Indy lands 2024 U.S. Olympic swim trials, ending Omaha’s run
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For the first time in the event’s history, the next U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials will be in a football stadium.
On Tuesday, USA Swimming partnered with Indiana Sports Corp to announce that its upcoming trials for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will move from Omaha, Nebraska, to Lucas Oil Stadium.
Two-time Gold medalist Lilly King echoes that sentiment of her home state. King played an instrumental role in helping Indiana Sports Corp make the Hoosier state the new home for Team USA’s big show.
“You always want to swim at home. And even though Evansville is home, Indy is my swimming home. So, just being able to be here and swim in this stadium. It’s going to be just absolutely unbelievable,” King added, “I’m just so excited to swim in front of a home crowd. I know that energy, I’m really going to be able to feed off of it and I am really excited.”
The capacity for the 2024 trials will nearly double the prior events’ numbers. Lucas Oil Stadium can hold up to 35,000 ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Scott Davison, president and chief executive officer of OneAmerica and the Indiana Sports Corp’s local organizing chair, said, “I think Omaha did a great job, but they, USA Swimming, was looking for something even bigger, and, surely, with Lucas Oil Stadium, we can hold a much bigger crowd and take the sport to the next level.”
Come the summer 2024, King will be competing for a spot on her third Olympic team in her own backyard. All eyes will be on Indy, again, and especially in the pool in the house that Peyton Manning built.