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Duderstadt to Swim at US Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha

Posted: 3:44 PM Jun 19, 2012
Reporter: Scott Rossman

Michael Duderstadt

Panama City Beach, FL-- In just over a month the world's best athletes will converge on London for the Olympics.

Who knows, our area just may have a young swimmer in the pool to root for once the Summer Games begin.

Michael Duderstadt, a senior to be at Mosley High School, has qualified for the United States Olympic Swim Team trials set for Omaha Nebraska next week.

Michael, who swims for Mosley and the Panama City Swim Team, qualifying for the 200 meter breaststroke with a time of 2:20:62, 17 hundredths of a second under the necessary time to make the trials.

"Well me and a teammate just went up to Auburn and we swam at the University there." says the 17 year old Duderstadt. "And that's where I qualified in the 200 breaststroke. Honestly it's just unbelievable, it's kind of like a dream come true. When I first qualified I looked up on the pool deck and I just saw my coach just jumping around and everyone was cheering. So it was just a dream come true."

PC Swim Team Coach Jonathan Kaplan is realistic about Michael's chances, but figures it's a win-win no matter what.

"When you go to a meet like this the percentage chance that anybody is going to make the team is pretty limited to begin with. So he's going there with the goals of improving himself. If he can swim his best time he's ever done than he's taking a step in the right direction. And he can use that experience for the next time when he has a much better shot at making the team."

Which would be 2016 when Michael's 21. Micheal and Jonathan head to Omaha over the weekend, his prelim is a week from today. We'll go much more in depth with this story in the coming days! Don't forget, the Olympics again start here on NBC July 27th.