The U.S. Olympic swim trials get underway on Saturday in Indianapolis as the country’s best and fastest in the pool battle it out with tickets to Paris on the line.
Held at Lucas Oil Stadium — yes, there will be a pool in the middle of a football stadium — the competition will last for nine days and by the end of the final race on June 23, up to 26 women and 26 men will have cemented their spots on the American team. Provided they have achieved the Olympic qualifying time, the top two finishers in every race will make the squad. Remaining relay spots are also determined by results.
With a listed capacity of 30,000 for the event, tournament officials are expecting to shatter the attendance record for an indoor swim meet on opening night.
So what else do you need to know about the trials? Here are the key storylines and swimmers to watch.
The golden girl
Even the most casual of swim fans need little introduction to Katie Ledecky but as a brief refresher, the 27-year-old already has 10 Olympic medals, including seven golds, and owns just about every record and accolade possible. She is indeed that girl.
Now looking to make her fourth Olympic team, Ledecky is expected to be competing in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle races –…
