Gabrielle Rose, 46, Makes History in 100M Butterfly at Olympic Trials: 'I'm So Proud of Myself'
The two-time Olympian advanced to the semifinals on Sunday, where she was 20 years older than the next-oldest swimmer
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Gabrielle Rose is making waves at the U.S. Olympic swim trials!
The two-time Olympian nearly made the 100m breaststroke final, posting a career-best swim — at the age of 46.
Among those in the crowd of 17,000-plus was Rose’s 9-year-old daughter, Annie, who wasn’t yet born when her mom swam in the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics in 1996 and 2000.
“I feel so lucky to feel so young and so strong and to have this experience,” Rose told reporters at Lucas Oil Stadium. “I don’t really relate to ‘oldest.’ ”
But among the 1,007 competitors all vying for a spot on Team USA, Rose is seven years older than the next-oldest athlete, and 33 years older than the youngest competitor in Indianapolis, according to The Washington Post.
In Rose’s heat on Sunday, June 16, she was 20 years older than the second-oldest swimmer and nearly 30 years older than the youngest. But she blew by all of them to post the swim of a lifetime: 1:08.43, qualifying her for the semifinals.
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While she missed out on competing in the final, she bested her quarterfinal time with a 1:08.32, good enough for tenth place and just outside the eight-woman field in the finals.
Rose has dual citizenship, and represented Brazil in 1996 and the U.S. in 2000. Now a coach in California, she has been swimming at the masters level, according to Sports Illustrated.
But a fast time last year at the Masters Nationals prompted the swimmer to set a goal to compete at this year’s trials.
On Sunday, the culmination of her hard work was on view and she was a clear fan favorite.
“This was the cherry on top,” she said “Hearing the crowd, it was really, really a great experience. So many people have reached out. It’s been special feeling to be embraced by so many."
She added, “I’m so proud of myself.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.com and come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.
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