Glendale’s Julian readies for U.S. Olympic Team Trials
For much of the high school season, Glendale High swimmer Trenton Julian had difficulty finding any competition.
That certainly won’t be an issue for the junior as the reigning All-Area Swimmer of the Year will get an opportunity to test himself at the upcoming U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb.
The competition runs from June 26 to July 3 and serves as the nation’s only qualifying event to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro.
Julian will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly events and has been working out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. since June 12.
“I think I’m more excited than nervous,” said Julian, who will leave for Nebraska on Saturday. “It’s an opportunity to race against those big guys.”
The 200 butterfly prelims will take place on Tuesday around 8 a.m. PST and Julian is one of 104 competitors in the event.
Should Julian advance out of the prelims stage, he would then compete in the semifinals at roughly 4:45 p.m. The prelims and semifinals will be televised on the NBC Sports Network between 4-5 p.m.
The finals are slated for Wednesday at around 4:45 p.m.
“I think I’m better at the 200 than the 100,” Julian said. “I think compared to others, I don’t have the speed to keep up, but over a long run, I can stay with them.”
Julian is No. 38 in the nation in the 200 with a mark of 1 minute, 59.71 seconds, which was posted at the North Texas Time Trials on Feb. 28. The time bested the U.S. Olympic Trials mark of 2:01.99.
As for the 100 butterfly, Julian is one of 152 competitors.
The prelims will be held on July 1 at 8 a.m., while the semifinals will take place around 3:45 p.m. The finals are slated for July 2 at around 3:45 p.m.
Julian earned a spot in the 100 fly by besting the Olympic Trials standard of 54.79. Julian is currently ranked No. 102 and enters with a mark of 54.51, which was earned at the “Day After CIF” meet at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center on May 15.
“I wasn’t sure if I was even going to qualify in the 100 fly until that meet,” said Julian, a Rose Bowl Aquatics product. “That was a great feeling.”
As for the 100 and 200 butterfly leaderboard, one of the “big guys” that Julian was referring to sits high up the standing as 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps is currently No. 1 in both events with times of 50.45 and 1:52.94.
“Honestly, I’m mainly going to the trials for the experience,” Julian said, “so, I’m going to go in to see if I can race them.”
