Swimmer Keaton Jones from Gilbert qualifies for US Olympic team
Jun 22, 2024, 6:05 PM
Keaton Jones of the United States competes in the Men's 200m backstroke semifinal on Day Five of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 19, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Keaton Jones, a 19-year-old swimmer from Gilbert, qualified for the Olympic Games at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Thursday.
Jones finished second in the 200-meter backstroke final in Indianapolis with a time of 1:54.61, just behind four-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy (1:54.33).
An emotional Jones embraced the 28-year-old Murphy, a fellow California Golden Bear, after the race.
THREE straight wins at the Olympic Trials for Ryan Murphy to punch his ticket in the 200m back again. 💪
📺 NBC & @peacock | #SwimTrials24 pic.twitter.com/0Gp5tNGr1p
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 21, 2024
He edged out Murphy during the semifinals 1:55.49 to 1:55.69.
Jones graduated from Higley High School and is a rising sophomore at California. He became an All-American last season as a freshman in the 200-meter backstroke.
Huge congratulations to Keaton Jones who just qualified for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team competing at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
WOW! Sooooo amazing! pic.twitter.com/LKrAXfHAZV— HHSAthletics (@HHSAthletics15) June 21, 2024
Jones was the No. 9 overall recruit for the 2023 class by SwimSwam.com and a two-time Division I Arizona Swimmer of the Year. He competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials as a 16-year-old representing Phoenix’s Swim Neptune.
Heats for the 200-meter backstroke in Paris commence on July 31. The finals take place on Aug. 1.
