Gavin Jones didn’t have the swim he wanted at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis this week, but he did have the time of his life.
The former Bellingham Bay Swim Team member is believed to be the first Bellingham-raised swimmer to race in the Olympic trials. Competing in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, Jones was more than a second slower than his personal best and did not advance past the preliminary round.
“I had a lot of fun,” said Jones, 21, by phone from Indianapolis. “It was an awesome moment walking out on deck and looking up in the stands.”
For the first time, the trials were held in an NFL stadium — Lucas Oil Field, home to the Indianapolis Colts.
“There were 10,000 people at the prelims session, which was amazing,” said Jones, a 2021 Bellingham High graduate. “Just feeling that energy was super cool.”
His goal at trials, where the top two finishers make the Olympic team, was to reach the 16-person semifinal. But even that was a tall order. Jones, who swam a time of 2 minutes, 16.25 seconds in Tuesday’s prelims, finished 55th of 76 swimmers.
“Obviously wanted a little bit more,” he said. “I was a little off my best … But at the end of the day that really wasn’t what this opportunity was all about.”
Just getting there was a triumph for Jones, entering his senior year swimming for NCAA Division III Denison (Ohio) University.
To make the semifinals, Jones would have had to swim about two seconds faster than his personal-best time of 2:14.73, which qualified him for trials in May, a goal he had chased for six years.
In the Wednesday, June 19 final, Matt Fallon’s American record time of 2:06.54 and Josh Matheny’s 2:08.86 earned them the two berths for the Paris Games, set for July 26-Aug. 11.
Jones’ brother, Derek, a rising senior swimmer at Bellingham, and his father, Brad, a BBST coach, accompanied him. Jones plans to return to Bellingham in August for a few weeks after completing a digital marketing internship in Austin, Texas. Before trials, he had planned to retire from swimming after college. Now he’s not so sure.
“Being at this level and seeing what this meet’s all about gets me excited for the coming year,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m swimming after college now. We’ll see. I think I have a lot more in me.”
Meri-Jo Borzilleri is a freelance journalist and former 20-year sports reporter.
