UofL’s Worrell swimming for spot in Olympics

Vollmer is one. Additionally, she’s one of nine returning gold medalists from London and one of nine still-active swimmers who competed at the U.S. Swim Trials in 2000, when they were held in Indianapolis.

After a sensational swim in Sunday’s preliminaries, the University of Louisville swimmer won her semifinal heat of the 100-meter butterfly Sunday night at the U.S. Olympic Trials at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb. Worrell’s time was the second-fastest in the world this year and one that heightens her stature as a medal contender for the Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Vollmer touched next in 57.21, giving the four-time gold medalist the second Olympic spot. That time was the seventh-best among the 16 semifinalists.

With the top two heading to Rio, Vollmer had her place secured.

Clever, a Santa Teresa High alumnus, joined the national team in 2003.

“I got kind of caught up with overthinking”, Bayer said. “It’s my first time and I didn’t know what to expect”.

Rockville native Jack Conger posted the second-fastest time in the semifinals of the 200-meter free, a swim of 1:47.15 that he considered “fine, decent”, but not special. To stand up and be able to try as hard as I can, and I just feel like it opens so many doors to how fast that I could go without having that fear.

Seven Olympic first-timers have already made the powerful American team, including Smith and the top two in the men’s 100 breastroke, Kevin Cordes and Cody Miller.

There was almost an even bigger shocker in the semifinals of the women’s 100 backstroke.

Worrell, a four-time NCAA individual champion and the American record holder in the shorter 100-yard fly, will be just the second U.S. Olympian ever from U of L, following women’s basketball player Angel McCoughtry.

Franklin rallied just to finish fourth in her heat and wound up with the next-to-slowest qualifying time at 1:00.45 – a mere 0.04 from missing a spot in the final altogether.

Nonetheless, she said she was surprised to see a “1” flash next to her name on the results board, saying she never saw Vollmer during the race.

Olivia Smoliga was fastest at 59.16. “I want to have fun and enjoy the races”. “It’s been in the back of my mind throughout many practices and many points, and I’m happy this time it’s a little bit different”. “I need to improve and then put a good race together in the 200-fly and not reenact the NCAAs from this year”.