U.S. Olympic Swimming Team: Roster Announced For London 2012

2012 Olympic Swim Team Is Announced For London Games

After eight days in Omaha, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming reached its conclusion Monday night, and with it came the official roster announcement from USA Swimming.

The men's side is led, obviously, by Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Phelps, a 16-time medalist, will compete in four individual events in London (200m IM, 400m IM, 100m fly and 200m fly), the same number as Lochte (200m back, 200m IM, 400m IM and 200m free). The rivals could face each other in two finals, while also competing together on the relay teams.

On the women's side, 17-year-old Missy Franklin qualified in four individual events, and Allison Schmitt will swim three competitions in London.

In addition to the 49 swimmers named to the team for the 2012 Summer Olympics, USA Swimming also tabbed the coaches for London: The men's staff consists of head coach Gregg Troy and assistant coaches Bob Bowman, David Marsh and Eddie Reese; The women's head coach is Teri McKeever, and the assistant coaches are Dave Salo, Todd Schmitz and Steve Bultman. Tim Murphy is the head open water coach.

The full team will head to Knoxville, Tenn., on July 7, for training camp in advance of traveling to London. The Olympic swimming competition takes place between July 28 and August 4 at the London Aquatic Centre, with the women's and men's open water 10K set for Aug. 9 and 10, respectively, at the Serpentine at Hyde Park.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team:

Men:
Alex Meyer - 10K Open Water
Ryan Lochte - 200 Back, 200 IM, 400m IM, 200 Free, 800 Free Relay
Peter Vanderkaay - 400 Free
Brendan Hansen - 100 Breast
Michael Phelps - 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Fly, 800 Free Relay
Ricky Berens - 200 Free, 800 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay
Conor Dwyer - 400m Free, 800 Free Relay
Matt Grevers - 100 Backstroke, 400 Free Relay
Scott Weltz - 200 Breast
Clark Burckle - 200 Breast
Nathan Adrian - 100 Free, 400 Free Relay
Cullen Jones - 50 Free, 100 Free, 400 Free Relay
Eric Shanteau - 100 Breast
Nick Thoman - 100 Back
Tyler Clary - 200 Fly, 200 Back
Tyler McGill - 100 Fly
Anthony Ervin - 50 Free
Jason Lezak - 400 Free Relay
Jimmy Feigen - 400 Free Relay
Matt McLean - 800 Free Relay
Charlie Houchin - 800 Free Relay
Davis Tarwater - 800 Free Relay
Andrew Gemmell - 1500 Free
Connor Jaeger - 1500 Free

Women:
Haley Anderson - 10K Open Water
Elizabeth Beisel - 200 Backstroke, 400 IM
Dana Vollmer - 100 Fly, 800 Free Relay
Allison Schmitt - 400 Free, 200 Free, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay
Missy Franklin - 100 Free, 100m Backstroke, 200 Backstroke, 200 Free, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay
Breeja Larson - 100 Breaststroke
Lauren Perdue - 800 Free Relay
Caitlin Leverenz - 400 IM , 200m IM
Cammile Adams - 200 Fly
Kathleen Hersey - 200 Fly
Claire Donahue - 100 Fly
Chloe Sutton - 400 Free
Rachel Bootsma - 100 Back
Rebecca Soni - 100 Breast, 200 Breast
Ariana Kukors - 200 IM
Micah Lawrence - 200 Breast
Jessica Hardy - 50 Free, 100 Free, 400 Free Relay
Lia Neal - 400 Free Relay
Katie Ledecky - 800 Free
Kate Ziegler - 800 Free
Amanda Weir - 400 Free Relay
Natalie Coughlin - 400 Free Relay
Shannon Vreeland - 800 Free Relay
Alyssa Anderson - 800 Free Relay
Kara Lynn Joyce - 50 Free

Stay with SB Nation Olympics throughout the competition this summer, and follow the Swimming section for the latest news from London.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Andrew Gemmell, Connor Jaeger Headed To London In Men's 1500 Freestyle

The longest deciding race of the entire U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials took place Monday night, when eight men hit the pool for the men's 1500-meter freestyle. Andrew Gemmell prevailed, and punched his ticket to London.

Gemmell finished swimming's equivalent of a marathon in 14:52.19, just .32 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Connor Jaeger, and both men earned spots on the 2012 London Olympic team for their efforts.

After 1450 meters, just .07 seconds separated Gemmell and Jaeger, turning the race into a sprint. Gemmell swam the final 50 meters in 27.54 seconds, enough to widen the gap on Jaeger, who finished with a final 27.79-second lap.

Both swimmers left the rest of the field in their wake: Chad La Tourette, the third-place finisher, was more than five seconds behind Jaeger, and every other swimmer was more than five seconds behind him.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Jessica Hardy Wins Women's 50M Freestyle, Dara Torres Fourth

Monday night, youth was served in the fastest event in women's swimming. Jessica Hardy, 25, took first in the women's 50-meter freestyle at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, in a time of 24.50 seconds.

Hardy was followed by Kara Lynn Joyce, who finished second at 24.73 seconds, and also qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the event.

But the story of the event was Dara Torres' attempt to make a sixth Olympic team at the age of 45, and the 12-time Olympic medalist nearly pulled it off. Torres finished fourth, at 24.82 seconds, just .09 seconds off of Joyce's pace, and will not be headed to the 2012 London Olympics. Her bid to swim in the red, white and blue ended 28 years after first doing so in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

How Ricky Berens Learned He Qualified For The Olympics Is Fantastic

2012 Olympics: Michael Phelps To Swim 7 Events In London

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps will compete in seven different events in London during the 2012 Olympics.

2012 U.S. Swimming Team: Michael Phelps Qualified For Eight Events, Possibly Dropping One

With his participation in the 2012 U.S. Swimming Trials finished, Michael Phelps is eligible to participate in eight events -- five individual races and three relays -- the same program that won him a record-setting eight golds in Beijing in 2008.

But Phelps is four years older, and the 2012 Olympics will be his last international competition. Will he be choose to undergo the arduous task of participating in all eight events at this stage in his career, or focus on winning the races he has the best chances of winning? Phelps and his coach, Bob Bowman are leaving it open-ended:

"We’re gonna think about it, we’re gonna talk about it. We wanted to wait until we finished all of the events and see."

"He wants to swim a lot of events that he can win, instead of a lot of events. We only want to put him in a situation where he can get wins. I think you can pick three or four [individual races]. The fewer the better his chances are."

