Who will stand out in the Women’s U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials?

5-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin and 3-time Olympic medalist Katie Hoff discuss the most notable female swimmers and highlight who they think will excel in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Video Transcript

Hey, everybody.

I am Missy Franklin, a five time Olympic gold medalist in swimming for team USA and I am Katie Hoff, two time Olympian as well.

Katie and I are so honored and excited to be Yahoo correspondents for this summer.

Katie and I are going to be telling you guys about all the names to look out for in the women's field for Olympic trials for swimming and team USA.

So Katie, who should we look out for in distance freestyle?

So Katie Ledecky, who is the greatest of all time.

You've seen her dominant performances in the 1500 in the eight 100.

She is the world record holder and then we have Katie Grimes who was 15 years old when she made the team for the first time.

Last time in Tokyo.

She is already on the team in open water, which is, she makes the team in pool.

Swimming will make her the first person ever to do this next up.

We've got some middle distance freestyle.

So who should we look out for there?

The two names I think we should look out for are Bella Sims who's also excellent at the 400 along with the 200 Claire Weinstein as well, who had an amazing show at World Champ trials last summer.

And so I think those are going to be the names mid distance freestyle that we will see a very good likelihood of making the team.

So sprint freeze up next.

We've got Abby Wezel and Simone Manuel are the two.

I think that we definitely need to keep an eye on Simone Manuel coming back from over training syndrome and it's always so fun to watch those sprint events because it's like 100 of us literally comes down to the bat of an eyelash.

All right, next up backstroke, we have the dominant backstroker for USA right now.

Who's Regan Smith?

Um She's been absolutely incredible, broke onto the scene by breaking my own world record in the 200 backstroke and just did it with such grace and humility and she's been swimming absolutely lights out and not even just the two back, but also the two fly.

I mean, she's very diverse as well.

So keep an eye on Reagan Smith for the backstroke and then the other two names I think we should look out for are Claire Curzan and Ryan White.

Both are swimming phenomenal.

Both have proved themselves in the past and I think that they're both going to have excellent show this summer.

Next step we've got, I am in the 200.

I am.

We're looking at Alex Walsh and Kate Douglas, Alex Walsh is a world champion in this event from two years ago.

And Kate Douglas is actually the world champion from last year.

They actually trained together at U VA.

So we know they're going head to head each and every day.

So that'll be a fun race to watch.

And then we have the 400 I am.

Um, which is the race that I actually have the American record in, I think Katie Grimes is going to take it.

I think she's gonna take it.

It's gonna go down this summer.

It's gonna go down.

She was 6/10 away from it last year.

So I have no doubt and I cannot think of a better human being to break it.

Um So I'm very excited to watch that and then one other person, Leah Hayes has been on the world championship team in the 200 Im.

She has been crushing it this year as we know youngsters have momentum, which if you're swimming and competing, that's a very scary thing.

Momentum.

So I think Leah Hayes has a great shot of making the team as well.

All right.

Next up for butterfly, Tori Husk, who has been absolute staple butterfly for the US for the past several years.

She's incredible in both the 50 the 100 of course at trials in the Olympics.

We don't have fifties of the strokes, they'll just compete in the hundreds.

But I think Tori is going to have an incredible showing in the 100.

And as I mentioned before, Reagan Smith's 200 Fly has been looking out of this world.

So I think she's going to be a huge contender in the 200 as well.

And you just mentioned Alex Walsh, I'm going to mention her sister Gretchen.

So Gretchen just finished up one of the most Epic Collegiate meets of all time.

Her NC Two A's this year was one of the most impressive in history and will remain so just American records.

NC two A records left and right now, her specialty is sprinting.

So we're going to see a lot of her in the 50 100 free in the 100 fly.

So I think Tory Gretchen and Reagan and Butterfly are going to be some things to look out for.

Yeah, I'm excited for that race.

It's going to be down to the wire.

All right.

So we've got breaststroke up next Lydia Jacoby.

Who if you all remember watching the Olympics in Tokyo, she burst onto the scene from Alaska doesn't even have a pool to swim in every day.

And yet she won a gold medal in the 100 m breaststroke.

Last time.

She's been swimming lights out this year.

So she's gonna be back to reclaim her title.

Uh We've got Lily King.

She is a, an incredible spirit, incredible racer and then we have Kate Douglas in the 200.

She broke the American record at a mid season meet.

She's on fire right now in all strokes, but she will be a huge contender in the 200.

So lots of names for you guys to look out for.

We're going to have some great surprises.

We're going to have some names that maybe Katie and I haven't even heard of that could make this team.

But I think one of the unique things to mention as well is that this is the first time ever that there's only been three years in between the Olympics as opposed to four because of that, the team is going to look more similar to the most recent Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 than it would if it was another year away because one year can make a big difference in our sport.

So I do think we're gonna be seeing a lot of the same names that we saw in Tokyo and in the world championships in the past three years as we are gonna see, make the team this year for the summer Olympics in Paris.

Yeah.

So we hope you guys enjoy.

We'll be cheering along with you.