2016 Trials Throwback: Townley Haas Has Breakout Win in 200 Free Ahead of Dwyer, Conger, Lochte

Gunnar Bentz, Townley Haas & Jack Conger. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Each day during the pre-scheduled days of the 2020 US Olympic Trials, Swimming World will take its readers back four years to the 2016 Trials in Omaha to recap each event, and will offer some insight into what the events will look like in 2021.

The 200 freestyle at any Olympic Trials is always a wide open event. Since six swimmers will come out of the meet qualifying for the Games in this event, the heats and semi-finals are a war zone for everyone to try and get out in one piece. Once you get to the 200 free final, you have a 75% shot at making the team, so the semifinals are really the most important step in the 200 free qualifying process.

In 2016, Ryan Lochte and Conor Dwyer were the top two seeds coming into the Trials, as both of them were shooting to get back on the Olympic team. Lochte had swam on three teams and was on the gold medal winning 4×200 free relay at the last three Games, which Dwyer had also been a part of in London 2012. Dwyer had already qualified in the 400 freestyle earlier in the Trials, so the pressure was off him in the 200 and he could let loose a little bit knowing he was already on the plane for Rio.

Michael Phelps was also on the psych sheet in the 200 free, seeded 14th. It wasn’t known if he would swim all the way to the final since he had indicated he was going all in on the 100 & 200 fly and the 200 IM, but if he was in the 200 free final, then he would not have been counted out.

A lot of eyes were on Maxime Rooney, who was shooting to be the first high school male on the Olympic team in 16 years as the 2015 World Junior champ was seeded third on the psych sheet. Rooney had a bright future and had showed a lot of poise when racing against some of the nation’s best, and was a popular pick to make the Olympic team.

The Texas duo of Townley Haas and Jack Conger were also factors into the relay team as both were on the 800 free relay at NCAAs earlier that year that smashed the NCAA record in short course yards. Haas, just 19, broke the American record in the 200 freestyle that had stood for ten years up to that point, so he had a lot of momentum building to Trials. Conger had a spectacular high school career and was a favorite to make the team in a number of events, but the 200 free was a definite possibility for him since he had lots of success already in the year.

The Race

Semifinals

There were a few big finals misses as Rooney placed ninth (1:47.98). Pre-meet favorites Blake Pieroni (1:48.44), Reed Malone (1:48.85) and Zane Grothe (1:50.24) also missed the final, with Dwyer (1st), Conger (2nd), Haas (3rd) and Lochte (5th) advancing. Michael Phelps did not swim the event since the final of the 200 free fell on the same night as the 200 butterfly semifinal.

The Final

Ryan Lochte. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The biggest concern in the race was Lochte and his reported groin injury. Earlier in the meet he had been rundown in uncharacteristic fashion by Jay Litherland in the 400 IM final, finishing third and missing a spot in Rio despite being the reigning Olympic champion. Lochte had finished fourth at the 2015 Worlds in the 200 free and many believed he was still a favorite to finish first or second.

Jack Conger. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Conger, Dwyer, Haas and Lochte bolted to the lead to start off the final. Each used their own strengths to race the lead pack as Conger and Lochte had been especially strong off each turn. Dwyer was in the lead at the first turn and pressed down on the gas on the second 50. The 200 free had always been a stronger event for him and he was really ready to let it fly here, flipping at 51.09 at the 100.

At the 150, Dwyer had the lead with Haas and Lochte in tow. But it was clear that the 27-year-old Dwyer was hurting on the last length, and the 19-year-old Haas and 21-year-old Conger were running him down. Lochte had started to fall off the lead pack as well but he looked secure for a top four relay spot. The lead three had bunched up with five meters to go and as they crashed into the wall the scoreboard read: Haas first, Dwyer second, Conger third, Lochte fourth. Haas and Conger were first-time Olympians and Lochte was on his fourth team.

Results:

Townley Haas, 1:45.66
Conor Dwyer, 1:45.67
Jack Conger, 1:45.77
Ryan Lochte, 1:46.62
Gunnar Bentz, 1:47.33
Clark Smith, 1:47.53
Tyler Clary, 1:47.78
Jonathan Roberts, 1:49.50

On to Rio

conor-dwyer-400-free-prelims-2016-rio-olympics

Conor Dwyer. Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher- USA TODAY Sports

Conor Dwyer and Townley Haas both advanced to the final in Rio, as Dwyer won his first individual Olympic medal with a bronze behind Sun Yang and Chad Le Clos. Haas placed fifth in his first Olympic final. Those two led off the gold medal winning 4×200 freestyle relay the next night, extending the U.S. streak to four straight gold medals in that relay at the Games. Dwyer led off with a 1:45.23 while Haas had the fastest split in the final with a 1:44.14. Lochte (1:46.03) and Phelps (1:45.26) brought the gold medal home, winning by over two seconds with a 7:00.66.

Dwyer retired in the fall of 2019 after receiving a doping suspension that kept him out of the 2020 Olympic Trials. Haas remains the number one 200 freestyler in the United States as he is pushing for his second trip to the Games in 2021.

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