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Everything to Know About the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials — Including the Surprising Venue
This year's Olympic trials will be bigger and better than ever!
Longtime swimming fans know the sport's secret — the events leading up to the Olympics are just as exciting to watch as the Summer Games themselves!
Don't believe us? Take a look at this unforgettable moment during the 2023 U.S. Open, which many fans of the sport think was a preview of what to expect in Paris.
Team USA's Katie Ledecky, who was ultimately defeated by her Canadian rival Summer McIntosh, will seek revenge in the women's 400m freestyle in Paris — if she can successfully qualify, of course. Fortunately, Ledecky will have that opportunity beginning June 15, when the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials officially kick off!
Here's everything you need to know about the premiere swimming event ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
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How to Watch the 2024 U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials
If you can't catch all the action live and in person (ticket information can be found here), your next best bet is to watch the exciting trials as they happen! Coverage gets underway on Saturday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. Qualifying heats will air live on Peacock with same day delayed coverage each day on USA Network. Coverage of every final will air live on NBC and Peacock each night beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
In addition to being broadcast on Peacock, the 2024 U.S. Swimming Olympic trials can be watched on the newly launched USA Swimming Network, a free, over-the-top streaming service available on many platforms like Roku and Fire TV. But let's be honest; nobody can give viewers an Olympic experience like NBC and Peacock. After all, NBC has only been the worldwide leader in Olympic coverage since the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul.
The event is slated to take place from June 15 to June 23, giving swimming fans nationwide over a week of nonstop competition on Peacock.
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Where are the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials being held?
For the first time, the U.S. Olympic Trials will take place on a professional football field! Yes, you read that correctly; the races will take place on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana — the home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Notably, the Trials coincide with the 100th anniversary of Indianapolis hosting the Trials for the 1924 Paris Olympics.
And, of course, there's going to be water. Three temporary pools will be constructed on the field: two 50-meter and one 25-meter.
With interest in Team USA swimming arguably at an all-time high, there's no excuse to hold the meet in anything less than a grandiose stadium. Officials are expecting a turnout in the hundreds of thousands as fans will be cheering on their favorite Olympic hopefuls.
Who is competing at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials?
In short, everybody with hopes of competing in the 2024 Paris Games will be in Indianapolis in hopes of qualifying at the Olympics. Casual fans may not know this, but the official roster for the Team USA Olympic squad isn't set until the dust clears at the Olympic Trials — so, to say the pressure is on for these athletes is an understatement.
On the women's side, fans are looking forward to seeing perennial stars like Kate Douglass, Regan Smith, Lilly King, and the aforementioned Katie Ledecky take the pool by storm as they seek to lock in their spots on the Olympic team. Douglass most recently turned heads during January's Olympic Trials preview meet, where she easily defeated her challengers in the hotly-contested 100m freestyle — she's widely regarded as the best all-around swimmer in the world, regardless of gender. Rising star Bella Sims, who qualified for a jaw-dropping eleven events in the Olympic Trials, is another athlete to watch.
It's safe to say all attention will be on the female Olympic hopefuls this year!
Although there's no Michael Phelps or similar transcendent male athlete to steal attention away from the women this year, the men's side has plenty of star power, with Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Murphy, and Bobby Finke expected to race.
Someone like Destin Lasco — who recently broke the U.S. record for the 200-yard individual medley in the NCAA championships — is another athlete to watch during the Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. The Cal senior is one of the odds-on favorites to anchor the men's squad in Paris, and many believe future Olympic glory is all but guaranteed.
All in all, over 700 men and women will compete in the pool in Indianapolis during the Olympic Trials, each hoping to land a spot on the coveted team in Paris.
We can't wait to see what happens!
