Lilly King advances to semi-finals of Team USA Swimming trials She hit the pool Thursday – 14 News WFIE Evansville
OMAHA, Neb. (WFIE) – Monday was Day Two of Team USA Swimming trials in Omaha, Nebraska. It was also the first time we saw two-time Olympic gold medalist and Evansville native, Lilly King.
She hit the pool Thursday morning for the preliminary race in the 100-meter breaststroke, where she was the favorite, and for good reason.
King currently holds the world record for the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at a cool 1:04:13.
However, not even a world record can guarantee a spot on Team USA.
King clocked a 1:05:67 during Thursday’s prelim race, which came in as the fastest time of all seven heats. She advanced to the semi-finals, which are slated for Monday night at 7:35.
Click here to watch her compete. You have to have a cable or satellite login.
Lilly’s parents, Mark and Ginny King, are in Omaha cheering on their daughter.
[PREVIOUS: Catching up with the King family as Olympic gold medalist preps for Team USA Trials]
They say for Lilly, it’s about more than physical competition. They say her mental game is just as strong.
”She’s more from the Reggie Miller, Michael Jordan, where she is going to say what she thinks,” says Ginny, “and she is not afraid to be competitive. Somebody says, ‘well, are you going to win?’ She’s like, ‘yeah, I’m going to win.’”
Despite that attitude, Mark and Ginny say team trials can actually be more nerve-wracking than the Olympics.
“The pressure at trials is way more pressure than there is at the Olympic games, oddly enough,” says Ginny. “Making the Olympic team in the U.S. is tough. She hasn’t been beaten in five years. She has the world record in the 100, but if she doesn’t do it at trials on that night, it doesn’t count.”
Lilly goes into Monday’s semi-finals as the top-ranked swimmer in the 100-meter breaststroke, coming out of prelims.
After the semi-finals, only eight swimmers will advance to the finals, which will air live on WFIE Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Catch more from Mark and Ginny in a 14 News Special Report, “Raising a Champion,” right before the finals, Tuesday night on 14 News at 6 p.m.
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