That would indicate Phelps would choose to drop one of his individual races. Phelps won the trials for four of his five individual races, but lost the 400 IM to Ryan Lochte. Phelps had not participated in the 400 IM for some time before the trials, and therefore it seems the most likely event for Phelps to drop.

However, USA Swimming said that the Phelps' status is least certain in the 400 free relay. Relays are easier on a swimmer, since Phelps himself wouldn't have to participate in the heats to qualify for a final in order to win a medal, and therefore he could save precious energy during his hectic Olympics schedule.

That said, we won't get any indication on Phelps' schedule for some time. For all we know, he might defy the odds and go for gold in all eight events one more time.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: Schedule, TV Coverage For Monday

The 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials come to a conclusion on Monday with only two events left to be settled, and they couldn't possibly be more different. Things get started with the women's 50-meter freestyle, and the night closes with a long-distance challenge, the men's 1500 free.

Dara Torres is in the mix in the 50 free, having recorded the third-fastest time in the semifinals. Jessica Hardy leads the pack into the finals following a 24.56 50 on Saturday. Christine Magnuson was second-fastest with a time of 24.72.

Andrew Gemmell and Connor Jaeger finished as the top two seeds in Sunday's preliminary race for the men's 1500, establishing themselves as the favorites to qualify for the Olympics. They were the only two racers to break the 15-minute barrier, finishing almost 10 seconds ahead of their closest competitor.

Both finals will be broadcast on NBC, starting at 8 p.m. EDT. You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Cullen Jones Wins 50M Free, Anthony Ervin Qualifies

2008 Olympic relay hero Cullen Jones continued his strong showing in the Trials with a narrow win in the men's 50 meter freestyle.

Jones finished with a time of 21.59, only .01 faster than second-place Anthony Ervin, a gold medalist from the Sydney Olympics. Ervin, a colorful character with arm-sleeve tattoos, left the sport for nearly a decade before returning for one final attempt in 2012. He auctioned off his last gold to raise money for the survivors of the Asian tsunami in 2004.

He finished only .08 ahead of Nathan Adrian, the winner of the men's 100 meter freestyle on Saturday night who was trying to go for a double-dip in the freestyle sprints in London.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Kathleen Ledecky Wins 800M Free

Kathleen Ledecky, a 15-year old from the Northern Virginia area, wasted no time making a name for herself in her first Olympic Trials, as she easily won the women's 800 meter freestyle to qualify for the Olympics.

Ledecky got out to an extremely fast start and never looked back. She led the race almost the entire way, finishing with a time of 8:19.78.

Kate Ziegler, who stayed about two lengths behind Ledecky for most of the race, finished in second with a time of 8:21.87; the next closest swimmer, Haley Anderson, finished almost five seconds behind Ziegler at 8:26.60. Ziegler is making her second consecutive trip to the Olympics.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Missy Franklin Wins 200m Backstroke, Elizabeth Beisel Qualifies

Missy Franklin will have a chance to become the first woman to win seven medals at an Olympic games in swimming, though it was a foregone conclusion that she would qualify for seven events coming into Sunday night. The 200 meter backstroke is her self-described favorite event, and she won in very comfortable fashion. She did not appear to be going as hard as she could, and still won in 2:06.12.

Elizabeth Beisel will be joining her at the Olympics after she turned in a time of 2:07.58 in a second-place finish. Elizabeth Pelton put in an impressive effort, but came up just short in third place and will miss out on qualifying for the Olympics.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: Schedule, TV Coverage For Sunday

The first six days have been full of action at the 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials, and Day 7 figures to be more of the same. Sunday's schedule includes four finals and one semifinal.

One of the main events Sunday is the women's 200-meter backstroke final. The race will feature Missy Franklin,who holds the American record for the event and qualified first in the preliminaries. Elizabeth Beisel who finished fifth in the 2008 Olympics in the 200-meter backstroke will also compete Sunday.

Sunday's television coverage from Omaha will start at 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports before shifting to NBC at 8 p.m. ET. Live streaming will also be available at NBCOlympics.com.

The following finals and semifinals will take place Sunday night:

Women's 200m Back -- Final
Men's 100m Fly -- Final
Women's 800m Free -- Final
Men's 50m Free -- Final
Women's 50m Free -- Semifinal

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

Ryan Lochte On Saturday's Triple: 'Most Pain I've Ever Endured'

Michael Phelps Leads Field Into 100m Fly Finals At Olympic Trials

On his 27th birthday, Michael Phelps won his semifinal and turned in the fastest time in the men's 100-meter butterfly at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming Saturday night in Omaha, Neb. Phelps touched the wall in 51.35 seconds, which is the fastest time in the world so far in 2012.

Phelps will lead the field into the finals of the event, scheduled for Sunday night. Tyler McGill turned in the second-fastest qualifying time (51.88), followed by Tom Shields (51.89). Ryan Lochte, swimming in the first semifinal, finished third and is tied with Eugene Godsoe for sixth heading to the finals (52.47). For Lochte, it was his third race in a span of about 58 minutes Saturday night, and he was absolutely exhausted.

Phelps is a two-time defending Olympic gold medalist in the 100m fly, and he's won the event at the past three World Championships.

Sunday's 100m fly finals will be Phelps' final swim at the Olympic Trials -- he's already qualified in four individual events for London.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Jessica Hardy, Missy Franklin Top 2 In Women's 100m Freestyle

Jessica Hardy has won the women's 100 meter freestyle final with a personal record time and will make the Olympics, followed closely in second place by Missy Franklin. Just 19 minutes after swimming a semifinal in the 200 meter backstroke, Franklin put together an impressive swim, closing from seventh place to finish second in the race.

The top six finishers in the race all head to the Olympics to compete in relays. Natalie Coughlin, who was attempting to qualify for her third Olympic games, barely nabbed sixth place to qualify. Allison Schmidt finished third, Lia Neal finished fourth, and Amanda Weir finished in fifth place to make the team. All six qualifiers were within half of a second of each other.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

Michael Phelps Bests Ryan Lochte In 200m IM Finals At Olympic Trials

The biggest rivalry in swimming was renewed Saturday night in Omaha at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials when Michael Phelps edged Ryan Lochte in the men's 200-meter IM finals, finishing just 0.09 seconds ahead of his toughest competition.

Phelps touched the wall in 1:54.84, Lochte in 1:54.93. They were both more than four seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.

