MIDLAND-- Midland native and current University of Michigan swimmer, Claire Newman, has recently qualified for the 2024 Olympic Trials.
“Going to Paris would be the most fulfilling way to end my career and to honor all the people that have gotten me there,” Newman said. “It would honor my family and my coaches, my friends. I honor them in everything I do now, and everything I’ve done so far, but that would be the ultimate thank you to all those people that have gotten me there.”
July 2nd, Newman granted herself one last shot at her Olympic dreams during the Namesnik Memorial Meet at her home pool in Ann Arbor. She had just missed the 25.69 mark the previous weekend at the World Championship Trials in the 50m Freestyle by just .01 seconds. But the next Sunday, in Ann Arbor, she swam a 25.62.
“Being able to do it at my home pool with all my coaches, with my mom there with my teammates there. That was really, really special. And looking back, I wouldn’t have done it in a different way,” she said.
When Newman swam her cut, she was ranked 28th nationally, but only those at the top of the leaderboard at the trials will make Team USA.
“I’m not outlying possibility. My brother actually inspired me to think that way when I explained where I was ranked and what the qualifying would be, he thought it was silly of me not to imagine it possible. So, I’m choosing to agree with him there,” she said.
Her brother may be onto something, as she once viewed swimming for the University of Michigan in a similar light.
“Michigan was the school that I thought in my absolute wildest dreams, if they would let me come that would be the highest I could ever reach,” Newman said.
Outside of swimming, Newman plans on going to law school and has been busy studying for the LSAT and finishing up her undergraduate degree in environmental law.
“I’m content to just relax and have fun. And now that I have the cut, there’s not anything I have to worry about regarding the trials anymore, so I think as long as I’m smiling most days, I’ll be successful,” she said.
The 2024 Olympic trials will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Competition to determine the team for the Paris Games will run from June 15-23. The trials end 33 days before the beginning of the Olympics on July 26.
“For the most part, I’m, I’m feeling like I’m ready to let the Lucas Oil Olympic trials be my final swim, and then put it to bed and then pursue the rest of my life and all those goals that I have set up for after swimming.”
