The 2024 Summer Olympics begin next month in Paris, but Team USA’s Olympic swimming trials start Saturday, as the best American swimmers race to make the team.
U.S. Olympic swimming trials are a nine-day event and consist of two sessions nearly every day with prelims heats in the mornings and semifinals and finals in the evening. And this time around, they’re at the biggest venue to date: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
While there’s a sizable contingent of veteran swimmers — including Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel — returning to trials to try to qualify for the Games again, there are plenty of newcomers who could emerge as Team USA’s newest swimming stars.
Here are six things to know about the nine-day trials.
1. The basics: When and how to watch U.S. Olympic swimming trials
For the 2024 Paris Games, the U.S. Olympic swimming trials will be from June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Competition wise, heats will be in the mornings, and semifinals and finals will take place in the evening local time.
Like the Olympics, trials will be broadcast by NBC and Peacock.
Qualifying heats begin at 11 a.m. ET live on Peacock and will be tape-delayed on the USA Network later in the day. Semifinals and finals will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will air live on both NBC and Peacock.
2. How many swimmers qualify for the Olympics?
Up to 52 swimmers can qualify for Team USA’s Olympic roster. The top-2 finishers in each event will make the team, given that they also meet the Olympic qualifying standard. For the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races, up to six swimmers can qualify for the respective relays.
Swimmers officially will be named to the Olympic team each night of trials
The Team USA head coaches, however, have already been announced. Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo will lead the U.S. women’s team, while Florida head coach Anthony Nesty will lead the men’s. They were both assistant coaches for Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and both served as head coaches of the 2022 world championship team.
3. Quick things to know about Lucas Oil Stadium for U.S. Olympic swimming trials
This is the first time an NFL stadium has hosted swimming trials, and USA Swimming built three pools inside the Colts’ venue for the occasion. After ripping out the turf, of course.
With more space, USA Swimming is hoping to break the attendance record for an indoor swim meet, expecting up to 30,000 fans on Day 1 to hit maximum capacity for the reconfigured venue.
It took about a month to build and required 1.8 million gallons of water to fill the competition pool, along with the two warmup pools. Temporary but not trash, the pools have been bought for permanent homes once trials are over.
RELATED: How 1.8 million gallons of water ended up inside Lucas Oil Stadium for U.S. Olympic swimming trials
4. Olympians returning to U.S. Olympic swimming trials
For those who watched the 2021 Tokyo Olympics or the 2016 Rio Games, there will be a lot of familiar names at trials this quad.
The biggest, of course, is three-time Olympian Katie Ledecky, who’s won 10 Olympic medals, including seven golds, since the 2012 London Games. The 27-year-old swimmer is expected to swim the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle races — all events in which she’s been an Olympic champion.
Other Olympians who are expected to compete at trials include Caeleb Dressel (50 free, 100 free, 100 butterfly), Simone Manuel (50 free, 100 free, 200 free), Lilly King (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke), Ryan Murphy (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke) and Torri Huske (100 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 IM).
5. Aren’t some American swimmers already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Yes, but they’re not strictly pool swimmers. Three open-water swimmers — Katie Grimes, Mariah Denigan and Ivan Puskovitch — have already made the Olympic team with Grimes being the first American athlete overall to qualify for the 2024 Games after winning a bronze medal in the 10-kilometer race at 2023 world championships.
But Grimes is the only American swimmer attempting to qualify in the pool too. For the 2024 trials, she’s entered in the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle, 1,500 freestyle, 400 IM and 200 backstroke.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Grimes finished fourth in the 800-meter freestyle.
6. Full order of events at U.S. Olympic swimming trials
Saturday, June 15 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 100 butterfly
Women’s 400 freestyle
Men’s 100 breaststroke
Men’s 400 freestyle
Saturday, June 15 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 100 butterfly semi
Men’s 400 freestyle final
Women’s 400 freestyle final
Men’s 100 breaststroke semi
Sunday, June 16 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Men’s 200 freestyle
Men’s 400 IM
Women’s 100 breaststroke
Men’s 100 backstroke
Women’s 200 freestyle
Sunday, June 16 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 400 IM final
Women’s 100 butterfly final
Men’s 200 freestyle semi
Women’s 100 breaststroke semi
Men’s 100 backstroke semi
Men’s 100 breaststroke final
Women’s 200 freestyle semi
Monday, June 17 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 400 IM
Women’s 100 backstroke
Men’s 800 freestyle
Monday, June 17 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 400 IM final
Men’s 200 freestyle final
Women’s 100 backstroke semi
Men’s 100 backstroke final
Women’s 100 breaststroke final
Women’s 200 freestyle final
Tuesday, June 18 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Men’s 200 butterfly
Men’s 100 freestyle
Women’s 1,500 freestyle
Women’s 100 freestyle
Men’s 200 breaststroke
Tuesday, June 18 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 100 freestyle semi
Men’s 200 butterfly semi
Women’s 100 backstroke final
Men’s 800 freestyle final
Women’s 100 freestyle semi
Men’s 200 breaststroke semi
Wednesday, June 19 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 200 breaststroke
Men’s 200 backstroke
Women’s 200 butterfly
Wednesday, June 19 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 100 freestyle final
Men’s 200 butterfly final
Women’s 200 butterfly semi
Women’s 1,500 freestyle final
Men’s 200 backstroke semi
Women’s 200 breaststroke semi
Men’s 200 breaststroke final
Men’s 100 freestyle final
Thursday, June 20 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 200 backstroke
Men’s 50 freestyle
Men’s 200 IM
Thursday, June 20 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Women’s 200 butterfly final
Men’s 200 backstroke final
Men’s 50 freestyle semi
Women’s 200 breaststroke final
Women’s 200 backstroke semi
Men’s 200 IM semi
Friday, June 21 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Men’s 100 butterfly
Women’s 200 IM
Women’s 800 freestyle
Friday, June 21 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 50 freestyle final
Women’s 200 backstroke final
Men’s 200 IM final
Men’s 100 butterfly semi
Women’s 200 IM semi
Saturday, June 22 — heats, 11 a.m. ET
Women’s 50 freestyle
Men’s 1,500 freestyle
Saturday, June 22 — semifinals and finals, 8 p.m. ET
Men’s 100 butterfly final
Women’s 50 freestyle semi
Women’s 200 IM final
Women’s 800 freestyle final
Sunday, June 23 — finals, 8 p.m. ET (no morning session)
Women’s 50 freestyle final
Men’s 1,500 freestyle final
