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3 times USA swimmers gave their Olympic spots to teammates ft. Kate Douglass
USA Swimming has been rich with world-class swimmers since the 1900s. From Johnny Weissmuller to Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps, and Katie Ledecky, they have made their country proud on the international stage.
They have dominated swimming in as many as eight events at a single Olympic Games. With so much talent in them, the USA swimmers have had to forego some events to keep their bodies in shape.
There have been several such events in history where an athlete dropped an event that allowed their teammates to compete for medals in place of them. The latest instance is Kate Douglass giving her spot to teammate Gretchen Walsh.
Kate Douglass gives 100m freestyle spot to Gretchen Walsh
Kate Douglass won the 100m freestyle competition at the 2024 U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials in 52.56s. Her University of Virginia teammate Gretchen Walsh finished 3rd in 53.13s, which meant she didn't qualify for the 100m free team since only the top two finishers earned a spot for Paris.
However, Douglass has withdrawn her name from the 100m freestyle team, allowing Walsh to compete at the Paris Olympics 2024 in the 100m freestyle event. Walsh was earlier ranked as the 9th seed heading into the Olympic Games, but will now be 8th after Douglass’ withdrawal.
Michael Phelps gives 200m backstroke spot to Bryce Hunt
Michael Phelps finished second in the 200m backstroke at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials while Aaron Piersol finished first. Young swimmer Bryce Hunt had placed third, narrowly missing the ticket to his maiden Olympic Games. However, his dreams would soon come true when Phelps decided to drop the event.
The Baltimore Bullet was intending to focus on the 200m freestyle, his stronger suit, and the chance to swim against Australia’s Ian Thorpe, who was the most dominant during that time. Thorpe had defeated Phelps earlier at the World Championships, and he presumably wanted revenge, which he eventually got.
Michael Phelps gives 200m freestyle to Ricky Berens
Michael Phelps was after Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games. After bettering that at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he decided to compete in only seven events at the 2012 Olympics despite qualifying in eight. He gave up his 200m freestyle spot, and Ricky Berens, who had finished third at the Olympic Trials, took up the vacant spot.
Berens had already qualified in the 400m and 800m freestyle relays. However, Phelps’ withdrawal from the 200m freestyle meant he got the first opportunity to swim in an individual event at the Olympic Games.
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