By Sharon Robb
INDIANAPOLIS, June 23, 2024—Nearly a year after surviving a bike crash while going home after morning practice, Kaii Winkler took center stage at the U.S. Olympic Trials Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Winkler, 18, of Eagle Aquatics finished eighth in the 100-meter butterfly among a finals field that featured Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel, rising star Thomas Heilman, Dare Rose, Zach Harting and Ryan Murphy.
The N.C. State-commit finished in a lifetime-best in 51.51, dropping one minute. He went 52.13 in prelims for seventh and 51.64 in semis for eighth. His previous best was 52.51.
Trying to avoid a car that didn’t see him and turned into him, Winkler suffered a scaphoid bone fractures in his left wrist and radial head in his right elbow. He also needed stitches in his chin. He overcame the adversity to make his Trials debut nearly a year later.
His other Trials race finishes were:
200 freestyle: 46. 1:50.54.
100 freestyle: 25. 49.22.
50 freestyle: 38. 22.70.
The top-ranked recruit in the boys’ high school class of 2024, already has an impressive swimming resume.
He is a world junior record holder in the long course 4×100-meter freestyle relay. At the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, he won gold medals in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and 4×100-meter medley relay, as well as a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle.
Winkler holds the 15-16 U.S. National Age Group records in the 100 free for both yards and meters. He is also the best sprint freestyler in his class.
Last month at the FGC Senior Championships, the 16-year-old Winkler became the first swimmer in the U.S. 15-16 age group to ever get under the 42-second barrier in the 100-yard freestyle, going a 41.96. In that same meet, he also swam best times of 1:33.28 in the 200 free and 19.44 in the 50 free to put himself at #2 and #3 all-time in the 15-16 age group respectively the events.
Winkler was one of twelve Florida Gold Coast swimmers competing at Trials. Other FGC or former FGC swimmers’ results:
Anna Auld, St. Andrew’s Swimming, University of Florida: 400 IM, 30. 4:53.56; 1500 freestyle, 37. 17:11.43; 800 freestyle, 39. 8:56.64.
Reese Branzell, St. Andrew’s Swimming, University of Georgia: 200 freestyle, 33. 1:19.14; 100 freestyle, 15. 48.70 and 16. 48.91; 50 freestyle, 33. 22.58.
Ilya (Alex) Evdokimov, Coral Springs Swim Club, Cornell: 100 breaststroke, 46. 1:02.10; 200 breaststroke, 33. 2:14.64.
Dylan Felt, Swim Fort Lauderdale, Davidson College: 400 freestyle, 30. 3:53.83; 200 freestyle, 24. 1:48.19; 800 freestyle, 39. 8:09.55; 1500 freestyle, 38. 15:43.25.
Aspen Gersper, St. Andrew’s Swimming, Virginia: 100 backstroke, 58. 1:03.05; 50 freestyle, 73. 26.22.
Paige Maceachern, Pine Crest Swimming, UCLA: 400 IM, 12. 4:47.77; 200 IM, 15. 2:14.90; 200 IM semis. 14. 2:14.77.
Giulian Martin, Hurricane Aquatics: 200 breaststroke, 43. 2:15.25.
Juan Mora, South Florida Aquatic Club, Navy: 200 breaststroke, 68. 2:17.41.
Erika Pelaez, Eagle Aquatics, N.C. State: 100 butterfly, 26. 59.32; 200 freestyle, 31. 2:00.37; 100 backstroke, 12. 1:00.11, prelims; 13. 59.95, semis; 100 freestyle, 13. 54.65; 16. 55.06, semis; 50 freestyle, 29. 25.39.
Heidi Smithwick, Jupiter Dragons, Princeton: 100 butterfly, 52. 1:00.41; 200 butterfly, 20. 2:12.14.
Josh Zuchowski, Flood Aquatics, Stanford: 100 backstroke, 32. 55.36; 200 butterfly: DFS; 200 backstroke, 14. 1:59.31, prelims, 12. 1:59.59, semis; 200 IM, DFS.
For all Florida Gold Coast swimmers, dream big, work hard.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
http://www.swim4soflo.com
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