Phelps had a slight lead at both the 50m and 100m mark but in the third leg, the breaststroke, Lochte began to gain the smallest advantage, but that only lasted into the final turn. Phelps cut that gap as they transitioned to the freestyle and held off Lochte over the final 50 meters. It should be noted the race came just 27 minutes after Lochte won his semifinal race in the men's 200m back.

Both Phelps and Lochte have now qualified for four individual events in London.

Phelps won gold in the event at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, with the latter including Lochte taking home the bronze. But Lochte got the better of his rival at the 2011 World Championships, edging him by 0.16 seconds.

The finals of the men's 200m IM in the Summer Games is scheduled for August 2 in London.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Ryan Lochte, Tyler Clary Qualify In 200m Backstroke As Expected

To the surprise of no one, Ryan Lochte and Tyler Clary have smoked the field in the 200 meter backstroke to qualify for the event at the 2012 Olympics. Both were already Olympians and pulled away from their competitors easily in the final 50 meters of the race.

Lochte won the race in 1:54.54, followed by Clary in 1:54.88. Both were more than two seconds ahead of their nearest competitors.

This was the first of three races on Saturday night for Lochte, who has a semifinal heat as well as an important 200 meter individual medley showdown with Michael Phelps later on. He has 27 minutes between this race and that race in the IM.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Rebecca Soni Wins 200m Breaststroke, Micah Lawrence Heads To Olympics

Rebecca Soni turned in a dominant performance in the women's 200 meter breaststroke final, winning the race by nearly two seconds, qualifying for the Olympics in the event. She was already an Olympian on the back of her performance in the 100 meter breaststroke, but will attempt to capture multiple medals at multiple distances.

Coming in second place with a personal best was Micah Lawrence, who heads to her first Olympics. Her recent rise has been a slight surprise, as she struggled at the NCAA level last year. Failing to qualify was 30-year-old Amanda Beard, who was attempting to make her fifth consecutive Olympic team. She finished in fifth place, just over five seconds behind Soni and a little more than three seconds behind Lawrence.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

Ryan Lochte Expected To Compete In Three Events On Saturday

Day 6 of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials will take place on Saturday in Omaha. Ryan Lochte will once again show what a workhorse he is as he continues chasing down Michael Phelps in an attempt to become the new top dog in American swimming.

According to Nicole Auerbach, Lochte has not been scratched from Saturday's 100 meter fly semifinal heat. This means that Lochte will be swimming in three different events during Saturday's Olympic trials. He will also compete in the final of the men's 200 backstroke and will go head-to-head with Michael Phelps once again in the final of the men's 200-meter individual medley.

Saturday's events kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC, with preliminary action airing at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: Schedule, TV Coverage

As the 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials head into Day 6, the events will be highlighted by the men's 200-meter individual medley as Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps once again battle head-to-head for first place. But can anyone challenge for one of the top two positions and pull off the upset?

The following finals and semifinals will take place on Saturday night:

SATURDAY, JUNE 30

Men's 50 Free - Semifinal
Women's 200 Breast - Final
Men's 200 Back - Final
Women's 200 Back - Semifinal
Men's 200 IM - Final
Women's 100 Free - Final
Men's 100 Fly - Semifinal

The preliminary heats will be aired live on NBC Sports Network starting at 6:30 p.m. EDT until 8 p.m. Once the preliminary races are finished, the coverage will shift over to NBC from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps Dominate In Men's 200m IM Semifinal

During the 2012 Olympic swimming trials Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps have been battling back and forth in the various events and that was no different in the men's 200m individual medley semifinals. Lochte and Phelps put on a clinic in the event, leaving everyone else behind in their wake.

The two american's battled head to head with Lochte taking a short lead over Phelps in the final stretch of the event in the free style stroke, with Lochte and Phelps a good two seconds ahead of everyone else in the heat.

Lochte edged out Phelps in the event taking first place with a time of 1:55.51 as Phelps turned in a 1:56.66 as the two move on to the finals, where both are expected to qualify.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

Nathan Adrian Wins Men's 100m Freestyle At Olympic Swimming Trials

In a loaded finals field, Nathan Adrian emerged as the winner in the men's 100-meter freestyle at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming in Omaha, Neb. Friday night. It was a tightly contested race, with the top-seven all finishing within 0.82 seconds of each other.

Cullen Jones took second, while Matt Grevers came in third.

Ricky Berens and Jimmy Feigen finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Jason Lezak, only in the finals after Ryan Lochte scratched the event, came in sixth place -- the whole half-dozen qualified for the Olympics, with Grevers and Berens being assured of a relay spot on Team USA.

The top-two finishers will swim the 100m free in London, while all of the top-six advance for the 4x100m free team relay. The finals in the men's 100m free in London is scheduled for August 1.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Cammille Adams, Kathleen Hersey Qualify For Women's 200m Fly

The 2012 Olympic trials continue on Day 5 with the women's 200m fly finals. Kathleen Hersey was trying to follow up her 2011 women's 200m fly championship with a spot on the U.S. women's 2012 Olympic team. Hersey took the early lead in the fly after the first 50m turn, and maintained it through the half way point.

Cammille Adams was right on Hersey's tail after the final 150m turn, and overtook Hersey in the final stretch and began to separate herself as the clear winner in the 200m fly, clocking in her personal best time with 2:06.52. Hersey finished up in second place with a time of 2:07.72 joining Hersey in making the women's 200m team.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Scott Weltz, Clark Burckle Qualify For Men's 200m Breast

On the fifth day of swimming trials for the 2012 Olympics the U.S.A. men's swimming team finalized who would represent America in the 200m men's breast. Eric Shanteau was a big sleeper in the event, finishing in second place in the men's 100m right behind Brendan Hansen.

Hansen took the early lead on the first turn with Clark Burckle and Shanteau right behind him. As the race continued to the first 100m turn, Burckle over took Hansen with Shanteau maintaining third place heading to the 150m turn.

On the final turn, Shanteau overtook both Hansen and Burckle to take the lead but was over taken by Scott Weltz on the final stretch as Weltz finishes in first place with a time of 2:09.01 and Burckle in second with a time of 2:09.97.

Hansen and Shanteau, who both qualified for the men's 100m breast, were shut out of the 200m breast.

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

2012 U.S Olympic Swimming Team Trials: Schedule, TV Coverage For Friday

There will be three more finals on Day 5 of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials on Friday night. Competitors from all over the nation will continue their attempts to secure spots on the U.S. Olympic team at the Summer Games in London.

Friday's three finals include the men's 200-meter breaststroke and 100-meter freestyle, and the women's 200-meter fly.

