Huntington Beach Swimmer Tom Shields Likely to Swim for Team USA in Rio

Tom Shields of Huntington Beach likely earned a berth on the U.S. Olympic team with a second-place finish in the men's 200 meter butterfly at the Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Eighteen-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps guaranteed himself a spot on the Olympic team with his victory in one minute, 54.84 seconds. Shields was second behind Phelps at the end of each 50 meters.

Shields, who will turn 25 on July 11, is competing in his third Olympic trials.

Phelps, who turns 31 Thursday, became the first U.S. male swimmer to qualify for five Olympic games. As the second-place finisher in 1:55.81 Shields is likely to be added to the team roster later in the week, pending swimmers qualifying in multiple events.

Shields previous best finish was fourth in the 100 butterfly in 2012 in a race when the top two finishers qualified for the Olympics.

Shields swims 7,000 meters or yards -- nearly four miles -- a day, six days a week. He began swimming when he was 8 years old in an effort to be safe in pools.

Shields graduated from Edison High School in 2009, the year he was elected as the National High School Swimmer of the Year. Shields swam four years for California, winning six NCAA individual championships and one in a relay.

Two other swimmers from Orange County failed today in their bids to make the Olympic team.

Ella Eastin of Irvine was fifth in the women's 200 individual medley in 2:11.49. She led after the initial 50 meters, was second after 100 meters and fourth after 150 meters in a race won by Maya DiRado of Santa Rosa in 2:09.54,with Melanie Margalis of Clearwater, Florida finishing second in 2:10.11.

Katie McLaughlin of Dana Point was eighth in the women's 200 freestyle in 1:58.60. Katie Ledecky of Bethesda, Maryland won in 1:54.88 with Missy Franklin of Centennial, Colorado second in 1:56.18.

McLaughlin will get another chance to qualify for the Olympics Thursday when she swims in the women's 200 butterfly. She posted the sixth-fastest qualifying time in today's semifinals.

City News Service