Twelve Terrapins to Compete in Olympic Swim Trials

Twelve atheletes from Concord's Terrapins Swim Team have qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials taking place Monday June 25 through July 2 in Oamaha, Neb. 

The London 2012 Summer Olympics hopefuls - listed below - have arrived in Omaha and are gearing up for this coming week's races. 

Competing with close to 1500 swimmers for spots in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Team are: Chelsea Chenault, Christian Brown, Justin Lynch and Arlyn Upshaw — pictured above, — Alison Gargalikis and Rachel O'Brien.

Representing the Terrapins at the college level will be Blake Cushing (USC), Kate Dwelley (SU), Sean Mahoney (Cal), Aaron Wayne (SU), Katie Records (UCSB) and Sean Reilly (UH).

After the trials, the final Olympic team will only consits of 26 men and 26 women, said Terrapins National Team assistant coach Rick Waterhouse.

"Less than half of one percent of swimmers in the U.S. achieve [the qualifying time to get to the trials,]" said Waterhouse. Only those who finish first or second in each race this week, he added, will get to be in the national team.

"The pressure to perform is extreme," said Waterhouse. 

Olympic Past

The Terrapins, established in 1989, has shipped swimmers to compete in each Olympic Trial since 1992, said Waterhouse. 

The only former Terrapin to make the team is 11-time Olympic medalist and Lafayette native, Natalie Coughlin, who represented Cal Berkeley in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games of Athens and Beijing, respectively. 

Watch it!

This link takes you to a landing page for a webscast of the trials, which will also be broadcast on NBC Sports throughout the week.

Click here for the full event schedule. 

Do you know the above listed Terrapins or are one yourself? Leave a shout out in the comments!