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sports Wednesday 27 January 2021
U.S. Olympic swim trials split into 2 meets because of COVID

By PAUL NEWBERRY letes per event in the four
AP Sports Writer months leading into the
The U.S. Olympic swimming Olympic Trials, generat-
trials will be split into two ing a final field of approxi-
meets, a striking change mately 750 total athletes in
designed to provide saf- the Wave II meet.
er conditions on the pool Swimmers who do not meet
deck in the midst of the the Wave II time standards
coronavirus pandemic. before May 30 will compete
USA Swimming announced in the Wave I meet. The top
Tuesday that a Wave I meet two finishers in each event
of lower-ranked swimmers will advance to Wave II,
qualifying for the trials will which will ultimately deter-
be held on June 4-7. mine the U.S. team.
The top finishers will ad- Local officials supported
vance to the main Wave II the decision to split the
meet on June 13-20 — the meet into two events. They
already scheduled dates are working with USA Swim-
for the trials — to determine ming and the U.S. Olympic
who represents the U.S at & Paralympic Committee
the Tokyo Games. In this July 1, 2016, file photo, Elizabeth Beisel, left, and Missy Franklin start the women’s 200-meter to come up with safety
backstroke semifinal at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb.
Both meets will take place Associated Press guidelines for the meet. It
in a temporary pool set up has not been determined
inside the CHI Health Cen- which has claimed more “While selecting the Olym- backstroke final at the 2008 how many fans will be al-
ter arena in Omaha, Ne- than 400,000 American lives pic team for Tokyo is a criti- trials. lowed in the 17,000-seat
braska, the trials’ host for and more than 2 million vic- cal goal for the trials, it is Erin Phenix was the lowest- arena.
the fourth straight time. tims around the world. important to note that the seeded swimmer to earn a Josh Todd, executive direc-
The change is designed to “Our number one priority experience gained at trials spot on the Olympic team. tor of the Omaha Sports
reduce overcrowding on was to find a way to host by some of the lower-seed- She was 38th when she Commission, said the new
the pool deck, an adja- trials in the safest possible ed athletes has historically qualified as a relay swim- format “provides us with
cent warmup pool and the environment while also giv- provided a great experi- mer for the 2000 Sydney the opportunity to stage
athlete seating areas. The ing the athletes the best ence for future Olympic Games by finishing sixth in not one, but two marquee
top 41 seeded swimmers in opportunity to succeed,” trials (and games), which the 100 free final. events in the city of Oma-
each event will automati- said Mike Unger, USA Swim- fueled our desire to host Based on that data, USA ha.”
cally qualify for Wave II. ming’s chief operating of- two events,” Unger said in Swimming will adjust the “We are working closely
As of last week, 1,305 ath- ficer. a statement. current trials standard in with the CHI Health Center
letes had qualified for the Instead of limiting the meet USA Swimming reviewed each event to the current team and are committed
Olympic trials since the win- to only the top-seeded the last five Olympic tri- 41st-seeded time. Athletes to delivering a safe and
dow opened Nov. 28, 2018. swimmers, the governing als going back to 2000 to who have met or bettered memorable experience
The meet, initially set for last body preferred a format determine the the lowest- that time will automatically for every athlete coming
summer, was delayed a that provided valuable ex- seeded swimmers to qual- advance to Wave II. to Omaha to chase their
year after the Tokyo Olym- perience to those who may ify for an event final. Mor- The newly adjusted stan- dreams and to compete
pics were postponed be- be contenders in future gan Scroggy, seeded 41st, dards also factor in a pos- for a spot on the U.S. Olym-
cause of the pandemic, years. qualified for the 200-meter sible growth of 50-60 ath- pic team.” Todd said.q

Washington’s King 1st Black female assistant position coach

By The Associated Press countless hours that are “She was extremely help-
Washington promoted Jen- spent preparing in the off- ful last year in seeing the
nifer King to assistant run- season, as well. game from a different per-
ning backs coach Tuesday, “She demonstrated all of spective, and she was a tre-
making her the first Black the qualities that are need- mendous communicator in
female assistant position ed to work full time on my our room. I look forward to
coach in the NFL. staff. She is a hard worker, a continuing to collaborate
She is the second woman great communicator and a as we move forward in our
in league history to be an quality person. Coach King program and as she moves
assistant position coach is always eager to learn forward in her coaching
after Tampa Bay’s assis- and has shown tremen- career.”
tant defensive line coach dous growth since starting Washington’s playoff
Lori Locust. King spent the here last season.” game against the now-
2020 season as a full-year King previously interned Super Bowl-bound Buc- Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant strength/conditioning coach
coaching intern under for Rivera with the Caro- caneers was the first NFL Maral Javadifar, left, talking with Washington full-year coaching
Ron Rivera and worked lina Panthers and has also playoff game to have a intern Jennifer King, right, following the conclusion of an NFL
with running backs coach been an assistant at Dart- female coach on each wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in
Landover, Md. Tampa Bay won 31-23.
Randy Jordan. “The sky is mouth College and for the sideline. Tampa Bay had Associated Press
truly the limit for her,” Rivera Arizona Hotshots of the Alli- two: Locust and assistant
said. “She got the chance ance of American Football. strength and conditioning “This game, it’s a tremen- to coach or opportunities
to experience not only the “I am very pleased to have coach Maral Javadifar, dous game,” Rivera said. to lead the organization.
in-season work that goes coach King back to assist and coach Bruce Arians “It should be open to every- I think that’s an important
into being a full-time coach me full time in the running called women in coaching body in terms of opportuni- message that the league is
in this league but also the backs room,” Jordan said. “the wave of the future.” ties to play, opportunities putting out there.”q