INDIANAPOLIS — Late bloomer. High responder. There are several ways to describe Luke Whitlock.
Most accurate description: Olympian.
The Noblesville 18-year-old tried to chase down the defending gold medalist in the 800-meter freestyle, and in doing so he earned a spot on the U.S. team heading to the Paris Olympics.
That defending champion, Bobby Finke, won in 7:44.42 Tuesday on Day 4 of the U.S. trials at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Whitclock’s time was 7:45.19, breaking a national 17-18 age record of 7:48.09 set by Larsen Jensen at the 2003 World Championships. Whitlock was just off the world junior record of 7:43.37 set by Lorenzo Galossi of Italy in 2022.
Whitlock was 15th in the 500-yard freestyle as a Noblesville High School freshman in 2021. He reasoned he was better at longer distances, joined Fishers Area Swimming Tigers, and has thrived in that program.
“The kid just outworked everybody,” said Tony Young, executive director of Indiana Swimming, the governing body for clubs in the state. “He’s like a little machine.”
Whitlock became the record sixth swimmer out of Indiana to make the Olympic swim team, breaking the mark of five from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. (From Indiana is defined as from a state high school.) Before 2021, the record was four in 1976.
Previously making the team this week were Drew Kibler and siblings Aaron and Alex Shackell, all of Carmel; Lilly King, Evansville; Blake Pieroni, Chesterton.
Earlier, Regan Smith set a world record of 57.13 in the final of the women’s 100-meter backstroke. Previous record of 57.33 was set by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown last year. Smith lowered her own American record of 57.47 from Monday’s semifinals.
It was the second world record of the trials, following Gretchen Walsh’s in the 100 butterfly. Smith was third in that race – and became fifth-fastest in history – but did not make the team because top two are selected.
In semifinals of the men’s 100 freestyle, Notre Dame's Chris Guiliano had the top time of 47.25, becoming third-fastest American ever.
Jack Alexy was second in 47.33 and Caeleb Dressel, winner of five gold medals at the 2021 Olympics, third in 47.53. Alexy clocked 47.08 in the heats, just .12 off Dressel’s American record.
Indiana University already has four Olympic swimmers: King, Pieroni, Anna Peplowski and Mariah Denigan (in open water). IU could add a fifth Wednesday in the 200 breaststroke, in which Josh Matheny had the No. 3 time of 2:08.79.
Contact WTHR correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.