The fastest preliminary heats from Friday's trials will be shown on tape delay from 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. After that, semifinals and finals for the day's trials will be televised nationally on NBC from 8 p.m. until 9 p.m. ET.

Please note that the finals and semfinals listed below will only air live in the Eastern time zone at 8 p.m. ET and in the Central time zone at 7 p.m. The trials will be tape-delayed and air locally at 8 p.m. in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

The following finals and semifinals will take place on Friday night:

Men's 200m Breast -- Final
Women's 100m Free -- Semifinal
Men's 200m Back -- Semifinal
Women's 200m Fly -- Final
Men's 100m Free -- Final
Women's 200m Breast -- Semifinal
Men's 200m IM -- Semifinal

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha, Neb., as Team USA is decided.

Caitlin Leverenz Wins 200m Medley At 2012 Olympic Trials

Caitlin Leverenz is showing off her abilities as a well-rounded swimmer this week.

On Thursday, the 21-year-old UC - Berkley swimmer won the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:10.22.

Ariana Kukors finished second and will also advance to the Olympics in this event.

This is the second event that Leverenz has qualified to participate in for the 2012 Olympics. On Tuesday during the U.S. Olympic Trials, she finished second behind Elizabeth Beisel in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:34.48, meaning she will chase gold in at least two events in London next month.

Clearly, versatility is her strong suit.

This will be Leverenz's first Olympic appearance.

In 2008, she just missed out on making the team after finishing third in the 200m breaststroke.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha as Team USA is decided.

Allison Schmitt Wins Women's 200m Freestyle At 2012 Olympic Swimming Trials

Allison Schmitt is establishing herself as a must-watch swimmer for the upcoming 2012 London Olympics.

After winning the 400m freestyle on Tuesday, Schmitt continued her dominance Thursday by winning the 200m freestyle.

Schmitt's winning time of 1:54.40 is a new American record, giving her another event she will compete in for the 2012 Olympics wearing the stars and stripes.

In this event, the top six finishers qualify for the Olympic relay team, meaning Missy Frankin, Dana Vollmer, Lauren Perdue, Shannon Vreeland and Alyssa Anderson will be heading to London based on their finish in this event.

With her second place finish in the 200m freestyle behind Schmitt, Franklin has also qualified for the individual race in London.

Schmitt won a bronze medal during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha as Team USA is decided.

Michael Phelps Wins 200m Butterfly At 2012 Olympic Swimming Trials

Michael Phelps won the men's 200-meter butterfly Thursday night as the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in swimming started Day 4 in Omaha, Neb. The 16-time Olympic medalist was the first to touch the wall, doing so in a time of 1:53.65.

Tyler Clary was second with a time of 1:55.12 and will represent Team USA in the event at the 2012 London Olympics.

Just missing out, by .67 of a second was Bobby Bollier.

The win by Phelps was hardly a surprise -- not only was he the pre-race favorite, but he's already expected to take gold in London.

Phelps's Olympic debut came in the 200m fly in the Sydney Games (he finished fifth), and since then he has dominated the event: As a 15-year-old, he set the world record in 2001, took first at the 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2011 World Championships and won the gold medal in both Athens and Beijing. Yes, he still owns the world record (1:51.51).

Phelps has already qualified for the London Games in the 200m free and 400m IM. He scratched the 100m back from his schedule but is still set to swim four more events: the 100m free (finals Friday night), 200m back (semis Friday night, finals Saturday), 200m IM (finals Saturday) and 100m fly (semis Saturday, finals Sunday).

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha as Team USA is decided.

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Michael Phelps In The 200m Fly Highlights Day 4

It's Day 4 of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming -- last one in is probably not going to London! (Apparently I am already running out of creative ways to open these daily previews -- this does not bode well for August.)

Thursday night in Omaha brings with it a trio of finals, highlighted by Michael Phelps' signature event, the 200-meter fly. There are also three semi-finals: men's 100m free (Ryan Lochte alert!), women's 200m fly and men's 200m breast.

NBC Sports Network is airing the heats from 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET, and then NBC takes over with live coverage (on the East Coast) of the finals from 8-9 p.m ET. Live streaming will be at NBCOlympics.com.

Women's 200m Free

Another opportunity to see Missy Franklin, the 17-year-old from Colorado. She'll aim to secure her spot in another race in London after already qualifying in the 100m back. Franklin will get heavy competition from Allison Schmitt, who turned in the fastest time in the preliminary heats and won the 400m free earlier this week, and Dana Vollmer.

Men's 200m Fly

The second final of the evening is likely a preview of London, in that everyone is swimming for second (and even that is nearly predetermined thanks to Tyler Clary). Here is an incomplete list of major wins Phelps has in the 200m fly: 2003 World Championships, 2004 Olympics, 2007 World Championships, 2008 Olympics, 2009 World Championships and the 2011 World Championships. Oh, and he owns the world record in the event, too.

Women's 200m IM

Caitlin Leverenz and Elizabeth Pelton had the fastest times in the preliminary round, but it's a wide-open race that features the world-record holder, Ariana Kukors.

Stay with our StoryStream for the latest from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming in Omaha as Team USA is decided.

2012 U.S Olympic Swimming Team Trials: Schedule, TV Coverage For Thursday

A few more spots on team USA for the London Olympics will be on the line Thursday as the 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials continue. Thursday's schedule features six races including three finals.

The three finals are the men's 200-meter fly --featuring Michael Phelps -- and the women's 200-meter free and 200-meter IM. The evening session in Omaha, Neb., will also feature three semifinals: men's 100-meter free and 200-meter breast, and the women's 200-meter fly.

The prelim races will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. The finals will be on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. The finals will be taped delayed in Mountain and Pacific time zones, airing at 7 p.m. MT and 8 p.m. PT. The action can also be streamed live at NBCOlympics.com. Thursday's complete schedule can be found below.

Heats

Men's 100m Free
Women's 200m Fly
Men's 200m Breast

Finals

Men's 100m Free - Semifinal
Women's 200m Free - Final
Men's 200m Fly - Final
Women's 200m Fly - Semifinal
Men's 200m Breast - Semifinal
Women's 200m IM - Final

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Michael Phelps Has A Rowdy Cheering Section

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Michael Phelps Third In 200m Fly Semis

Michael Phelps has competed in the last three Olympics in the 200m butterfly, and his time in the semifinals of the event at the 2012 U.S. Olympic time trials kept alive his hopes of doing it a fourth time.

