USA Swimming has announced the time standards for the 2012 US Olympic Trials. The qualifying period for the trials will be from October 1st, 2009 onward. This is the date that polyurethane suits were banned in the United States, putting all swimmers on an even playing field headed into the trials.
The time standards are largely unchanged from the 2008 trials, with most of the lowered standards being on the women’s side. A significant drop in the cuts for the 100 backstroke events reflect the big change in backstroke technique philosophy that swimming has undergone in the last 2 years.
There has also been a big drop in qualifying times for the 200 IM, which is reflective of the fact that this is an event that the Americans have becoming increasingly proficient in.
The 2012 Olympic Trials will return to Omaha’s Qwest Center, the same site of the 2008 trials, from June 25-July 2, 2012.
| Change from 2008 | Men’s LCM Time | Event | Women’s LCM Time | Change from 2008 |
| 23.49 | 50 Free | 26.39 | ||
| (-.1) | 51.49 | 100 free | 57.19 | |
| 1:52.89 | 200 free | 2:03.19 | (-.2) | |
| 3:59.99 | 400 free | 4:19.39 | ||
| 800 free | 8:50.49 | |||
| 15:53.59 | 1500 free | |||
| (-.4) | 57.59 | 100 back | 1:03.99 | (-.6) |
| 2:04.99 | 200 back | 2:17.99 | ||
| 1:04.69 | 100 breast | 1:12.19 | (-.4) | |
| 2:20.79 | 200 breast | 2:35.99 | ||
| (-.3) | 55.29 | 100 fly | 1:01.99 | (-.4) |
| 2:03.99 | 200 fly | 2:16.49 | (-.2) | |
| (-.8) | 2:06.59 | 200 IM | 2:19.49 | (-1.0) |
| 4:30.49 | 400 IM | 4:55.89 |
Not surprised with the changes in the men’s 100 FR/BK/Fly/200IM, I would think, also has to do with the increasing use of dolphin kick in long course swimming since we saw it at 2008 in Beijing be the difference between winning races to destroying the field by MP. Kind of made the importance painfully obvious to the rest of US Swimming.
I don’t know if this is a dumb question, but why is there no 1500 women’s cut and no 800 mens cut?
The women’s 1500 and men’s 800 aren’t swum at the Olympics. There was a big push last year to add those two events, along with the 50 back, 50 breaststroke, and 50 fly that are also swum in FINA competitions, but the IOC said that swimming couldn’t add any more events unless they dropped other events.
As an aside, not a dumb question at all! We don’t anyone to ever feel like they should be afraid to ask anything here, so any other questions don’t hesitate to let us know!
How old does someone have to be to swim in the olympics, because I have a 12 year old swimmer who is incredibly fast and is very close to 29 seconds in 50 freestyle and is working hard. I think that she could qualify, and she is willing to work hard and all she ever does is swim.