We lost a lot last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of those things was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Now that life is starting to get back to normal -- well, somewhat -- the Olympics are finally happening in July, and Team USA is starting to shape up to be a force to be reckoned with.
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The swimming trials are finally over, and the U.S. Swim Team is officially set.
The team has 53 members, with 11 of those being teens.
We won’t go over every member of the swim team, but here are some names you’ll want to remember when the Olympics start on July 23.
Katie Ledecky
This freestyle swimmer is going to her third Olympics, where she’s expected to take home even more hardware. She’s been swimming on Team USA since she was 15, so we can probably expect her to be at a few more Olympics in the years to come.
In Tokyo, she will be swimming the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle.
Allison Schmitt
Schmitt qualified for her fourth Olympics last week at the trials, making her the most senior member of the swim team. She’s already won eight Olympic medals, and she’s hoping to take home some more when she competes in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events.
Caeleb Dressel
Is he the next Michael Phelps? He could be.
Dressel is already a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and he’s hoping to add more to his collection this year in Tokyo. He will swim in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, as well as the 100-meter butterfly.
Michael Andrew
Andrew will make his Olympic debut this summer, and he’s competing in some big-time events that could lead to him winning some serious medals. He will take on Dressel in the 50-meter freestyle, as well as competing in the 100-meter breaststroke and 200 individual medley.
Simone Manuel
Manuel became a star during the 2015 Olympics in Rio when she won four medals, and she’s coming back this summer. She only qualified for the 50-meter freestyle in Tokyo, but hopes are high that she will be able to pull through and get another medal.
Katie Grimes
Grimes shocked everyone at the Olympic trials when she qualified for the 800-meter freestyle race. At just 15 years old, she became the youngest person to qualify for the team since Ledecky did in 2012. If she can specialize in a few more disciplines in the future, we will see her everywhere for the 2024 Olympics.