Will Chase Kalisz be at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Chase Kalisz broke the US Open meet record in the 200 and 400 meter individual medleys during the 2022 US Open swimming championships, which concluded on December 3, 2022.
The Maryland-born swimmer is a specialist in these events. He won the bronze medal in the 400 meter IM at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest. In the 2022 US Open Swimming, he won gold medals in the 200 meter and 400 meter IM events.
But will Chase Kalisz be at the Olympics?
It is highly possible that Chase will be at the Olympics representing Team USA, but first he has to qualify for the showpiece event. For a swimmer to represent Team USA in the Olympics, the swimmer has to qualify through the US Olympic Team trials. To qualify for the US Olympic Team trials, the swimmer has to qualify through the US Open.
There will be a cut-off mark for each and every event and the swimmer has to meet the criteria. For the 200 meter individual medley, the cut-off time to qualify for the 2024 US Olympic Trials is 2:03.49. Kalisz completed the event with a time of 1:15.52.
For the 400 meter individual medley, the cut-off to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trials is 4:25.19. Kalisz qualified for the trials by swimming the 400 meter IM with a time of 4:10.09. This was a championship record set by the 28 year old during the 2022 US Open Championships.
But this time, if far from his personal best in the 400 meter individual medley, which is 4:05.90. We can definitely hope that Chase Kalisz makes it to the 2024 Paris Olympics and emerges victorious in the 200 meter and 400 meter individual medley.
Olympic career of Chase Kalisz
Chase Kalisz has competed in two editions of the Olympic games so far. He participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics, winning a gold and silver apiece.
He qualified to represent Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics by finishing first in the 400 meter individual medley during the 2016 United States Olympic Trials. This was his second time at the US Olympic trials after not making the cut in 2012.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he competed in the 400 meter individual medley and won the silver medal. He finished second with a time of 4:06.75. Chase's silver medal was Team USA's first medal in swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was the first male swimmer in the history of the University of Georgia to win an Olympic medal.
Chase competed in the 200 meter IM and 400 meter IM at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He won the gold medal in the 400 meter individual medley by finishing first in the event with a time of 4:09.42. Kalisz's gold medal was the first medal for Team USA in any sport at the Tokyo Olympics.
In the 200 meter individual medley, he was able to swim until the semifinals. In the semifinal heats of the 200 meter IM, Kalisz finished sixth with a time of 1:58.03. This wasn't enough to help him qualify for the finals of the event.
Chase Kalisz will be looking forward to clinching a gold medal in the 200 meter IM and 400 meter IM of the 2024 Paris Olympics which could prove to be his last Olympics.