GUTTERTALK

U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS DIVIDED INTO TWO MEETS

BY ANNE LAWLEY

After the Olympics and Olympic Trials were postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hope was to delay the meet a year in line with the re-scheduled 2021 Olympics.

As the outbreaks continued, pools, venues, cities and states were slow to reopen. Given the current environment and the need to address concerns related to overcrowding in the athlete areas, warm-up pool and athlete seating areas, the decision was made to divide this year’s Trials into two meets to provide a safer, healthier environment for the competitors and everyone involved.

USA Swimming undertook a thorough evaluation of the past five Olympic Trials (2000-16) to review which seeded swimmers entering the Trials previously qualified for the meet’s finals and, ultimately, the Olympic team.

Given this and other data, the Wave II Trials time standard for each event was adjusted to the 41st seeded time as of Jan. 28, 2021. Athletes who had met or bettered that time would automatically advance to Wave II of the Trials—scheduled for June 13-20—and would not need to requalify. Swimmers with at least one Wave II cut will be able to swim “Bonus” races in any event in which they have a Wave I cut.

Athletes who qualified using the original time standards, but do not meet the Wave II time standards prior to May 30, 2021, are invited to compete in Wave I on June 4-7. They can still qualify for Wave II and a chance to make the Olympic team by finishing first or second in the finals of their individual event. Wave II will continue to serve as the sole qualifier for pool swimmers on the U.S. Olympic team.

SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT

In an effort to deliver the safest competition possible and to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19, the venue-seating map has been reconfigured, reducing daily session attendance capacity to approximately 50%. Given the June 2020 Trials had already sold tickets in excess of 90% of capacity, there was a complete refund of tickets and a re-sale that began on Friday, April 16.

The event Organizing Committee (OC) continues to work with USA Swimming’s national team physicians, along with the Douglas County Health Department, CHI Health (which is providing medical services for the Trials), the venue and the USOPC in the development of the Trials’ health and safety plans.

As of mid-April, local county health regulations require masks to be worn inside the arena at all times, and event organizers will require this as well, regardless of any changes to local regulations prior to the start of the event.

Although strongly encouraged, neither a vaccine or negative COVID-19 test will be required for spectators to enter the arena. The OC will also ensure that anti-COVID measures are enforced and widely available throughout the venue. 

EXCELLENCE AWARD

MIKE URBANOWICZ

Mike Urbanowicz has served Colorado Swimming (CSI) for 17 years as an excellent official and mentor. He is nationally certified as an N3 official for ST, DR, CJ and AR. He has served on numerous national decks as ST-DR and CJ, and was selected to work Olympic Trials in 2012 and 2016. He also serves on the testing sub-committee for USA Swimming. Since 2014, Mike has served as officials coordinator on Colorado Swimming’s officials committee, where he has impacted numerous officials throughout the LSC, making sure they are prepared and ready to either advance to a new position in CSI or advance to an N2 or N3 evaluation. What really sets him apart is his willingness to serve Colorado Swimming in any capacity needed—as a meet referee for one of CSI’s large prelim/final OQM meets or at a small seasonal meet that is looking for a referee or a stroke-and-turn official to make the meet legal. Whenever asked, he also teaches clinics at any level and is willing to travel to some of the more distant teams in the state.