{"id":476584,"date":"2021-06-14T08:57:18","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T15:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=476584"},"modified":"2021-06-14T12:18:40","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T19:18:40","slug":"us-olympic-trials-kieran-smith-shows-no-ill-effects-from-400-free-olympic-berth-leads-dressel-in-tense-200-free-heats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/us-olympic-trials-kieran-smith-shows-no-ill-effects-from-400-free-olympic-berth-leads-dressel-in-tense-200-free-heats\/","title":{"rendered":"US Olympic Trials: Kieran Smith Shows No Ill Effects from 400 Free Olympic Berth, Leads Dressel in Tense 200 Free Heats"},"content":{"rendered":"

After making his first Olympic team Sunday night in the 400 freestyle, Florida’s Kieran Smith\u00a0<\/strong>showed no signs of a euphoric hangover as he leads the 200 freestyle heats Monday with a 1:46.54 in a very easy 200 free heat for him.<\/p>\n

Smith is the third-fastest man in the 200 freestyle in short course yards and looks to be the anchor as a gold-medal favorite for the 800 free relay team that has won the Olympic gold medal at the last four Games.<\/p>\n

Smith is leading the 200 free semifinalists ahead of fellow Florida Gator Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>, who showed the rest of the field his speed as the second seed in 1:46.63. Dressel has had his name circling around the potential swimmers in the 800 free relay team. He reinforced that by putting up a solid swim to put himself in contention in Tokyo, assuming he makes the meet in his pet events – the 100 fly, and 50 and 100 free. Dressel has confirmed he will scratch<\/a> the semifinals of the 200 free.<\/p>\n

The top four in Tuesday night’s final will automatically make the Olympic team, with fifth and sixth place serving as alternates for the Games. The semifinals will be a huge battle to try and get into the final.<\/p>\n

Michigan’s Patrick Callan<\/strong>, who hails from Oklahoma, is seeded third at 1:46.96 ahead of 2016 Trials champ Townley Haas\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.06) and 2018 national champ Andrew Seliskar\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.07).<\/p>\n

Teenagers\u00a0Luca Urlando\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.20) and\u00a0Carson Foster\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.33), who were Swimming World’s<\/em> co-high school swimmers of the year in 2019<\/a>, finished sixth and eighth in the heats, respectively, with Texas’ Drew Kibler\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.31) in seventh.<\/p>\n

In spots nine though 16, 2016 Olympians in the 400 free relay, Blake Pieroni\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.35) and\u00a0Ryan Held\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.57), emerged as contenders for the 800 free relay, though Held scratched the semifinals along with Dressel. Members of the 2019 Worlds squad, Zach Apple <\/strong>(1:47.35) and Zane Grothe <\/strong>(1:47.93), advanced in ninth and 13th place, respectively.<\/p>\n

Georgia’s\u00a0Jake<\/strong> Magahey<\/strong>, who missed the final in yesterday’s 400 free, advanced in 13th at 1:47.93, as did\u00a0Trenton Julian\u00a0<\/strong>(1:47.63),\u00a0Jack Dahlgren\u00a0<\/strong>(1:48.15) and Jeff Newkirk\u00a0<\/strong>(1:48.15).<\/p>\n

2019 Pan Ams member Grant House\u00a0<\/strong>(1:48.18) and fellow Arizona State Sun Devil Julian Hill <\/strong>(1:48.58) were elevated to spots in semifinals after Dressel and Held scratched.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the heats, 36-year-old\u00a0Ryan Lochte\u00a0<\/strong>swam a 1:49.23 to win his heat, much to the crowd’s delight.\u00a0Michael Phelps<\/strong>, who swam with Lochte on four Olympic teams, was seen in the stands pointing out Lochte to his five-year-old son\u00a0Boomer\u00a0<\/strong>as the 2011 World champ finished 25th overall.<\/p>\n