Gabriel Rose qualifies for U.S. Olympic swimming trials at 46

Two-time Olympian swimmer Gabrielle Rose qualified for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at age 46 — 23 years after her last Olympics appearance.

After qualifying over the weekend, Ross will turn 47 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, becoming the oldest swimmer to compete in the trials in decades. Rose qualified for two events: the 100m and 200m breaststroke.

Previously, the oldest swimmer in living memory was Dara Torres, who was 45 at the last U.S. Trials in 2012. Torres finished fourth in the 50m freestyle that year.

“It’s lighter, it doesn’t feel like high risk,” Rose told NBC Sports on Monday. “I’m adapting to a busier lifestyle where I’m not really a priority as much as my daughter and work, so I just have the vision and I’m able to appreciate and take in every moment with varying degrees of desire and intention. one day”

Rose, who was born in Rio de Janeiro to American parents and worked in Brazil, competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In 1996, Rose represented the Brazilian team in three swimming events; in 2000, she represented the U.S. team in the 200-meter individual medley and finished seventh.

Although she signed up to compete in the 2004 Olympics, she contracted mononucleosis before competing. Ross placed eighth in the 100 freestyle, just outside the cutoff for a top-six finish. She retired soon after and has been competing at the Masters level ever since.

Rose qualified for the weekend trials with a career-best time of 01:09.42 in the 100m breaststroke and 2:31.68 in the 200m breaststroke over the weekend. The Tokyo Olympic team’s qualifying times for these two events are 1:05.28 and 2:21.75 respectively. Many swimmers, including Ross, consider making it to the U.S. Trials a goal in itself.

“Masters swimming is like a lifeline for me,” she told NBC. “I just enjoy the camaraderie and the community and the connection to the water.”

In addition to her goal of conducting trials, Rose recently completed a long-term goal of renovating the aquatic center at the University of Memphis, where she grew up. The pool is named after her late father, former Holiday Inn CEO Mike Rose, who died in 2017.