17-year-old Alex Shackell becomes first Carmel girls swimmer to make Olympics team
INDIANAPOLIS – It is a quote attributed to Denzel Washington, although it could easily have been spoken by a swim coach:
“Do what you have to do, to do what you want to do.”
Alex Shackell did not want to swim the 200-meter butterfly. Who does? The race requires a fast pace while making it hard to maintain stroke technique as a swimmer tires.
Conversely, Alex Shackell wanted to be the first from Carmel High School’s storied girls program to be an Olympian. Coach Chris Plumb, who once called her “an unstoppable force,” explained how.
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“Even though I didn’t want to be a 200 butterflyer, coach Plumb told me that it was my best opportunity to become an Olympian,” Shackell said. “And it happened.”
She made it happen.
On night 6 of the U.S. Olympic Trials, she finished second to Regan Smith in the 200 butterfly before a crowd of 17,784 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Top two make Team USA. The 17-year-old had tentatively made it by finishing sixth in the 200 freestyle Monday, but this outcome assures it.
“Seeing the Olympic rings next to my name,” she said, “that’s really crazy.”
Team Shackell is headed to the Paris Olympics.
Five days after her brother made the team, she did. Aaron Shackell, 19, won the 400 freestyle on night 1 Saturday.
“It’s difficult to comprehend,” said their father, Nick Shackell, who represented Great Britain in swimming at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. “We knew Alex and Aaron had a chance, along with a bunch of other people, if they swam well.
“For it to actually happen to both of them at the same Olympics, it’s unbelievable.”
Times in the 200 butterfly were not as fast as in Wednesday’s heats and semifinals.
Regan Smith, who set a world record Tuesday in the 100 backstroke, won the final in 2:05.70.
Shackell, in third place at 100 meters but first at 150, had a time of 2:06.69. Lindsay Looney was third in 2:07.03.
“I never celebrate,” Shackell said. “I smacked the water, and I was like, ‘I earned that.’“
Smith and Shackell won their respective semifinals in 2:04.91 and 2:06.10. In doing so, Shackell broke the national 17-18 record of 2:06.39 set by Smith in 2020.
It will be difficult for Shackell to medal in Paris, given that the 2021 gold and silver medalists, Zhang Yufei of China and Smith, return along with Canada’s 17-year-old Summer McIntosh, winner of world titles in 2022 and 2023.
On the other hand, the 200 fly can be a lane to greatness.
Americans setting world records include Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, Indianapolis’ Mike Troy and Madam Butterfly herself, Mary T. Meagher. One of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history was in the 200 fly at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, won by Misty Hyman over Australia’s Susie O’Neil, who hadn’t lost in the event in six years.
“Anything for USA,” Shackell said. “I’m going to do my best to see what I can do.”
Elsewhere among Indiana swimmers, Will Modglin shockingly made the final of the 200 individual medley after arriving seeded 28th.
Modglin, 20, of Zionsville, is coming off his freshman season at Texas. He was 17th in heats but made the cut to 16 after one swimmer scratched.
He was third in one semifinal in 1:58.44 — three seconds faster than his seed — and turned out to be eighth overall, qualifying for Friday night’s final. He finished sixth in the 100 backstroke.
Modglin said legendary Texas coach Eddie Reese told him to “go for it,” which he did.
“I was really just trying to push that middle 100 and get after that,” Modglin said. “Backstroke, I know I’m a great backstroker. Using that to my advantage was definitely my strategy tonight.”
In other semifinals, Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano led the 50 freestyle at 21.59, or .02 ahead of defending gold medalist Caeleb Dressel. Guiliano will try to match the feat of Matt Biondi, who swam 50, 100 and 200 freestyles at the 1988 Olympics.
Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Alex Shackell becomes first Carmel girls swimmer to make Olympics team
