T&T local trio of Olympian, Cherelle Thompson, World Junior champion Nikoli Blackman, and Graham Chatoor will continue their quest for Paris Olympic Qualification when they compete at the four-day TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio, Texas, from Wednesday (April 10) until Saturday (April 13).
The 31-year-old Thompson, who recently competed at the Carifta Games in Nassau, Bahamas, will compete in the 50m freestyle on Saturday.
However, 18-year-old Blackman, who recently represented the University of Tennessee at the NCAA Division I Swimming and Championship, and 24-year-old Chatoor will be first in action on Thursday (April 11).
Blackman will contest the 100m freestyle heats on Thursday before he dips into the pool for the 200m freestyle on Friday followed by the 50m freestyle on Saturday while Chatoor gets going in the 400m freestyle on Thursday, and closes out the meet on the 800m freestyle on Saturday.
In Texas, swimming superstars Caeleb Dressel, Leon Marchand, and Katie Ledecky will be looking to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the US Olympic Trials in June, and the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
It will be Marchand’s first Pro Swim Series meet since 2023, and the French 400m individual medley World Record holder is the top seed in the 200m butterfly, 200m IM, 400 IM, and 200m breaststroke.
Dressel, fresh from a 50 free and 100 fly win at the last event in Westmont, is entered in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly, and 50m freestyle in Texas.
Another reigning Olympic champion, Bobby Finke, is set to compete in the 1500m, 800m, and 400m freestyles, and the 400m IM.
Seven-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky headlines the women’s draw and is the No. 1 seed in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyles.
She is also set to compete in a stacked 200m freestyle field, which includes reigning world champion Siobhan Haughey.
The Hong Kong swimmer will also compete in the 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke - having finished on the podium in both events at the world championships in Doha - as well as the 50m freestyle, 400m freestyle, and the 100m butterfly.
Elsewhere, reigning Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby is the number two seed in the 100m breaststroke behind Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallist Lilly King, while Regan Smith is the 100m and 200m backstroke top seed.
Simone Manuel is entered for the 100m freestyle alongside Claire Curzan and Kate Douglass.
Last month, Thompson swam to the top spot in the women’s 50m freestyle C-final at the 2024 Pro Swim Series at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Illinois in 25.69 after she had a time of 26.39 in the heats.
The swim for Olympian Thompson, who got a bronze medal in the event at last year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador was her first since the FINA Aquatics World Championship in February where she placed 38th in the women’s freestyle in 26.03, and 41st in the 50m butterfly.
Earlier this year at the first Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville, Tennessee, held in January, Thompson was 11th in the 50m freestyle heats in 25.87 to qualify for the B finals where she ended in the seventh spot in 25.92.
T&T’s other competitor at the meet Chatoor was 26th in the men’s 400m freestyle heats after he ended in the seventh and final spot in the third of five men’s heats in four minutes, 04.32 seconds while he placed 39th spot in the men’s 200m freestyle in one minute, 54.88 seconds, and 21st in the men’s 800m freestyle in eight minutes, 31.15 seconds.