Ten local swimmers make a splash by qualifying for U.S. Olympic Trials — let’s dive into them

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Ten swimmers with Hampton Roads ties competed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which began Saturday, June 15 in Indianapolis.

Eight of those swimmers hail from TIDE Swimming, based out in Virginia Beach. Two additional swimmers from the area, who are not affiliated with TIDE, have also qualified.

The U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials began June 15 and continued through June 23 in Indianapolis, Indiana. For the first time, the trials were held on a football field. Lucas Oil Stadium has been transformed into an aquatic center.

More than 1,000 swimmers competed in the Olympic Team Trials, which is roughly the top 1% of swimmers nationwide. Team USA can ultimately have a maximum of 26 men and 26 women on the team. The top two swimmers in each event will make the team, plus the top six in freestyle can be named to a relay team.

Read below for information on the local swimmers who made it to the trials and see the results:

Kayla Wilson is a rising junior at Stanford University. She is a Virginia Beach native and started swimming for TIDE when she was 7 years old. Before swimming for Norfolk Academy, where she broke several state records. This will be her second Olympic Trials where she will compete in the 200m freestyle and the 100m freestyle.

• UPDATE (6/19/24): Wilson tied for 18th in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:59.77. She finished 29th in the 100m freestyle with a time of 55.33.

Callie Dickinson is from Virginia Beach and heading to her third U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She started swimming with TIDE when she was 6 years old, then swam for Norfolk Academy. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia and will be attending LSU Medical School in the fall. She will be competing in the 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

• UPDATE (6/24/24): Dickinson finished 29th in 100m butterfly with a time of 59.47. She finished 28th in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:13.28. She finished 37th in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:18.49.

Nikki Venema is a Virginia Beach native who recently graduated from Princeton University with a degree in psychology. She swam with TIDE for more than eight years and won multiple swimming state championships while at Kellam High School. She is heading to Northwestern University in the fall for her fifth year of NCAA eligibility. This is her second Olympic Team Trials and she will be swimming the 100m butterfly.

• UPDATE (6/19/24): Venema finished 76th in the 100m butterfly with a time of 1:02.10.

Samantha Tadder is a Virginia Beach native and rising senior at Stanford University. She swam with TIDE for 10 years and was part of three state championship titles while swimming at First Colonial High School. This is her second Olympic Trials and she will compete in the 400m individual medley.

• UPDATE (6/19/24): Tadder finished 29th in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:53.42.

Bobby DiNunzio is a rising sophomore at the University of Florida and grew up in Virginia Beach. He graduated from Ocean Lakes High School, where he was a multiple-time state swimming champion, and swam with TIDE Swimming for eight years. This is his first time qualifying for the Olympic Trials and will compete in the 800m freestyle and 1500m freestyle.

• UPDATE (6/24/24): DiNunzio finished 42nd in the 800m freestyle with a time of 8:10.05. He finished 28th in the 1500m freestyle with a time of 15:36.35.

Emily Claesson is a rising junior at Virginia Tech. She is originally from Illinois, but spent two years with TIDE Swimming and was a standout at Kellam High School. This is her second time competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials and will swim the 100m freestyle.

• UPDATE (6/19/24): Claesson tied for 36th in the 100m freestyle with a time of 55.73.

Madison Hartley swam with TIDE Swimming for six years. She is a rising junior at the University of Kentucky and competed on the First Colonial High School Swim team. Hartley has been swimming since she was 4 years old. This is her first time qualifying for the Olympic Trials and she will compete in the 200m butterfly.

• UPDATE (6/19/24): Hartley finished 50th in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:17.57.

Sophia Knapp is from Virginia Beach and is a rising junior at the University of Virginia. She graduated from First Colonial High School, where she was part of three state team titles. She trained with TIDE Swimming for 10 years. This is her first time competing at the Olympic Trials and she will swim the 800m freestyle and 1500m freestyle.

• UPDATE (6/19/24): Knapp finished 36th in the 1500m freestyle with a time of 17:08.11. She finished 27th in the 800m freestyle with a time of 8:53.69.

Gabe Nunziata is part of Old Dominion Aquatic Club and qualified in the 200m breaststroke.

• UPDATE (6/19/24): Nunziata finished 13th in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:12.50.

Cason Wilburn is a Notre Dame graduate who is heading to his second Olympic Trials and will swim the 100m butterfly. He was born in Chesapeake and swam in high school for First Colonial.

• UPDATE (6/24/24): Cason finished 41st in the 100m butterfly with a time of 53.48.