Phelps didn't exactly exert himself in his attempt to qualify for a later final in the event; he didn't really try to take first in his heat from Bobby Bollier or Davis Tarwater. And it's hard to blame Phelps for that after edging Ryan Lochte in an earlier fight for a qualifying spot in the 200m free. But he did what was needed. His time of 1:56.42 was good enough for third place among competitors in the semifinal, which will put him in the eight qualifiers for the final event that will send two swimmers to London.

Phelps has already qualified for two events in London and has four more, including the 200m fly, to go.

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Breeja Larson, Rebecca Soni Qualify in 100m Breast

A three-woman race between Breeja Larson, Rebecca Soni and Jessica Hardy saw Larson and Soni touch the wall just barely before Hardy, allowing Larson and Soni to go to London while Hardy will need other top-two finishes in other competitions to earn her spot on the Olympic team.

Hardy touched the wall first at 50 meters, but she didn't have too big a lead on anybody. Soni and Larson made their presences felt quickly, and after 75 meters, it was clear that someone would be just tenths of seconds short of securing a spot in the Olympics. That pair surged ahead of a tiring Hardy, with Larson's final stroke pushing her to the touch just .07 seconds faster than Soni for the No. 1 finish.

Soni took the silver in the event in 2008, while Larson will be heading to her first Olympics.

Here's the full results from the event:

1. Breeja Larson: 1:05.92
   
2. Rebecca Soni: 1:05.99
   
3. Jessica Hardy: 1:06.53
   
4. Ellyn Baumgardner: 1:07.19
   
5. Annie Chandler: 1:07.28
   
6. Emily McClellan: 1:07.41
   
7. Micah Lawrence: 1:07.67
   
8. Ashley Wanland: 1:07.89

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Matt Grevers Nearly Sets World Record In 100m Back

Matt Grevers turned in the second-best time in history in the 100m backstroke, as he and Nick Thoman qualified for the American team in London.

The world record is held by Aaron Peirsol, who took gold in 2008 while Grevers took second. With Peirsol retired from competition, there were two slots open for the U.S. contingent in the event. Grevers was clearly setting quite a pace through the first 50 meters, hitting the turn just .02 seconds behind the world-record split. He kept up the dominant pace and was half a body length clear of the field at the touch.

The race for second was more intriguing, as a number of swimmers were in a pack heading towards the final wall. A strong push down the end from Thoman allowed him to touch second and book a spot in London.

Here are the full results from the event:

1. Matt Grevers: 52.08
   
2. Nick Thoman: 52.86
   
3. David Plummer: 52.98
   
4. Ben Hesen: 53.03
   
5. Eugene Godsoe: 53.61
   
6. Ryan Murphy: 53.92
   
7. Kyle Owens: 54.31
   
8. Jack Conger: 54.63

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Missy Franklin Sets American Record In Women's 100m Back

Missy Franklin set a new American record in the women's 100m backstroke, winning in the finals of the race at the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials with a time of 58.85 seconds. Franklin was followed by Rachel Bootsma, who touched the wall in 59.49. And oh, they're 17 and 18 years old, respectively.

The queen of the 100m back has long been Natalie Coughlin, who won the gold medal in the event at each of the last two Olympics and set the American record in the event (58.97) in Omaha, Neb., back in 2008. But the two youngsters beat out the 29-year-old Coughlin on Wednesday night to earn their first spots on an Olympic team.

Coughlin led through the first 50 meters, with Bootsma following shortly behind, but Franklin had a strong finish and stormed back from fourth place to earn the record. It wasn't even clear Franklin would win the race until the final 15 meters or so, when she turned on the jets and coasted to the wall with Bootsma just behind her. Coughlin finished third, 1.21 seconds behind Franklin's record-setting pace.

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Michael Phelps Edges Ryan Lochte In 200m Free

Michael Phelps edged Ryan Lochte to the wall by .05 seconds in the 200m free.

Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps Ready For 200m Free Duel Wednesday Night

Wednesday night, Day 3 of the 2012 U.S. Olympics Team Trials in Swimming, brings with it three rounds of semi-finals and four finals. The highlight is another showdown between Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps (another "Duel in the Puel"? No? OK.).

NBC will have your live TV coverage from 8-9 p.m. ET (except for you, Mountain and Pacific time zone friends). NBC Sports Network has the (tape-delayed) heats from 7-8 p.m., and NBCOlympics.com is handling the live stream online.

Men's 200m Free

Phelps! Lochte! Swimming!

Lochte and Phelps will meet in the second event on the night's schedule, the 200-meter free, set to begin shortly after 8 p.m. ET. Lochte turned in the fastest time in the preliminary heats (1:46.25), but it was just 0.02 seconds ahead of Phelps. Phelps is the defending Olympic gold medalist and the swimmer who has dominated this event since 2004. Not only it is expected that the two rivals will advance, but Wednesday night's meeting should be a preview of London, where the American duo will likely finish 1-2. But in which order?

Worth watching: Phelps is also in the 200-meter fly semi-finals (though he could scratch it), the second-to-last event Wednesday night.

Women's 100-meter Back

Seventeen-year-old Missy Franklin and 18-year-old Rachel Bootsma were the top two qualifiers in the heats, both turning in times under a minute, and are considered the favorites. But veteran Natalie Coughlin, the two-time defending Olympic gold medalist ,can't be ignored.

Men's 100-meter Back

Ryan Lochte had the second-fastest time in the heats but opted to scratch from Tuesday night's semi-finals and instead focus on the 200m free. That leaves Matt Grevers, David Plummer and Nick Thoman as the top three contenders fighting for two spots.

Women's 100-meter Breast

The final finals (ha!) of the evening will likely be a race between teammates Rebecca Soni and Jessica Hardy. The former is the defending World Champion, while the latter owns the world record.

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2012 U.S Olympic Swimming Team Trials: Schedule, TV Coverage For Wednesday

The 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials continue Wednesday in Omaha, Neb. The nation's top swimmers are looking to secure their spots on the U.S. team to take part in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The finals of the men's 200-meter freestyle will take place Wednesday evening and should be the highlight of the night, as the event will feature Michael Phelps going head-to-head against rival Ryan Lochte. It figures to be a fantastic race after Lochte edged his rival by just 0.02 seconds in Tuesday night's semi-finals.

The fastest preliminary heats for Wednesday's trials will be shown on tape delay from 7 until 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. After that, finals and semifinals for the day's trials will be televised nationally on NBC from 8 until 9 p.m. ET.

