U.S. Olympic Trials: Dana Vollmer Breaks U.S. Open, Trials Records in 100 Fly Prelims

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OMAHA, Nebraska, June 25. CALIFORNIA's Dana Vollmer induced the first oohs and ahs from both the crowd and the swimmers in the warmdown pool with a U.S. Open and meet record at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Vollmer blitzed the preliminary session with a blazing time of 56.59. Her swim eclipsed Inge de Bruijn's more than decade old U.S. Open record of 56.64 set in Federal Way, Wash., back in 2000. It also blasted both the Trials record of 57.50 set by Christine Magnuson of Tennessee in 2008, and the textile best at Trials of 57.58 clocked by Dara Torres back in 2000. Vollmer's effort also shot her to the top of the world this year, ahead of Sarah Sjostrom's world-leading 56.79 for Sweden earlier this year.

Vollmer will definitely be vying for the world record of 56.06 owned by Sjostrom from the 2009 World Championships in Rome, but will also take a run at her own textile best of 56.47 set in semifinals of the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, which also stands as the American record. Overall, today's 56.59 is the sixth-fastest ever behind only Sjostrom (56.06, 56.44), Liu Zige (56.07), Jessicah Schipper (56.23) and Vollmer's lifetime best of 56.47.

Vollmer is looking to improve from her fifth place finish in this event in 2008, where Magnuson (58.11) and Stanford's Elaine Breeden (58.21) went 1-2 in the event with Lakeside's Rachel Komisarz nearly defying age with a third-place 58.36.

Western Kentucky's Claire Donahue qualified second with a time of 57.82, besting her lifetime best of 58.05. She's had a huge progression since 2008, where she finished 32nd in the 100 fly. Breeden also remained in the hunt for a second Olympic berth after taking second in 2008.

California's Natalie Coughlin cruised into semis as she usually does with a smooth 58.41, while Kathleen Hersey, training with the pros at Texas, qualified fifth in 58.66. Former Lady Volunteer Magnuson, the defending champion in the event, picked up a semifinal spot with an eighth-place 59.05, while current Lady Vols Kelsey Floyd (58.67) and Jenny Connolly (59.73) both earned second swims for Matt Kredich.

Semifinalists:
Dana Vollmer — 56.59
Claire Donahue — 57.82 (lifetime best)
Elaine Breeden — 58.38
Natalie Coughlin — 58.41
Kathleen Hersey — 58.66
Kelsey Floyd — 58.67 (lifetime best)
Caroline McElhany — 58.89 (lifetime best)
Christine Magnuson — 59.05
Erika Erndl — 59.23 (lifetime best)
Amanda Kendall — 59.26 (lifetime best)
Jasmine Tosky — 59.31 (lifetime best)
Kim Vandenberg — 59.37
Jenny Connolly — 59.73
Shannon Draves — 59.84
Olivia Scott — 59.87

Tanya Krisman – 59.42 swimoff over Cindy Tran (1:00.47)

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