Local Swimmers Take on U.S. Team Trials

Several Montgomery County swimmers will compete in U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis over the coming week.

Many consider the meet, which decides which swimmers will represent the United States in this year’s Paris Olympics, one of the most tense and competitive in the world.

Several swimmers will represent Montgomery County throughout the weeklong competition. This includes Katie Ledecky, Phoebe Bacon and Erin Gemmell on the women’s side, while swimmers such as Alex Colson, Toby Barnett and Adriano Arioti qualified on the men’s side.

Alex Colson, a recent graduate of national champion Arizona State University who hails from Silver Spring, commented on the atmosphere of Olympic Trials.

“Swimming in a football stadium is surreal,” Colson told Montgomery Community Media. “It feels weird knowing there is a field under the pool.”

Perhaps the most well-known Montgomery County swimmer, Katie Ledecky has built up a sterling reputation for the region. Over the last three Olympic Games, she has dominated the distance freestyle events, winning seven gold medals. Ledecky has also won 21 world championship medals, the most in history for a female swimmer.

Other former competitors from Montgomery County include Jack Conger, Andrew Wilson and Mike Barrowman.

Final and semi-final events will be televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock in the evenings. There will be delayed same-day airing of the morning qualifiers on USA Network.

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