Please note that the finals will only air live in the Eastern time zone at 8 p.m. ET and in the Central time zone at 7 p.m. The trials will be tape-delayed and air locally at 8 p.m. in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

The following finals and semifinals will take place on Wednesday night:

Women's 200m free -- Semifinal
Men's 200m free -- Final
Women's 100m back -- Final
Men's 100m back -- Final
Women's 100m breast -- Final
Men's 200m fly -- Semifinal
Women's 200m IM -- Semifinal

You can find more information on the week's events at the official USA Swimming website.

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Allison Schmitt, Chloe Sutton Qualify For Women's 400m Free

The women's 400m free final took place on Tuesday evening on Day 2 of the 2012 Olympic Trials with Allison Schmitt taking first place in the race, with a time of 4:02.84. Schmitt took a massive lead early on in the race but began to lose steam down the final stretch. Schmitt held on for the win however, with Chloe Sutton taking second place.

Sutton beat out Kathleen Ledecky for second place in the race to join Schmitt on the women's 400m free U.S. Olympic team, finishing with a time of 4:04.18. Early on Sutton was in third place, but at the 200m turn was able to overtake Ledecky and hold on down the stretch of the race to capture second place.

Ledeky finished up in third place with a time of 4:05.00.

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Brendan Hansen, Eric Shanteau Qualify For Men's 100m Breast

The men's 100m breast finals took place on the second day of qualifying during the 2012 Olympic Trials. Brendan Hansen was the favorite in the event, finishing up in first place with a time of 59.68. Hansen finished fourth in Beijing in the men's 100m breast in 2008 and will now head back to the Olympics for the third time and gets to face off with his rival, Japan's Kosuke Kitajima.

In second place in the race was Eric Shanteau with a time of 1:00.15, qualifying for the men's team and making it back to the Olympics.

It looked as if NCAA champion swimmer, 6'6 Kevin Cordes was going to take first place, taking a massive early lead. After the turn however, Cordes fell back and finished up in third place just missing the cut.

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2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps Advance To Finals

The 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials are in the second day of qualifying as the men's 200m free semifinal, which saw Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps face off in the race. The two favorites were dead even with a few other swimmers as they hit the final turn of the 100m free, but were able to seperate themselves.

Coming down the final stretch, Lochte just edged out Phelps to finish in first place. Lochte finished with a time of 1.46.25 while Phelps was right behind with a time of 1.46.27. Both men advance to the finals in the men's 200m free.

There were six other qualifiers included Conor Dwyer, Matt McLean, Ricky Berens, Charlie Houchin, Davis Tarwater, and Michael Klueh. The eight swimmers will compete in the men's 100m finals on Thursday. Peter Vanderkaay just missed the finals, finishing .03 seconds out of eighth-place.

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Dana Vollmer, Claire Donahue Qualify In Women's 100m Fly

The second day of the 2012 Olympic swimming trials are underway and the women's 100m fly has just concluded with Dana Vollmer taking first place with a time of 56.50. Vollmer followed up her dominant qualifying time with a win the finals and qualifying herself for the 2012 U.S. women's Olympic team.

Claire Donahue finished up in second place with a time of 57.57. With the win and the second-place finish, Vollmer and Donahue make their first Olympics.

Christine Magnuson and Natalie Coughlin, the other favorites in the event, finished sixth and seventh respectively failing to qualify for the women's 100-meter butterfly team.

With Vollmer's dominant win, which was on a world record pace for much of the race, she should be one of the early favorites to win a gold medal.

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Previewing Day 2 In Omaha

The 2012 U.S. Olympics Team Trials in Swimming continue from Omaha Tuesday night with three finals and four semi-finals events (but no Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte finals showdown, sad trombones). NBC Sports Network has coverage of the heats from 6:30-8 p.m. ET, and then NBC picks up the live finals coverage from 8-9 p.m. The finals will also be streaming live on NBCOlympics.com.

The semi-finals begin with the Men's 200m free, with Lochte and Phelps swimming in the second heat (approximately 8:11 p.m. ET). Assuming both advance -- a good assumption, since they were two of the fastest qualifiers -- they will then duel in the 200m free finals, set for Wednesday night.

The 200m free semis will be Lochte's only event Tuesday night after he scratched from the 100m back semi-finals. He was the second-fastest qualifier in the 100m back, but apparently decided he was better off focusing solely on the 200m free. Matt Grevers, the 2008 Olympic silver medalist, was the fastest qualifier for the semis.

The other two semi-finals scheduled for Tuesday night are the Women's 100m breaststroke, in which Rebecca Soni was the top qualifier, and the Women's 100m back, where 17-year-old Missy Franklin leads the way.

There are three finals on Day 2, meaning six spots for the London Olympics are up for grabs (top two finishers from each race advance):

Women's 100m Butterfly

Dana Vollmer turned in the fastest qualifying time, and did so by almost two full seconds (her time of 56.42 was a new America Record and just 0.36 seconds off the world record). She's obviously the heavy favorite but will be challenged by veteran Natalie Coughlin and Christine Magnuson, who won silver in the event at the Beijing Games.

Men's 100m Breaststroke

Only one swimmer went under one minute in the heats and that was Brendan Hansen (59.71), who was once the top breastroker in America (he finished fourth in Beijing in the event).

Women's 400m Freestyle

The biggest surprise here is who's not in the finals, and that's Katie Hoff, 2008 Olympic silver medalist. The third seed entering the trials, Hoff felt sick all day after eating "something bad" and failed to advance past the semi-finals. Allison Schmitt was the top qualifier, followed by Kathleen Ledecky and Chloe Sutton.

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2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials: Schedule, TV Coverage For Tuesday

Tuesday won't bring another matchup between Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, but Lochte will take the pool as six more tickets to London will be stamped.

The finals in three events -- the women's 100m fly, men's 100m breast and women's 400m free -- will be contested Tuesday night.

