US Olympic Swimming Trials 2016: Dates, TV Schedule and Live Stream
There will be no shortage of gold medalists searching for further glory at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.
Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte headline a long list of swimmers vying to represent the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Fans don't have to wait until the Summer Games begin to watch some of the best swimmers in the world ply their trade. The trials—which begin Sunday, June 26 in Omaha, Nebraska—will be live-streamed at NBC Sports Live Extra or with the NBC Sports app, per USASwimming.org.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| Heats | Finals |
| Men's 400m IM | Men's 400 IM—Final |
| Women's 100m Fly | Women's 100m Fly—Semifinal |
| Men's 400m IM | Men's 400m Free—Final |
| Men's 100m Breast | Women's 400m IM—Final |
| Men's 100m Breast—Semifinal | |
| Women's 100m Back | Women's 100m Fly—Final |
| Men's 200m Free | Men's 200m Free—Semifinal |
| Women's 100m Breast | Women's 100m Breast—Semifinal |
| Men's 100m Back | Men's 100m Breast—Final |
| Women's 400m Free | Women's 400m Free—Final |
| Men's 100m Back—Semifinal | |
| Women's 100m Back—Semifinal | |
| Women's 200m Free | Women's 200m Free—Semifinal |
| Men's 200m Fly | Men's 200m Free—Final |
| Women's 200m IM | 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 | |
| Men's 100m Free | Men's 100m Free—Semifinal |
| Women's 200m Fly | Women's 200m Free—Final |
| Men's 200m Breast | Men's 200m Fly—Final |
| Women's 200m Fly—Semifinal | |
| Men's 200m Breast—Semifinal | |
| Women's 200m IM—Final | |
| Women's 100m Free | Men's 200m Breast—Final |
| Men's 200m Back | Women's 100m Free—Semifinal |
| Women's 200m Breast | Men's 200m Back—Semifinal |
| Men's 200m IM | Women's 200m Fly- Final |
| Men's 100m Free—Final | |
| Women's 200m Breast—Semifinal | |
| Men's 200m IM—Semifinal | |
| Men's 50m Free | Men's 50m Free—Semifinal |
| Women's 800m Free | Women's 200m Breast—Final |
| Men's 100m Fly | Men's 200m Back—Final |
| Women's 200m Back | Women's 200m Back—Semifinal |
| Men's 200m IM—Final | |
| Women's 100m Free—Final | |
| Men's 100m Fly—Semifinal | |
| Women's 50m Free | Women's 200m Back—Final |
| Men's 1,500m Free | Men's 100m Fly—Final |
| Women's 800m Free—Final | |
| Men's 50m Free—Final | |
| Women's 50m Free—Semifinal | |
| No Preliminaries | Women's 50m Free—Final |
| Men's 1,500m Free—Final |
| June 26 | 6 p.m. | Qualifying Heats | NBC Sports Network |
| 8 p.m. | Finals | NBC | |
| June 27 | 6:30 p.m. | Qualifying Heats | NBC Sports Network |
| 8 p.m. | Finals | NBC | |
| June 28 | 7 p.m. | Qualifying Heats | NBC Sports Network |
| 8 p.m. | Finals | NBC | |
| June 29 | 7 p.m. | Qualifying Heats | NBC Sports Network |
| 8 p.m. | Finals | NBC | |
| June 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Qualifying Heats | NBC Sports Network |
| 8 p.m. | Finals | NBC | |
| July 1 | 6 p.m. | Qualifying Heats | NBC Sports Network |
| 8 p.m. | Finals | NBC | |
| July 2 | 5 p.m. | Qualifying Heats | NBC Sports Network |
| 8 p.m. | Finals | NBC Sports Network | |
| July 3 | 7 p.m. | Finals | NBC |
For Phelps, the trials offer an opportunity to make history as the first U.S. swimmer to make five different Olympic teams. As it stands, he's entered in five events at the trials. Already the most decorated Olympian of all time, Phelps has the opportunity to add to the 18 gold medals he's won by making the team and besting the competition in Rio.
The 31-year-old has had a tumultuous time since the 2012 Summer Games in London, with his issues coming to head after a second DUI arrest in October 2014. As the lengthy, excellent profile from ESPN's Wayne Drehs notes, Phelps has gotten his swimming career back on track, and his coach Bob Bowman is pulling for his famous protege, more as a person than as an Olympian.
"The swimming is fine—I'm glad for the swimming," Bowman said, per Drehs. "But quite frankly, if he stops right now and never swims again but stays in this place as a person, I'd be thrilled."
While Phelps is busy trying to write the final chapter in his Olympic swimming career, Ledecky is still very much working on the early part of her story. She was a sensation at the London Games in 2012, making waves in the sport by winning a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at just 15 years of age. She holds several world records in the freestyle and is now a seasoned swimmer despite still being in her teens.
As the Washington Post's Dave Sheinin writes, Ledecky is set to dominate the sport and is easily recognized in the water by her unique, powerful stroke:
"You can pick out Ledecky also by her form, reminiscent of either — take your pick — Secretariat or Michael Phelps.
Her unique mechanics, common among male swimmers but almost unheard of among women, is often described as a “gallop” or a “giddy-up” stroke, or is said to have a “hitch.” Ledecky herself has called it a “loping” stroke. Essentially, instead of a steady, metronomic beat — left, right, left, right — her stroke is syncopated: short left, long right, short left, long right. She breathes almost exclusively to the right side.
"
Ledecky also inspires breathless praise for her athleticism and innate abilities. There's no hedging in this quote from Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist and researcher Michael J. Joyner, per Sheinin:
"She’s the greatest athlete in the world today by far. She’s dominating by the widest margin in international sport, winning by 1 or 2 percent. If [a runner] won the 10,000 meters by that wide a margin, they’d win by 100 meters. One or 2 percent in the Tour de France, over about 80 hours of racing, would be 30 or 40 minutes. It’s just absolutely remarkable.
"
Assuming the big names make it, USA swimming fans will have plenty of big storylines to follow in Brazil. Phelps' performances are likely to be fun and tinged with nostalgia and sadness as his era likely comes to an end, while Lochte's laid-back style delights casual observers. Franklin will make things fun, as will the hardworking Nathan Adrian.
But if you have a chance, make sure to watch Ledecky. She's liable to put on once-in-a-generation performances, as a 19-year-old.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
