PARIS, France — Lilly King was an upstart in 2016 and is an underdog in 2024.
Whatever. She is still Lilly King, and she has put herself in position to make history in what she said will be her final Olympic Games as a swimmer.
King finished third in a semifinal of the 100-meter breaststroke Sunday night at Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France.
The 27-year-old Indiana University graduate from Evansville was third overall in 1:05.64, compared to her Olympic Trials time of 1:05.43 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Tatjana Smith, of South Africa, had the top time, 1:05.00, followed by Ireland’s Mona McSharry in 1:05.51.
Pre-Olympics favorite Tang Qianting, of China, won the first semifinal in 1:05.83. She has a time of 1:04.39, just off King’s world record of 1:04.13 from 2017.
The final is Monday night.
"I'm really trying to take in the experience,” King said. “I really don't think I gave myself the chance to do this at the last two Olympics. I'm just trying to take all of this in and appreciate it."
In the 100 breaststroke, King could become the first woman to win two Olympic golds or second to win three medals — or both.
She famously won gold in 2016, beating Russian rival Yulia Efimova. She took bronze in 2021 behind winner Lydia Jacoby, of the United States and silver medalist Smith.
King was fifth in morning heats in 1:06.10. Smith clocked 1:05.00, identical to her semifinal.
"I was definitely a little rattled after this morning," King said. "I think I just swam a dumb race, one very similar to the worlds final last year. So I'm glad I got that one out of the way."
Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova, who has trained for the Paris Olympics in Bloomington, Ind., was 16th in semifinals in 1:07.48. Lithuania’s coach here is IU’s Ray Looze.
Elsewhere, Notre Dame’s Chris Giuliano, coming off Saturday’s gold medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay, failed to get out of heats of the 200 freestyle. He was 19th in 1:47.60.
IU’s Rafael Miroslaw, of Germany, was 13th in the heats of the 200 free in 1:46.81. He was 15th in semifinals in 1:47.34, and eliminated.
Contact WTHR correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.