U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials 2024: How can swimmers qualify for the Paris Olympics? All about the Qualification System for the Quadrennial Games

The 2024 U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials are all set to take center stage from June 15 to June 23 at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Depending on the results of the trials, USA Swimming can send up to 52 athletes to the Olympic Games, with a maximum of 26 quotas available for men and 26 for women to each National Olympic Committee (NOC),

The swimmers competing in relay events at the Paris Olympics must also be a part of this 52-member contingent. In an individual event, only two athletes can represent the nation and the NOC can field only one relay team in a relay discipline.

For the Paris Olympics 2024, a four-point criteria order has been set up for swimmers' qualification. This includes (i) Athletes who accomplish the Olympic Qualification Time or OQT, (ii) Athletes in relay events, (iii) Universality Places, and (iv) Invited athletes who have attained an Olympic Consideration Time or OCT.

Additionally, only times recorded from March 1, 2023, till June 23, 2024, within the World Aquatics defined calendar of events will be considered.

However, for USA athletes to qualify for the Paris Olympics, they must finish in the top two - first or second place - in an individual event and attain the Olympic Qualification Time. Additionally, swimmers for the relay events will also be picked based on their timings in the U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials.

It is important to note that USA Swimming adheres strictly to the mentioned qualification method for sending their athletes to the Olympic Games, whereas other NOCs may have different qualification processes. These NOCs will have the opportunity to send athletes to the competition based on the established four-point criteria order.

In the case of Universality Places, NOCs that don't have any qualified athletes or relay teams can field one male and one female athlete in one event each. If an NOC does not have athletes who have achieved the OQT or received an OCT invitation, they may enter one male and one female swimmer, given that these athletes have competed in either the 2022 World Championships, the 2024 World Championships, or both.

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Swimmers to watch out for at the 2024 U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials

Ryan Murphy during the 2021 U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials at CHI Health Center on June 18, 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

In the women’s category, Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith, Katie Grimes, Lilly King, Lydia Jacoby, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and Kate Douglass are a few swimmers to watch out for at the trials.

While, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Murphy, Bobby Finke, Hunter Armstrong, and Michael Andrew are some male swimmers who will be gunning for Olympic spots at the 2024 U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials.