How to watch the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, schedule and more

Elite American swimmers often say the most pressure-packed meets of their careers are not the Olympics, as most would assume, but the Olympic trials. Earning a spot on Team USA’s roster typically means finishing first or second out of a field that is nearly as loaded as an Olympic final. In the Olympics, getting edged out of second place by a hundredth of a second provides a bronze medal as a consolation prize; at the trials, it can spell the difference between being remembered forever as an Olympian or not.

Even with America’s international dominance in the pool seemingly on the wane — at last summer’s world championships, Australia won 13 gold medals to Team USA’s seven, the Americans’ first such setback in more than two decades — this year’s Olympic trials should feature all the drama, glory and heartache you would want in a major meet. Perhaps the Aussies’ own Olympic trials, held this month in Brisbane, will wind up being faster. But the American version, held for the first time in an NFL stadium, undoubtedly will be bigger.

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