2020 United States Olympic trials (swimming)

The 2020 USA Swimming Olympic trials was held at CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, for a fourth consecutive time. Originally scheduled from June 21 to 28, 2020, it was rescheduled to June 4 to 7, 2021, (wave I) and June 13 to 20, 2021, (wave II) due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics to 2021. The meet served as the national championships in swimming for the United States.[1][2][3] Those qualifying competed for the United States in swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

2020 United States Olympic trials (swimming)
Host cityOmaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Date(s)Wave I: June 4 – 7, 2021
Wave II: June 13 – 20, 2021
Venue(s)CHI Health Center Omaha
Events28 (men: 14; women: 14)

Qualification criteria

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A maximum of 52 swimmers (26 of each sex, not including open water swimmers) were chosen for the 2020 Summer Olympics from Wave II. To make the Olympic team, a swimmer must place in the top two in one of the fourteen individual events. To be considered for the U.S. 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter freestyle relay teams, a swimmer must place in the top six in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle, respectively. Swimmers must have achieved a time standard to be eligible to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials:[4]

Event Men Women Men Women
Wave I Wave II
50 m freestyle 23.19 25.99 22.71 25.65
100 m freestyle 50.49 56.49 49.74 55.56
200 m freestyle 1:50.79 2:01.69 1:49.65 2:00.24
400 m freestyle 3:57.29 4:16.89 3:54.21 4:13.28
800 m freestyle 8:12.99 8:48.09 8:08.95 8:44.01
1500 m freestyle 15:44.89 16:49.19 15:35.69 16:44.60
100 m backstroke 56.59 1:02.69 55.51 1:01.49
200 m backstroke 2:02.99 2:14.69 2:00.81 2:12.94
100 m breaststroke 1:03.29 1:10.99 1:01.97 1:09.55
200 m breaststroke 2:17.89 2:33.29 2:15.28 2:30.49
100 m butterfly 54.19 1:00.69 53.37 59.59
200 m butterfly 2:01.19 2:14.59 1:59.63 2:12.56
200 m individual medley 2:04.09 2:17.39 2:03.02 2:15.26
400 m individual medley 4:25.99 4:51.79 4:23.24 4:47.72

Two wave structure

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In January 2021, USA Swimming announced its decision to break the Olympic trials into two meets called waves. This decision was made in part to follow social distancing protocols and keep attendees, athletes, and workers safer during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][5][6][7] Each wave had a different set of qualification time standards. The time standards took effect January 28, 2021 and an initial qualifying period for both waves ended May 30, 2021. Wave I swimmers who met the time standards for Wave II at the Wave I meet and finished first or second in their event qualified to compete at the Wave II meet.[3] Finals for Wave I were conducted in an A-final and B-final format.[8]

A total of 50 swimmers from Wave I qualified to compete in Wave II.[9] The first swimmer who swam in the Wave I meet and advanced to a second swim, semifinal or final, at the Wave II meet was Heather MacCausland in the women's 100-meter breaststroke on June 14, 2021.[10] The most watched YouTube video from the entire Olympic trials came from Wave I not Wave II. It was a clip of Kayla Han winning the B-final of the women's 400-meter individual medley and breaking a USA Swimming national age group record in the process.[11][12]

Between Wave I and Wave II, 2,285 individuals competed at the 2020 Olympic trials, a decrease of over 700 swimmers from the 2016 Olympic trials. As a whole, proportionally fewer Wave I swimmers and proportionally more Wave II swimmers swam faster than their seed times compared to swimmers at the 2016 Olympic trials.[13]

Events

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The meet featured twenty-eight individual events in a long course (50-meter) pool—fourteen events for men and fourteen events for women. Events 200 meters and shorter were held with preliminaries, semifinals and finals, while events 400 meters and longer were held with preliminaries and finals. Semifinals featured sixteen swimmers in two heats; the finals included eight swimmers in a single heat. Preliminaries were seeded with ten lanes. Event order, which mimicked that of the 2020 Olympics, with the exception of the Olympic relay events, were the following for Wave II:[14]

