Molly Hannis qualifies for first trip to Olympics

OMAHA, Neb. - Molly Hannis of Santa Rosa is the latest first-time Olympian to join the American team headed to Rio de Janeiro next month.

She placed second to Lilly King in the 200-meter breaststroke final Friday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to earn her first trip to the Olympics.

Hannis, 24, a Santa Rosa High School and University of Tennessee graduate, covered the four lengths of the pool in 2 minutes, 24.39 seconds. King’s winning time was 2:24.08.

Also Friday, Maya DiRado earned her way into tonight’s 200 backstroke final and will try to qualify for a third event in Rio in what promises to be a heavyweight clash of swimming stars between DiRado and Missy Franklin. They had the two fastest times in Friday’s 200 backstroke semifinals - DiRado a 2:08.14, Franklin a 2:08.63.

Franklin, who was the swimming star of the 2012 Olympics in London with four gold medals and a bronze, has been a disappointment in these trials and will be trying today to qualify for only her second individual event. DiRado already has two races on her Rio docket after sweeping the 200 and 400 individual medleys.

King, a 19-year-old from Indiana who beat Hannis to the wall in the 200 breaststroke on Friday night, already had won the 100 breast, ensuring her of two individual events at the Rio Games and a likely spot on the 4x100 medley relay.

Meanwhile, Friday races saw the end for another defending Olympic champion.

Tyler Clary finished third in the 200 backstroke and called it a career, having missed out on a chance to defend the gold he won in London. He finished behind California Aquatics teammates Ryan Murphy and Jacob Pebley, who earned the two spots for Rio.

Murphy grabbed the lead on the second lap and pulled away to win easily in 1:53.95, completing a sweep of the backstroke events.

Pebley held on for the second spot, touching in 1:54.77 to earn his first trip to the Olympics.

Clary was next at 1:55.33. He clung to a lane rope while Murphy and Pebley celebrated, before swimming over to congratulate them both.

“That’s it,” Clary said. “I couldn’t be happier to be sending Team USA off with two backstrokers that I have a lot of respect for, and I know they are going to represent Team USA well in Rio.”

Then again, it wasn’t totally a night for the upstarts.

Anthony Ervin and Nathan Adrian were the top two qualifiers in the semifinals of the 50 freestyle. Ervin, 35, led the way in 21.55, while Adrian was second quickest in 21.60.

Both men are already on the team, with Ervin still seeking an individual event to go with his relay duty and Adrian set to defend his 100 free title from the London Games.

Don’t forget 32-year-old Cullen Jones, a silver medalist in this event four years ago. He was third quickest in 21.93.

Katie Ledecky’s bid to add another relay to her Rio program took a big blow when she finished seventh in the 100 freestyle. Abbey Weitzeil (53.28) and Simone Manuel (53.52), two 19-year-olds heading to their first Olympics, earned the individual spots. Olympic veterans Amanda Weir, Lia Neal, Allison Schmitt and Dana Vollmer took the next four spots to put themselves at the head of the 4x100 free relay pool.

Ledecky will likely have to settle for three individual events and one relay at these games.

“I would’ve loved to have gone faster, but I’ll take it,” she said.

Michael Phelps has locked up two individual events for Rio, having already qualified in the 200 butterfly.

He returned about 30 minutes after his victory against Ryan Lochte in the 200 individual medley to post the sixth-fastest time in the semifinals of the 100 fly.

That was good enough to send Phelps to the final tonight - his final event of the trials.

Then it’s on to Rio, where one more race with Lochte awaits.