AT A GLANCE: U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS
When: Monday-July 2
Where: CenturyLink Center, Omaha
TV: NBC (Ch. 11) will broadcast live coverage of the finals each night beginning at 7 p.m.
What's at stake: A maximum of 26 men and 26 women will qualify for the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in the London Games beginning next month. The winner of each event, along with the top four in the 100- and 200-meter freestyles, will be named to the team; second-place finishers also make the team until the 26 slots per gender are filled. More than 1,700 swimmers will participate.
Rachel Bootsma's agenda: Bootsma, of Eden Prairie, is among the top contenders in the women's 100-meter backstroke. The preliminaries of that race will be held Tuesday morning, with the semifinals Tuesday night and the finals Wednesday night. She also will swim the 50 and 100 freestyles, the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley.
Other local athletes: Former Gopher David Plummer, who trains with the Minnetonka Swim Club, is among the favorites in the men's 100 backstroke. Plummer, 26, was the 2010 national champion in the event and placed fifth in both the 50 back and 100 back at the 2011 world championships. The Gophers will be represented by 29 current members of the swim teams, including national team members Ashley Steenvoorden (200, 400 and 800 freestyle) and Haley Spencer (100 and 200 breaststroke, 200 IM). Members of other local clubs also will compete. Those include the Aquajets and Foxjets of Eden Prairie, the Mantas of Mankato, the Edina Swim Club, the Minnetonka Swim Club, the Twin Cities Swim Team, the St. Croix Swim Club and the Atlantis Swimming Federation of southern Minnesota.
Schedule, results and more: usaswimming.org
RACHEL BLOUNT
