The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials
Surhoff records fourth place finish in 200 IM
06.30.2012 | Men's Swimming and Diving
June 30, 2012
OMAHA, Neb. -- Rising senior Austin Surhoff put together a terrific swim to claim fourth place in the 200 IM on Saturday at the Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb.
Surhoff was looked at as a longshot in the race with the likes of Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps also swimming the 200 IM. However, Surhoff would not lie down. While Lochte and Phelps put on a show for the top spot, Surhoff was battling for the next best place. He moved up from sixth to fourth after the backstroke. After dropping to fifth in the third 50 meters he surged forward again to finish in fourth with a time of 1:59.58.
"My mindset was to try and hang with them," said Surhoff about Lochte and Phelps. "I know they are the best, but it doesn't matter who you are, if you are in a race you are going to try and beat someone. That was so cool and I know the crowd was for them but I felt charged up being involved in it."
After the semifinals Surhoff stated that he wasn't going to worry about what the other swimmers were going to do and he was going to swim his own race. That is exactly what he did as he appeared in his first career Olympic Trials final.
"It was my job to go out there and execute my own race plan and have fun," said Surhoff. "The first 100 I kind of go unconscious. The thing about the IM is you have to trust your speed and your training. When you start to feel tired you kick it into gear. The first 100 you just try to ride your adrenaline."
Also on Saturday were the semifinals of the 50 freestyle. Jimmy Feigen and Garrett Weber-Gale were among the 16 competitors. Feigen was in the second heat and blasted a time of 21.89 for fourth place and a spot in the finals. Meanwhile, Weber-Gale clocked a 22.53 in the opening race of the night for 14th overall.
"That is great," said Feigen. "It is way more fun than doing the 100 freestyle. The 100 is pretty rough. That was an easy splash and dash."
The time for Feigen matched the 10th best time in the world entering Saturday's swims. It was Feigen's best time of the year thus far and just off his personal best.
"That time would have been top 16 in the world coming in to tonight," said Feigen. "It was way faster than I went last year and hopefully I can go faster tomorrow night."
Feigen will have some tough competition in the final as Anthony Ervin had two swims of under 22.0 on Saturday to lead both the prelims and semifinals. Also the winner of the 100 free, Nathan Adrian, clocked a 21.81 in the semifinals as did Josh Schneider. Irvin's 21.74 in the semis tied for the third best time in the world this year.
"I am confident," said Feigen. "We are all really close to each other and it is really anybody's game in the top four."
The finals of the 50 freestyle will take place tomorrow night at 6:45 p.m. Other events scheduled on Sunday include the 1,500m freestyle in the morning prelims at 10 a.m. and the finals of the 100 butterfly in the evening session.
Longhorns in 2012 Olympics
Brendan Hansen (USA) - 100m Breaststroke
Ricky Berens (USA) - 400m Freestyle Relay, 800m Freestyle Relay
Christian Schurr (Mexico) - 200 Breaststroke
Saturday, June 30
Finals Results
200 IM
4. Austin Surhoff (1:59.58)
Semifinals Results
50 Freestyle
4. Jimmy Feigen (21.89)
14. Garrett Weber-Gale (22.53)
Prelims Results
50 Freestyle (167 swimmers)
T3. Jimmy Feigen (22.09)
10. Garrett Weber-Gale (22.52)
19. Charlie Moore (22.74)
T48. Dax Hill (23.12)
66. Madison Wenzler (23.29)
T92. Ben Anderson (23.46)
T125. Kerrington Hill (23.69)
137. Matt Lowe (23.80)
100 Butterfly (122 swimmers)
17. Neil Caskey (53.58)
29. Tripp Cooper (54.20)
T61. Kip Darmody (54.72)
99. Patrick Murphy (55.47)
100. Madison Gibson (55.49)
DNS. Cole Cragin
