By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
2020 Senior Long Course Sectional Qualifier
- February 6th-8th, 2020
- LCM (50m) pool
- Plantation, Florida
- Results on Meet Mobile “2020 Senior Long Course Sectional Qualifier”
Racing this weekend at a Sectionals qualifier meet in Plantation, Florida, 13-year old Erika Pelaez became the youngest qualifier so far for the 2020 Olympic Swimming Trials.
Pealez swam a 56.03 in the 100 free and 1:02.65 in the 100 back. Those times undercut the Olympic Trials standards of 56.29 and 1:02.69, respectively. Her previous best times of 57.51 and 1:04.10, respectively, were Junior National standards.
Pelaez also swam 26.12 in the 50 free and 29.90 in the 50 back. The Olympic Trials standard in the 50 free is 25.99, while the 50 back is not an Olympic event.
Pelaez turned 13 over the summer, and will still be 13 when the 2020 Olympic Trials roll around in June. 2 other swimmers have hit qualifying standards at 13 years old. Katie Grimes from Sandpipers of Nevada swam 4:11.61 in the 400 free at the U.S. Open last summer, while Jillian Cox from Austin Trinity Aquatic Club swam 4:16.27 in the same event at the Swim Meet of Champions in June. Both swimmers have since turned 14, and both were a little older than Palaez when they hit their cuts.
While USA Swimming doesn’t record single-age records, Pelaez’s time in the 100 free is the fastest on record that we could find for a 13-year old American, undercutting Missy Franklin’s 56.14 from the 2008 Olympic Trials. Her 100 back ranks as the 6th-best time ever for an American 13-year old: a ranking led by Alex Walsh, who swam a 1:00.84 at the 2015 Junior National Championships.
Pelaez swims for Eagle Aquatics in Miami Shores, Florida.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 13-Year Old Erika Pelaez Becomes Youngest Qualifier for 2020 US Olympic Trials