Three-time Olympian and NBC commentator Elizabeth Beisel provides a casual fan’s guide to USA swimming.
I love watching swimming — the athletes and their hulking shoulders, the photo finishes, the years of training all collapsed into a minute or so of ferocious effort…it’s absolutely thrilling. The thing is I, like I’d guess most Americans, only watch the sport every four years during the Summer Games. And because of that, whenever the Olympics roll around I’m not sure who Team USA’s heavy hitters are or what storylines to follow.
So I asked Elizabeth Beisel, a three-time Olympian (2008, 2012, and 2016) with a silver medal in the 400m individual medley and a bronze in the 200m backstroke, to provide a primer for the casual fan before she heads off to Paris as a commentator for NBC. Beisel talks about the young new swimmers to keep an eye on, how stars like Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel look coming out of the Olympic trials, why the Aussies might have an edge over Team USA this summer, and much more.
Katie Couric Media: How does this Olympic team look compared to the squad we sent to Tokyo?
Elizabeth Beisel: I think there’s a lot more depth. It’s also a younger squad, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think when you’re a rookie at the Olympics, you adopt this mentality that you have nothing to lose and that’s exactly how this team is feeling going into the games.
There are also many swimmers on Team USA who most people haven’t heard of and who will be rising stars, which is really exciting. I expect many of the athletes you’ll get to know in Paris to be heavy hitters by the time the U.S. hosts the Olympics in 2028.
And who are the up-and-comers you’re really excited about?
Kate Douglass isn’t new to the scene, but she’s definitely much more dominant than she was in Tokyo. She’s made the team and has qualified for three individual events, and I think she’s somebody who has the potential to win gold in almost all of her races. Reagan Smith had an absolutely stellar trials and broke a world record in the 100m backstroke. Gretchen Walsh broke a world record in the 100m fly.
On the men’s side, we have a sprinter named Chris Guiliano. I don’t want to say that he came out of nowhere, but I think if you don’t follow swimming, he kind of came out of nowhere. He’s qualified in the freestyle for the 50m, 100m, and 200m individual events. That’s the first time someone has done that in decades. He’s also qualified for the relays in all those events too, so he could win six medals in Paris.
How do you expect Katie Ledecky to perform in Paris?
I think Katie’s a shoo-in to win gold in the 1500m and 800m freestyle. She will definitely reach the podium in the 400m free, but I think the world is catching up to her in that event. The thing about Katie is that she’s broken down so many barriers within the sport, she’s made the seemingly impossible possible. So all these athletes now feel empowered to chase her. She has the biggest target on her back out of anybody on this team, and she knows how to handle that pressure. She’s such a great leader of this team.
After stepping away from the sport for eight months for mental health reasons, Caeleb Dressel, a seven-time Olympic champion, is back. How did he look at the trials?
He looked so happy, and to be honest, I think that’s all anybody really cared about. This time around, he’s a dad and a husband, and there are so many good things going on in his life that I think he’s seeing swimming through a different lens. That will ultimately help him in his performance. He has nothing to lose, and just the fact that he’s at these Olympics is a win in itself. Anything else he does in Paris will just be a cherry on top. And like Katie, he also brings so much to the team. He’ll be helping everybody through his mentorship and his experience.
Athletes talk a lot about peaking at the right time. From what you’ve seen at the trials, do you think the swimmers we’re sending over to Paris are in their best form right now?
I do. I think Team USA always does a great job of that and has for at least the last eight Olympic games. We’ve kind of figured out a system and know what to do. Our athletes will be even better in Paris than they were at the Olympic trials, and I say that because the trials are much more stressful. So much is riding on it, and once you get through that gauntlet, there’s so much relief. It sounds kind of crazy to say, because there’s so much pressure at the Olympics, but I do think that trials are more daunting.
The rivalry between Team USA and Australia in the pool is always fierce. How do you think they stack up this year?
It’ll be really interesting because, I think, on paper, Australia is a stronger team, especially in their relays. This year, Australia has put together its strongest team in decades, so I’m really excited for them and can’t wait to see what they throw down. But Team USA always puts up their best performances at the Olympics, and I don’t see why Paris would be any different.
Internationally, who are the top swimmers to keep an eye on?
Canada’s Summer McIntosh is a must-watch. She was in Tokyo and placed fourth in the 400m individual medley, but this time around, she’s going to win that race by body-lengths, and she has the potential to win several other events. It’s wild how much of a difference three years can make.
There are so many women from Australia to watch out for. In the freestyle and backstroke, Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan are dominating. In the men’s sprints, you’ve got another Australian, Kyle Chalmers. This Olympics, apart from a few events, every race is going to be pretty close, which makes it all the more exciting.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
