NANTERRE, France — Her father missed out on an Olympic medal. So did her brother.
But maybe sister can finally bring a medal home for Carmel's Team Shackell.
Alex Shackell, after going stroke-for-stroke in a semifinal against the reigning Olympic gold medalist, qualified for the final in the 200-meter butterfly Wednesday night at Paris La Defense Arena.
The 17-year-old followed brother Aaron, 19, who made the final in Saturday’s 200-meter freestyle. He finished eighth.
The siblings’ father, Nick, represented Great Britain in swimming at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
“We’re basically the complete opposite,” Alex said of her brother. “He doesn’t tell me that much because he knows I probably won’t listen to him. I do my own thing, and he does his own thing.”
Canada’s Summer McIntosh, also 17, had the top time of 2:04.87 in the 200 butterfly. She already has a gold medal from Sunday’s 400 individual medley.
American record-holder Regan Smith was second at 2:05.39 and defending champion Zhang Yufei third in 2:06.19. Zhang set a world record of 2:03.86 in winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
Elizabeth Dekkers of Australia was fourth in 2:06.17 and Shackell fifth in 2:06.46.
Coincidentally, their two families dined at contiguous tables in a restaurant next to the arena before the night session.
Shackell was in the second semifinal against Zhang, who led by just .05 through 150 meters. The Carmel teen nearly pulled even with Zhang, who distanced herself in the closing meters.
Shackell, the youngest of 16 swimmers in the semifinals, said she tried not to think about Zhang being the world record-holder.
“I think of her as another competitor,” Shackell said. “I’ve been close with Regan a lot, so I used that experience going into that race.”
Shackell will not be among medal favorites but said she takes encouragement from teammate Torri Huske, who has unexpectedly won a gold medal in the 100 butterfly and silver in the 100 freestyle.
“If you have a lane,” Shackell said, “you have a chance.”
Already at these Olympics, Carmel has produced its first-ever Olympic swimming medalist, Drew Kibler, who took silver in Tuesday’s 4x200 freestyle relay.
In June’s Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium, Shackell’s times were 2:06.10 in a semifinal and 2:06.69 in the final. In the latter, she slowed to 34.74 seconds in the last 50 meters, compared to 34.07 in the Olympic semifinal.
She said she need not be perfect but aims to be “pretty darn good in the last 50 so I have a chance to compete with the top 200 butterflyers tomorrow.”
Shackell could earn a medal Wednesday even if she is not in the top three of the 200 butterfly. She will swim prelims of the 4x200 freestyle relay, and she would earn any medal won by the U.S. team in the final, even if she is not in the night lineup.
If she swims both events, she would have 75 minutes of rest between the 200 butterfly and relay.
Contact WTHR correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.