{"id":436150,"date":"2020-06-21T08:41:17","date_gmt":"2020-06-21T15:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=436150"},"modified":"2020-06-21T13:43:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-21T20:43:28","slug":"2016-us-olympic-trials-throwback-dirado-makes-first-team-in-400-im-beisel-clinches-third-trip-to-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2016-us-olympic-trials-throwback-dirado-makes-first-team-in-400-im-beisel-clinches-third-trip-to-games\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Trials Throwback: DiRado Makes First Team in 400 IM; Beisel Clinches Third Trip to Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/em><\/p>\n

Heading into the 2016 Trials, it was expected that\u00a0Maya DiRado\u00a0<\/strong>would not only emerge as a first-time Olympian, but would have one of the busiest schedules of all the American swimmers before heading to Rio. Her first event was the 400 IM, where she was the favorite after winning the silver medal at the World Championships in 2015. DiRado and two-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel\u00a0<\/strong>had been the top two IM’ers in the United States each of the last three years and it would have been shocking if either of them didn’t touch first or second.<\/p>\n

Beisel had a rough 2015 with injuries, missing the final at the World Championships, but had been swimming well in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Trials. So much so that\u00a0Swimming World’s\u00a0<\/em>David Rieder\u00a0<\/strong>boldly predicted<\/a> she would get under\u00a0Katie Hoff’s\u00a0<\/strong>American record of 4:31.12 on the first night of Trials.<\/p>\n

Four years prior, Beisel carried the flag for the United States along with\u00a0Caitlin Leverenz<\/strong>, who entered Trials as the third seed. But the bronze medalist from London figured to factor more in the 200 IM, so her time would come later in the meet. The NCAA champion that year was Stanford freshman\u00a0Ella Eastin<\/strong>, who was seeded eighth on the psych sheet and looked to be a spoiler if she was on. Another factor was 18-year-old\u00a0Becca Mann<\/strong>, who had been a big name on the national junior team and looked primed to make her senior team debut in the pool.<\/p>\n

The Race<\/a><\/h3>\n

With a big program ahead of her, DiRado qualified fourth after prelims and drew lane six in the final with an easy 4:38.54 in the heats. The top seed was 2015 NCAA champ Sarah Henry\u00a0<\/strong>(4:36.93) ahead of the 2012 Olympic silver medalist Beisel (4:37.61), and fellow Texas A&M Aggie\u00a0Bethany Galat\u00a0<\/strong>(4:38.39), who had a big breakout meet at the 2016 Trials.<\/p>\n

Leverenz qualified fifth (4:39.55) while Eastin missed the final in ninth (4:42.08).<\/p>\n

\"elizabeth-beisel-\"

Elizabeth Beisel. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

DiRado had established herself early on as the clear leader, taking a substantial lead after 50 meters in the backstroke and never relinquishing it. Beisel followed her closely in second as the two backstrokers used that stroke to their advantage in hopes of holding off a slew of breaststrokers capable of running them down – Leverenz, Galat and\u00a0Madisyn Cox<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

At the 300 turn, it was still DiRado and Beisel, but Galat was surging. Earlier in the night,\u00a0Jay Litherland\u00a0<\/strong>had caught\u00a0Ryan Lochte\u00a0<\/strong>in the men’s 400 IM with a wild freestyle leg. Many in the crowd wondered if it could happen again, but it was not in the cards for Galat, who would have another chance at the team in the 200 breaststroke.<\/p>\n

DiRado touched first and solidified her qualification to her first Olympic Games with a 4:33.73, while Beisel got on to her third team with a 4:36.81.<\/p>\n

Results:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Maya DiRado, 4:33.73<\/li>\n
  2. Elizabeth Beisel, 4:36.81<\/li>\n
  3. Bethany Galat, 4:37.69<\/li>\n
  4. Madisyn Cox, 4:38.85<\/li>\n
  5. Caitlin Leverenz, 4:39.58<\/li>\n
  6. Sarah Henry, 4:42.01<\/li>\n
  7. Lindsey Clary, 4:42.81<\/li>\n
  8. Kate Mills, 4:46.58<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n