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USA Swimming Olympic trials Day 1 recap: A world record, a Carmel Olympian and 20,000 fans

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USA Swimming Olympic trials Day 1 recap: A world record, a Carmel Olympian and 20,000 fans

David Woods
 |  Special for IndyStar

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Here are the highlights of Day 1 of the USA Swimming Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium:

Top story

University of Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh, a sensation during the college season, showed she has successfully transitioned to the 50-meter pool. She swam to the first world record of the Olympic Trials, clocking 55.18 seconds in semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly. Walsh, 21, will have to go nearly that fast again in the final Sunday night to make the Paris Olympics. Torri Huske, 55.79, and Regan Smith, 55.92, were also under 56 seconds. Previous world record was 55.48 by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom in 2016. Huske had held the American record of 55.64.

Magical moment

First swimmer to make the Olympic team was a Hoosier. Aaron Shackell, 19, of Carmel won the 400-meter freestyle in 3:45.46. Afterward, he slapped the water with both hands, punched the water again with a hard right, and climbed out of the pool with arms raised in triumph. For good measure, he spiked his goggles.

Olympic Trials: Carmel’s Aaron Shackell wins 400 freestyle, books ticket to Paris

Buzzworthy

Night 1 attendance at Lucas Oil Stadium: 20,689. That is a record for an indoor swim competition, exceeding that of the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to USA Swimming.

Stat of the day

Katie Ledecky, in winning the 400 freestyle, will be the oldest American woman to swim a distance freestyle at an Olympics. Ledecky, 27, made a fourth Olympic team. Previous oldest was Janet Evans, who was 24 at her last Olympics in 1996.

Quote of the day

“I was blown away walking out there, seeing all those fans. In prelims, I got up on the blocks for my heat and it got quiet, and then got loud again and I started shaking. And I went down to take your mark and I said, ‘Relax, Katie, relax, don’t false start, don’t false start.’“ — Katie Ledecky

What’s up next

Sunday night’s finals feature Carmel’s Kelly Pash in the 100 butterfly and Indiana University’s Josh Matheny in the 100 breaststroke. Alex Shackell and Pash could be in semifinals of the 200 freestyle. Hoosier icon Lilly King opens her schedule with heats and semifinals of the 100 breaststroke. Semifinals of the men’s 200 freestyle could include three Carmel swimmers: Drew Kibler, Jake Mitchell, Aaron Shackell. Zionsville’s Will Modglin, a two-time national high school swimmer of the year, bids for semis of the 100 backstroke.

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