Michael Chadwick tries not to speculate on how other swimmers will perform. The rising senior knows what he has to do.
“There’s not really a point to it,” he said. “I can do it all I want, but it’s all about how fast I go. I can’t really worry about what other people are doing.”
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has been working toward a single goal the entire 2015–16 swim season: making the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Next week, he will find out if his dream will come to fruition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.
Chadwick said he will contest three events in the eight-day competition: the 100-meter backstroke, 100-meter freestyle and 50-meter freestyle. He views the backstroke as a warm-up swim where he can get a feel for the meet.
“It’s my first Olympic Trials, so I really don’t know what to expect, exactly,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the atmosphere and pool that I keep hearing about and experiencing what Olympic Trials is all about.”
Chadwick’s best chance at the Rio games is in the sprint freestyle events. He holds the sixth-fastest Olympic Trial qualifying times in both the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, and was a 2015 U.S. National Team member in both events.
To qualify for the the Olympics, Chadwick must finish in the top two in the 50-meter freestyle or top six in the 100-meter event. He has started resting for the meet and feels confident.
“It seems like I’m getting better each and every day,” he said. “I think it’ll probably top off right when I get to Trials, so it’ll be good.”
Chadwick is not the only Missouri swimmer who could place highly at Olympic Trials. At the Arena Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis in early June, rising junior Hannah Stevens posted the second-fastest 100-meter backstroke time by an American in 2016. Stevens would need to place first or second in Omaha to qualify for the Olympics.
“She definitely has a shot … it’s just going to be about how she performs at the big stage,” Chadwick said.
Graduate Sam Tierney, who trains with the Missouri team, won the 2015 Winter National Championship in the 100-meter breaststroke. Like Stevens, he would need to place first or second to qualify for Rio.
Rising seniors Carter Griffin and Andrew Sansoucie are other Tigers who could have breakout swims.
Chadwick said it would be “huge” for the Missouri team to have a swimmer on the U.S. Olympic squad.
“It would bring a lot of name recognition to the program,” he said. “But I’d say also it shows how good the coaches are in the program we’ve built here.”
**Missouri swimmers competing at U.S. Olympic Team Trials**
_Men:_
Michael Chadwick (50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke),
Matthew Margritier (50-meter freestyle),
Andrew Sansoucie (100-meter butterfly),
Christian Aragona (50-meter freestyle),
Luke Mankus (50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly),
Martin Wallace (100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly),
Sam Coffman (100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle),
Nick Davis (200-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle),
Carter Griffin (200-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke),
Griffin Schaetzle (200-meter backstroke),
Grant Kelton (100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke),
Alex Walton (100-meter backstroke),
Sam Tierney (100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke),
Jordan O’Brien (100-meter breaststroke),
Eddie Mapel (100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke)
_Women:_
Victoria Trost (50-meter freestyle),
Rachel Hayden (50-meter freestyle),
Danielle Barbiea (50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly),
Anna Patterson (50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly),
Hannah Stevens (100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke),
Katharine Ross (100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke),
Abby Duncan (100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke),
Erin Metzger-Seymour (100-meter butterfly),
Sharli Brady (200-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, 400-meter individual medley)
_Edited by Theo DeRosa | tderosa@themaneater.com_
