Katie McLaughlin Swims Onto U.S. Olympic Team

OMAHA, Neb. – Cal alum Katie McLaughlin secured her spot on the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in Tokyo later this summer when she finished fourth in the 200-meter freestyle Tuesday at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

McLaughlin, who competed for the Bears from 2016-19, touched the final wall in 1:57.16. The top four from the race go to Tokyo as part of the 4x200 free relay. McLaughlin becomes the 40th Olympian in Cal's women's swimming program history.

While this marks McLaughlin's first Olympic squad, she is quite familiar with international competition, having represented the United States twice at the World Championships as well as at the World University Games and the Pan Pacific Games.

McLaughlin holds Cal school records in both the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard butterfly. In her final collegiate meet, she posted top-8 finishes in three individual events and was a part of three national-title-winning relays at the 2019 NCAA Championships.

McLaughlin was not the only Golden Bear swimmer in the pool Wednesday. Rising sophomore Rachel Klinker lowered her lifetime best in the 200 fly by nearly two full seconds to 2:09.18 and qualified seventh for Thursday night's final.

Several Cal swimmers are scheduled to race in prelims Thursday morning in the 100 free – Amy Bilquist, Isabel Ivey, McLaughlin, Ayla Spitz and Abbey Weitzeil. Weitzeil is the defending Olympic Trials champion in the event. Prelims begin at 8 a.m. PT, with finals at 5 p.m. All events are streamed on NBCOlympics.com.