The events will be on NBC Sports Network from 6:30-8 p.m. ET and continue on NBC from 8-9 ET. The day's activities will also be streamed here on the USA Swimming website and NBCOlympics.com. Here's the schedule of events:

Heats

Women's 100m Back

Men's 200m Free

Women's 100m Breast

Men's 100m Back

Women's 400m Free

Finals

Women's 100m Fly - Final

Men's 200m Free - Semifinal

Women's 100m Breast - Semifinal

Men's 100m Breast - Final

Women's 400m Free - Final

Men's 100m Back - Semifinal

Women's 100m Back - Semifinal

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Elizabeth Beisel, Caitlin Leverenz Qualify In 400 IM

The presumptive favorite in the women's 400m IM was Elizabeth Beisel, who won last year's world championship in Shanghai, and she didn't disappoint, building a lead in the backstroke and never looking back. Beisel nearly set an American record, as she and Caitlin Leverenz were head-and-shoulders ahead of the field

Leverenz jumped out to a lead with her butterfly stroke but, once the backstroke kicked in, nobody really had a chance. Beisel, who goes to the University of Florida, was well over a body length ahead of Leverenz by the end of the backstroke. Leverenz fought hard to catch up to her but, once the freestyle kicked in, Beisel picked up her pace and coasted to first place.

There was no real competition for the spots in the Olympics, as Beisel and Leverenz were several seconds ahead of the competition by the end of the race. It will be the first Olympics for Leverenz, who very nearly qualified in 2008, and the second for Beisel, who is only 19.

Here's the results from the race:

1. Elizabeth Beisel: 4:31.74
   
2. Caitlin Leverenz: 4.34.48
   
3. Cammile Adams: 4:38.62
   
4. Maya Dirado: 4:38.67
   
5. Becca Mann: 4:41.61
   
6. Meghan Hawthorne: 4:41.75
   
7. Sarah Henry: 4:42.45
   
8. Haley Anderson: 4.46.12

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VIDEO: If You Build It, They Will Swim

2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Peter Vanderkaay, Conor Dwyer Qualify in 400 Freestyle

A strong finish in the 400-meter freestyle saw Peter Vanderkaay and Conor Dwyer seal their spots on the U.S. Olympic team headed to London.

Charlie Houchin jumped out to an early lead, and was ahead of the world record time through the first 100 meters. But he couldn't fight off a charge from the three-time Olympic medalist Vanderkaay, who was close to Houchin through 150 and inched ahead of him at the halfway mark of the race. Houchin fought back and the pair were practically head-to-head going into the race's final 100, and the two touched the wall almost simultaneously heading into the race's final 50 meters, which is where things began to heat up. Dwyer charged in the final length of the pool, surpassing Houchin and nearly catching Vanderkaay, while Houchin fell to fourth.

Ryan Lochte was supposed to participate in the event, but withdrew from the qualifying heats for the event and therefore did not participate in the final. He's got nine other events this week and just finished a run in the 400m individual medley, so that's a lot of swimming for one day.

Here's the complete results from the race:

1. Peter Vanderkaay: 3:47.67
   
2. Conor Dwyer: 3:47.83
   
3. Michael Klueh: 3:48.17
   
4. Charlie Houchin: 3:48.32
   
5. Ryan Feeley: 3:49.25
   
6. Connor Jaeger: 3:49.55
   
7. Matt Patton: 3:49.90
   
8. Michael McBroom: 3:56.12

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Ryan Lochte Wins 400 IM Over Michael Phelps

The first showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials was in the 400 meter individual medley, and Lochte had the best of his opponent.

The pair went 1-2 in qualifications, and finished 1-2 again in the final race, earning themselves spots in the event in London. In qualifying, the pair became the first two American swimmers to qualify and Phelps became the first American man to qualify for four Olympics as a swimmer.

Lochte finished in 4:07.06, Phelps in 4:07.89.

Lochte and Phelps jumped out to the head of the pack in the butterfly, with Phelps beating the world record split by .02 seconds through 50 meters. The backstroke saw Tyler Clary, who holds the American record in the event, jump out to the lead with Phelps falling into third. Phelps took second back through the breaststroke, but Lochte destroyed the competition in the stroke and began to pull away, giving himself a full body-length lead heading into the freestyle. Lochte extended his lead there, taking first while recording a personal best in the event.

In case you missed the showdown between the two biggest stars of American swimming, don't fret: Phelps is scheduled to participate in six more events, and Lochte is scheduled to participate in five of those, as well as five others. And then, of course, there's the actual Olympics. So, prepare for a summer of Phelps and Lochte lining up in the starting blocks alongside each other.

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2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: Schedule For TV And Online Streaming

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The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming are under way in Omaha, where over the next week, Team USA's representation at the Summer Games will be decided. Beginning with Monday night's men's 400m IM -- the first of many Ryan Lochte-Michael Phelps showdowns -- there will be 26 events held at the CenturyLink Center, with the top two in each finals race advancing to London.

The trials, like the Olympics, will be broadcast by the NBC family -- NBC, NBC Sports Network and online at NBCOlympics.com. NBC will air the finals every night this week, from 8-9 p.m. ET, save for the final night, July 2, when coverage is just 30 minutes. The heats will be shown on NBCSN.

The complete television schedule for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials:

And the NBCOlympics.com schedule for live online streaming:

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2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps Qualify 1-2 For 400m IM

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials got under way in Omaha Monday morning, with preliminary heats in the men's 400m IM, and as expected, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps were the top-two qualifiers in the event, which is considered to be the most grueling in the sport.

Lochte turned in a time of 4:10.66, more than four seconds faster than Phelps, who finished in 4:14.72. Chase Kalisz qualified third (4:15.78) and Tyler Clary, the one who could break-up a Lochte-Phelps 1-2 finish, was fourth-fastest (4:15.88).

Afterward, Phelps called his swim "all right" and said he was "fine with it," but Lochte wasn't so coy, labeling his rivals' prelim "The easiest 4:14 [Phelps has] ever done." Expect another classic duel Monday night in the finals.

Phelps won the event at the 2008 trials and then took the gold medal in Beijing, too, setting the world record (4:03.84) in the process (Phelps not only owns the WR in the event, but also the American, U.S. Open, LC Nationals and Olympic Trials records). However, Phelps has not swum the 400m IM in a major international competition finals since the 2008 Summer Games -- he could only manage to qualify for the consolation finals at the 2010 Pan Pacific championships.

NBC has live coverage of the men's 400m IM, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Men's 400m IM Finalists:

Ryan Lochte -- 4:10.66
Michael Phelps -- 4:14.72
Chase Kalisz -- 4:15.78 (lifetime best)
Tyler Clary -- 4:15.88
Tyler Harris -- 4:18.64
Michael Weiss -- 4:19.05 (lifetime best)
Andrew Gemmell -- 4:19.19
Robert Margalis -- 4:19.33

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2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: Schedule For The Week In Omaha

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming begin Monday morning at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., with preliminary heats in the men's 400m IM. Throughout the week, the team that will represent the USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics will be decided, with the top two finishers in 26 events advancing to London.

