threepeat in the 100 breast earlier in the week to make the Olympic squad, had a reminiscent finish to 2008 when he took fourth. He checked in with a 2:10.25 after fading down the stretch.

Elliott Keefer (2:11.10), BJ Johnson (2:11.47), Trevor Hoyt (2:12.18) and Matt Elliott (2:12.71) rounded out the championship eight.

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