Georgia Bulldog swimmers compete for Paris at U.S. Olympic Trials
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Georgia swimming programs look to continue their proud Olympic tradition with the 2024 United States Olympic Swimming Trials, running June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Each day of Trials competition will feature a prelims session at 11 a.m. EDT, followed by finals at 8 p.m. Prelims will stream live on Peacock, with finals airing live on NBC and Peacock.
The top-two finishers in each of the 28 events will automatically qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, provided they post an Olympic-qualifying time. Additional swimmers will be eligible for relay nominations in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle.
Georgia will be well-represented in Indianapolis with 32 current, former, and future athletes competing over the eight days of action. In 2021, the Bulldogs placed seven swimmers on the U.S. squad, the most of any collegiate program. Overall, Georgia has produced 42 U.S. Olympic swimmers, sending at least five to the past four games.
Georgia alum Nic Fink leads a strong group of Bulldog alumni in the field, entering Saturday’s opening day with the top seed in the 100m breaststroke as he looks to reach his second Olympics. Fellow alums Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland, and Olivia Smoliga will each attempt to qualify for their third Olympics, with Kalisz and Litherland entering as reigning gold and silver medalists in the 400m IM. Kalisz is seeded second in the 400 IM, followed by Litherland in third, while Smoliga ranks fourth in the 100m backstroke. 2022 graduate Dakota Luther enters with the #2 seed in the 200m butterfly, putting her in position to make her first Olympic team.
Ian Grum leads the current group of Bulldogs with the fifth seed in the 200m backstroke, along with the sixth seed in the 400m IM. The recent graduate earned the silver medal in the 200 back at the Pan American Games in October. Rising senior Rachel Stege, a gold medalist at Pan Ams, holds a top-10 seed in three events, including sixth in the 1,500m freestyle, seventh in the 800m freestyle, and ninth in the 400m freestyle. Rising graduate Jake Magahey will also be a contender for Paris, entering Trials with the sixth seed in the 400m free.
Stege leads a strong Georgia distance group with five swimmers participating in Saturday’s women’s 400m freestyle prelims, including recent graduate Jillian Barczyk and rising senior Abby McCulloh, the NCAA champion in the 1,650-yard freestyle. All-American Luca Urlando seeks to reach Paris after narrowly missing qualification three years ago and will compete in four events.
For all news and updates about Georgia swimming and diving, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@UGASwimDive), Instagram (@ugaswimdive), and Facebook (UGA Swimming and Diving).
GEORGIA SWIMMERS COMPETING AT 2024 U.S. TRIALS
Mia Abruzzo – 400m IM
Jillian Barczyk* – 200m Free, 400m Free, 800m Free
Reese Branzell – 50m Free, 100m Free, 200m Free
Callie Dickinson* – 100m Fly, 200m Fly, 200m IM
Dillon Downing* – 50m Free, 100m Free
Bradley Dunham* – 200m Free, 100m Back, 200m Back
Nic Fink* – 100m Breast, 200m Breast
Zach Franklin* – 100m Back
Shea Furse – 200m Free, 400m Free
Ian Grum* – 100m Back, 200m Back, 400m IM
Connor Haigh – 100m Breast, 200m Breast
Zoie Hartman* – 200m Free, 100m Breast, 200m Breast, 200m IM
Kyler Heffner^ – 800m Free, 1500m Free
Zach Hils* – 200m Free, 200m IM
Drew Hitchcock^ – 200m Fly, 200m IM, 400m IM
Helena Jones – 100m Free
Chase Kalisz* – 200m Fly, 200m IM, 400m IM
Marie Landreaneau^ – 200m Free
Jay Litherland* – 200m Back, 200m IM, 400m IM
Dakota Luther* – 100m Fly, 200m Fly
Jake Magahey – 200m Free, 400m Free
Eboni McCarty – 100m Back
Abby McCulloh – 400m Free, 800m Free, 1500m Free
Mitchell Norton – 200m Back
Sam Powe – 200m Back
Sloane Reinstein – 200m Free, 400m Free, 800m Free
Aaron Seymour – 100m Back
Miles Simon – 50m Free
Olivia Smoliga* – 50m Free, 100m Free, 100m Back
Rachel Stege – 200m Free, 400m Free, 800m Free, 1500m Free
Julianna Stephens – 50m Free
Luca Urlando – 200m Free, 400m Free, 100m Fly, 200m Fly
* Denotes alumni
^ Denotes incoming freshman