The marquee events will be "any events with Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte battling each other" -- the rivals will duel in six events: 400m IM, 100m and 200m free, 200m back, 200m IM and 100m fly.

On the women's side, 45-year-old Dana Torres is in the 50m free, hoping to make her sixth Olympic team. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Missy Franklin, a 17-year-old from Colorado, who is entered in five events: 50m free, 100m and 200m back, and 100m and 200m freestyle.

Complete 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming Schedule:

MONDAY, JUNE 25

Heats
Men's 400m IM
Women's 100m Fly
Men's 400m Free
Women's 400m IM
Men's 100m Breast


Finals
Men's 400m IM - Final
Women's 100m Fly - Semifinal
Men's 400m Free - Final
Women's 400m IM - Final
Men's 100m Breast - Semifinal


TUESDAY, JUNE 26

Heats
Women's 100m Back
Men's 200m Free
Women's 100m Breast
Men's 100m Back
Women's 400m Free

Finals
Women's 100m Fly - Final
Men's 200m Free - Semifinal
Women's 100m Breast - Semifinal
Men's 100m Breast - Final
Women's 400m Free - Final
Men's 100m Back - Semifinal
Women's 100m Back - Semifinal


WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27

Heats
Women's 200m Free
Men's 200m Fly
Women's 200m IM

Finals
Women's 200m Free - Semifinal
Men's 200m Free - Final
Women's 100m Back - Final
Men's 100m Back - Final
Women's 100m Breast - Final
Men's 200m Fly - Semifinal
Women's 200m IM -- Semifinal


THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Heats
Men's 100m Free
Women's 200m Fly
Men's 200m Breast

Finals
Men's 100m Free - Semifinal
Women's 200m Free - Final
Men's 200m Fly - Final
Women's 200m Fly - Semifinal
Men's 200m Breast - Semifinal
Women's 200m IM - Final


FRIDAY, JUNE 29

Heats
Women's 100m Free
Men's 200m Back
Women's 200m Breast
Men's 200m IM

Finals
Men's 200m Breast - Final
Women's 100m Free - Semifinal
Men's 200m Back - Semifinal
Women's 200m Fly - Final
Men's 100m Free - Final
Women's 200m Breast - Semifinal
Men's 200m IM - Semifinal


SATURDAY, JUNE 30

Heats
Men's 50m Free
Women's 800m Free
Men's 100m Fly
Women's 200m Back

Finals
Men's 50m Free - Semifinal
Women's 200m Breast - Final
Men's 200m Back - Final
Women's 200m Back - Semifinal
Men's 200m IM - Final
Women's 100m Free - Final
Men's 100m Fly - Semifinal


SUNDAY, JULY 1

Heats
Women's 50m Free
Men's 1500m Free

Finals
Women's 200m Back - Final
Men's 100m Fly - Final
Women's 800m Free - Final
Men's 50m Free - Final
Women's 50m Free - Semifinal


MONDAY, JULY 2

Finals
Women's 50m Free - Final
Men's 1500m Free - Final

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Michael Phelps Shaves Mustache, Will Swim 400m IM

After he won the gold medal in the 400m IM at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps said he would never again compete in the event, considered to be the most grueling in swimming. So much for that.

Phelps will indeed swim the taxing 400m IM at the 2012 U.S. Olympics Swim Trials, which begin Monday. USA Swimming confirmed the news shortly after Phelps not-so-subtly made the announcement ... by shaving his mustache, obviously.

The preliminary heats for the 400m IM begin Monday at 11 a.m. ET. The finals are Monday night, and will likely be the first showdown between Phelps and Ryan Lochte. The heats will be shown later on NBC Sports Network (6-8:30 p.m.), while the finals will air live on NBC and stream on NBCOlympics.com (8-9 p.m.). Phelps is swimming in Heat 10; Lochte is in Heat 12, the final heat.

It's worth noting that Phelps could still scratch after his morning heat if he decides not to compete in the finals.

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Michael Phelps Enters 7 Events In U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Ryan Lochte In 11

What was originally reported by the Baltimore Sun Tuesday morning (and then confirmed by Yahoo! Sports' Pat Forde) became official a few hours later: Michael Phelps is scheduled to compete in seven events at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming next week in Omaha, Nebraska. His biggest rival, and greatest threat in London, Ryan Lochte, is entered in 11 total events.

Of course, Lochte likely won't swim all 11, and even Phelps might not follow through with his seven events -- "athletes can scratch out of an event up to the conclusion of the finals the day before the prelims of their next event is scheduled."

USA Swimming released the psych sheet (PDF) -- an order of events with participating swimmers -- for the trials, which run from June 25-July 1 and will be held at the CenturyLink Center. The top two finishers in each event will go to the Olympic Games in London.

Phelps is entered in the 400m IM, 200m free, 200m fly, 100m free, 200m back, 200m IM and 100m fly. He is the top seed in both the 100m and 200m butterfly. The most notable of his seven, perhaps, is the 400m IM, considered to be the most grueling event for a swimmer, and a race Phelps himself said he'd never do again after setting the world record at the 2008 Beijing Games.

"It's safe to say he's entered in more events than he'll actually swim," Bob Bowman, Phelps' coach, told the USA Today.

Lochte's 11 events are: 400m IM, 400m free, 100m breast, 200m free, 100m back, 200m fly, 100m free, 200m back, 200m IM, 50m free and 100m fly. He's the No. 1 seed in the 400 IM, 200 free, 200 back and 200 IM (he's also the current world-record holder).

So, if you're keeping track, Phelps and Lochte could go head-to-head in a total of six events: the 400m IM, 100 and 200 free, 200 back, 200 IM and 100 fly.

Another notable event to keep an eye on is the men's 100m free -- not only will it have Phelps and Lochte, but also Ryan Lezak and the current American-record holder, David Walters.

On the women's side, 11-time Olympic medal winner Natalie Coughlin is entered in five events (100m back, 100m free, 100m fly, 200m IM and 50m free) while 45-year-old Dana Torres is in the 50m free.

Missy Franklin, a 17-year-old rising star from Colorado, is entered in five events: 50m free, 100m and 200m back, and 100m and 200m freestyle.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming, which will be held at the CenturyLink Center, run from June 25-July 1. A complete schedule and be found at the USA Swimming site.

Michael Phelps Reportedly To Swim 7 Events At 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Michael Phelps will reportedly swim seven events at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming, beginning his quest for the all-time medal record record at the London Games.

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