We're covering the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials all week.Sunday's first day of the Olympic Swim Trials was all about Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff. But it's also about swimmers like Erik Vendt.
Vendt was swimming side-by-side with Larsen Jensen and Peter Vanderkaay as they headed into the final 10 meters of the 400 meter freestyle final. But as the trio drove to the wall, Vendt took an extra half-stroke, while Jensen and Vanderkaay didn't. That little difference is why Vendt won't be representing the U.S. in the event in Beijing.
All the years of training came down to a couple of inches. Jensen and Vanderkaay both swam faster than the old American record, while Vendt finished two-tenths of a second behind Vanderkaay for third. It was close enough that it was nearly impossible to tell who had won, and who had finished third, in real time. But as was mentioned before the event began, the U.S. swimming trials is the event where you may be the third fastest in the world, but that's not good enough to get you a ticket to China.
Vendt still has a very good chance of making it to Beijing--he's the top seed in the 1,500-meter freestyle. But as he goes to bed tonight, he does so knowing that he missed a spot in the Olympics by the blink of an eye.
Phelps and Hoff both set world records in the 400 meter individual medley to get the trials off to a fast start. Phelps' world record came as he barely edged Ryan Lochte in the 400 meter individual medley. Hoff turned in a great breaststroke leg of the women's 400 individual medley to win the event. Hoff reclaimed the world record that she had owned before it was taken away by Australian Stephanie Rice just a few weeks ago at the Australian Olympic Trials. Hoff, who qualified for all thirteen events at Trials this week, has been called the Phelps of the women's swimming world and turned in a time of 4:31.12 in the 400 IM to win that event as well. She will be joined by Elizabeth Beisel to swim the event in Beijing.
All in all, it was a pretty impressive night for swimming on one of its rare chances at the prime-time stage. We saw two world records, a photo finish and some big stars stepping up. On Monday, butterflyer Elaine Breeden and breaststroker Branden Hansen will continue the march to Beijing. Natalie Coughlin and Aaron Piersol will begin their Olympic campaigns and Hoff and Phelps try to make it another record-setting day.
