INDIANAPOLIS — Two more athletes will be splashing down in Paris this summer, as they made their way onto the U.S. Olympic Swim Team following night seven of the swim trials in Indianapolis.
Shaine Casas, a 24-year-old male swimmer from McAllen, Texas, representing Longhorn Aquatics, and Phoebe Bacon, a 21-year-old female swimmer from Chevy Chase, Maryland, representing Wisconsin Aquatics, both placed second in 200-meter races.
Casas finished in 1:55.83 during the men's 200-meter individual medley final. He beat Kieran Smith of Ridgefield Aquatic Club, whose time was 1:56.97, but lost to Carson Foster of Mason Manta Rays, whose time was 1:55.65.
"It was relief," Casas said via press release. "I played that race in my head, and I've dreamt about it. I've visualized what that moment would be like, and I was kind of emotional because it was a lot to take in. That swim represented my entire life's work and everyone who supports me and who has helped me get to this point. That was a physical representation of that, and I was so excited, so happy, so relieved. I don't really know how I could describe it, you know, besides just a plethora of emotions.”
Bacon completed the women's 200-meter backstroke final in 2:06.27. In first place was Regan Smith of Longhorn Aquatics with a time of 2:05.16, and in third place was Claire Curzan of the University of Virginia with a time of 2:06.34.
"United States backstroke is no joke," Bacon said via release. "We are all amazing competitors, and we are also all really good friends ... When I go into a heat knowing that anybody from lane one to lane eight could totally get their land on the wall in front of me, I think you just have to step back and believe in your own self and your own training.”
Sunday will mark the final day of the Olympic Swim Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium. The events will include the men’s 100-meter butterfly final, women’s 50-meter freestyle semifinal, women’s 200-meter individual medley final and women’s 800-meter freestyle final. Preliminary races will begin at 11 a.m., with finals starting at 8 p.m.
More information, including the full competition schedule, can be found at this link.