Canton’s Will Gallant had qualified for his second U.S. Olympic Trials. (Photo courtesy USA Swimming)
Canton High graduate Will Gallant will be competing at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials beginning on Saturday in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Gallant, who graduated from Canton in 2019, is making his second appearance at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He qualified in three events – 400 meters, 800 meters and 1,500 meters.
His best opportunity to grab a spot on the U.S. team will be in the 800 and 1,500 meter races. Gallant is seeded sixth in the 800 meters and seeded fifth in the 1,500 meters. The top two finishers will qualify for the team.
Gallant is also qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 400 meters but is the No. 23 seed. The qualifying heats and finals for the 400 meters will be on Saturday.
In the 800 meters, Bobby Finke, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist in Toyko and the U.S. record holder, is the big favorite to earn another berth on the U.S. squad. The race for a spot on the Olympic team will be the race for second place.
Gallant’s best time in the 800 meters in the last year is 7:50.75 at the 2023 national championship meet last July, the best time of his career. He took third at the Pan Am Games in the 800 with a time of 7:58.96 last October.
Two of his biggest competitors for an Olympic bid in the 800 will be Michael Brinegar, a 2021 Olympian and David Johnston, who made the U.S. team for the 2023 world championships in the 400 meters.
The qualifying heats in the 800 will be on Monday with the finals scheduled for Tuesday.
Gallant, Brinegar and Johnston are each training with The Swim Team in California with former U.S. men’s national team coach Mark Schubert. Gallant took a redshirt year from North Carolina State to move to California and train.
Gallant also took a redshirt year before the 2021 Olympic trials to train with Schubert in California. At the 2021 Olympic trials, Gallant had two top 10 finishes (fifth in 800, sixth in 1,500) along with a 15th place finish in the 400 meters.
In the 1,500 meters, Finke is also the defending gold medalist and U.S. record holder.
Similar to the 800 meters, the more competitive race for an Olympic berth will be the race for second place. Charlie Clark, who has represented the U.S. in three world championship events since 2021, and Briengar, a 2021 Olympian, will be contending with Gallant for the Olympic team.
The qualifying heats in the 1,500 meters will be Saturday, June 22 with the finals on Sunday, June 23.
Gallant’s best time in the past year in the 1,500 is 15:02.63 at the 2023 national championship meet. He finished second in the 1,500 at the Pan-Am Games in October with a time of 15:12.94.
