Johnson earns way into Olympic swimming trials
This is the next installment in a continuing series of articles over the next year where we follow the progress of our local Olympic hopefuls.
Uniontown’s Kaitlyn Johnson was a 2011 graduate of Clarion University, where she was a 28-time All-America, when she attempted to qualify for her first U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials in 2012.
Johnson missed a berth into the Olympic qualifier by .18 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle.
Fast forward four years and Johnson enters the Phillips 66 National Championships this week as a two-event qualifier after her performance in the recent Speedo Central Zone sectionals in Columbus, Ohio.
The long four years from just missing out on the trials have now become a short year to prepare for the 2016 trials in Omaha, Neb., after she made the cut in the 50-meter freestyle last December at the AT&T Winter Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., with her time of 25.93 seconds. She has since requalified for the trials, including last week when she finished second in 25.99 seconds.
The Olympic trials standard for the 50 freestyle is 26.19 seconds.
The trials cut for the 100-meter butterfly is 1:01.19 seconds and this time Johnson was on the positive side when she finished third in the finals in 1:01.11.
Johnson is also attempting to qualify in the 100 freestyle (standard 56.49 seconds).
Johnson was naturally pleased with her performance after securing a second berth.
“My best time in the fly was 1:01.7 coming in 2013,” said Johnson.
Being so close coming out of college led Johnson to keep pursuing her desire to swim in the Olympic qualifier.
“The first time I knew I could make it. I graduated in 2011 and the trials were the next summer. I was real close,” said Johnson. “My coach at the SPIRE Institute in Cleveland offered me a job. He bribed me.”
So, Johnson was able to train while on the job.
Johnson sees herself a little older and a little wiser.
“I’ve been swimming competitively for 21 years now,” said Johnson. “But, I didn’t know anything about swimming (after college). I had no idea. I was 21 years old and the kids knew more than me.”
One thing Johnson knows how to do is work at her craft. She’s up at 4:45 a.m. three days a week for 6 a.m. workouts in the pool at West Virginia University.
“If I’m waking up, I’m going to work,” said Johnson.
Johnson does two-a-days most days with workouts at the Uniontown YMCA on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Not all the work is in the pool, though.
“I do dry land workouts and lift,” added Johnson. “On Monday and Friday, I do a sprint circuit. I swim with weights and parachutes. Thursday is recovery day. Tuesday is longer, aerobic swimming.”
Johnson participated in the Robert Busbey Invitational over the June 20 weekend at Cleveland State and was very pleased with her results.
She made the Olympic cut again and set the meet record with her winning time of 26.0 seconds in the 50 freestyle. Johnson also won the 100 freestyle, finishing in 56.34 seconds. She was second in the 100 butterfly in 1:02.29.
“I was seven-hundredths of a second off my best time in the 50 freestyle. I didn’t expect that, especially after swimming in the 100 butterfly (before the 50),” explained Johnson. “I was less than a second from the trial cut in the 100 freestyle. I had my second-fastest time in a practice suit in the 100 butterfly.
“It was a confidence booster, especially in the 50 (freestyle). I’m really excited. “
Johnson also received a boost when Dolfin Swimwear decided to sponsor her. Swimwear for someone in the pool as much as Johnson can get a bit pricey.
“I receive swimsuits for practice. I can get paid for photo shoots or if they hold a clinic,” said Johnson. “Racing suits last for two meets.”
Johnson acknowledges this is her last go around.
“After this, I’ll be too old. I still love swimming. I love to bike and like to run. I’d like to run a half-marathon,” said Johnson.
But, that’s all on the backburner for the next 12 months as she attempts to better her time in the 50 freestyle and, hopefully, qualify in the 100 freestyle. The pressure is off, though, because Johnson already knows she has a spot reserved at CenturyLink Center in Omaha for the trials which will be held on June 26 through July 3.
“If I don’t make it in the other two, it’s fine. But, I’d like to make the other two,” said Johnson.