Date Sunday
June 13, 2021
Monday
June 14, 2021
Tuesday
June 15, 2021
Wednesday
June 16, 2021
M
o
r
n
i
n
g
Men's 400 IM (heats)
Women's 100 butterfly (heats)
Men's 400 freestyle (heats)
Women's 400 IM (heats)
Men's 100 breaststroke (heats)
Women's 100 backstroke (heats)
Men's 200 freestyle (heats)
Women's 100 breaststroke (heats)
Men's 100 backstroke (heats)
Women's 400 freestyle (heats)
Women's 200 freestyle (heats)
Men's 200 butterfly (heats)
Women's 200 IM (heats)
Women's 1500 freestyle (heats)
Men's 100 freestyle (heats)
Women's 200 butterfly (heats)
Men's 200 breaststroke (heats)
Men's 800 freestyle (heats)
E
v
e
n
i
n
g
Men's 400 IM (final)
Women's 100 butterfly (semi-finals)
Men's 400 freestyle (final)
Women's 400 IM (final)
Men's 100 breaststroke (semi-finals)
Women's 100 butterfly (final)
Men's 200 freestyle (semi-finals)
Women's 100 breaststroke (semi-finals)
Men's 100 breaststroke (final)
Women's 400 freestyle (final)
Men's 100 backstroke (semi-finals)
Women's 100 backstroke (semi-finals)
Women's 200 freestyle (semi-finals)
Men's 200 freestyle (final)
Women's 100 backstroke (final)
Men's 100 backstroke (final)
Women's 100 breaststroke (final)
Men's 200 butterfly (semi-finals)
Women's 200 IM (semi-finals)
Men's 100 freestyle (semi-finals)
Women's 200 freestyle (final)
Men's 200 butterfly (final)
Women's 200 butterfly (semi-finals)
Men's 200 breaststroke (semi-finals)
Women's 200 IM (final)
Women's 1500 freestyle (final)
Date Thursday
June 17, 2021
Friday
June 18, 2021
Saturday
June 19, 2021
Sunday
June 20, 2021
M
o
r
n
i
n
g
Women's 100 freestyle (heats)
Men's 200 backstroke (heats)
Women's 200 breaststroke (heats)
Men's 200 IM (heats)
Women's 800 freestyle (heats)
Men's 100 butterfly (heats)
Women's 200 backstroke (heats)
Men's 50 freestyle (heats)
Women's 50 freestyle (heats)
Men's 1500 freestyle (heats)
No morning session.
E
v
e
n
i
n
g
Men's 800 freestyle (final)
Men's 200 breaststroke (final)
Women's 100 freestyle (semi-finals)
Men's 200 backstroke (semi-finals)
Women's 200 butterfly (final)
Men's 100 freestyle (final)
Women's 200 breaststroke (semi-finals)
Men's 200 IM (semi-finals)
Women's 200 breaststroke (final)
Men's 200 backstroke (final)
Women's 200 backstroke (semi-finals)
Men's 200 IM (final)
Women's 100 freestyle (final)
Men's 100 butterfly (semi-finals)
Men's 100 butterfly (final)
Women's 200 backstroke (final)
Women's 800 freestyle (final)
Men's 50 freestyle (semi-finals)
Women's 50 freestyle (semi-finals)
Men's 50 freestyle (final)
Women's 50 freestyle (final)
Men's 1500 freestyle (final)

U.S. Olympic Team

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The following swimmers qualified to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics (for pool events):[15]

Michael Andrew, Zach Apple, Hunter Armstrong, Bowe Becker, Gunnar Bentz, Michael Brinegar, Patrick Callan, Brooks Curry, Caeleb Dressel, Nic Fink, Bobby Finke, Townley Haas, Zach Harting, Chase Kalisz, Drew Kibler, Jay Litherland, Bryce Mefford, Jake Mitchell, Ryan Murphy, Blake Pieroni, Andrew Seliskar, Tom Shields, Kieran Smith, Andrew Wilson.

Women

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Phoebe Bacon, Erika Brown, Claire Curzan, Catie DeLoof, Kate Douglass, Hali Flickinger, Brooke Forde, Katie Grimes, Natalie Hinds, Torri Huske, Lydia Jacoby, Lilly King, Annie Lazor, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Simone Manuel, Katie McLaughlin, Allison Schmitt, Bella Sims, Regan Smith, Olivia Smoliga, Erica Sullivan, Alex Walsh, Abbey Weitzeil, Emma Weyant, Rhyan White.

U.S. Olympic Team members in open water swimming events:[15]

Jordan Wilimovsky.

Women

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Haley Anderson, Ashley Twichell.

Results

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Key:   Highlighted swimmers achieved the qualification conditions to be included in the Olympic team in that respective event.

Men's events

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Event Gold Silver Bronze
50 m freestyle[16] Caeleb Dressel 21.04 US Michael Andrew 21.48 Nathan Adrian 21.73
100 m freestyle[17] Caeleb Dressel 47.39 =US Zach Apple 47.72 Blake Pieroni 48.16
200 m freestyle[18] Kieran Smith 1:45.29 Townley Haas 1:45.66 Drew Kibler 1:45.92
400 m freestyle[19] Kieran Smith 3:44.86 Jake Mitchell[20] 3:48.17 Ross Dant 3:48.30
800 m freestyle[21] Bobby Finke 7:48.22 Michael Brinegar 7:49.94 Ross Dant 7:50.66
1,500 m freestyle[22] Bobby Finke 14:46.06 Michael Brinegar 15:00.87 Jordan Wilimovsky 15:05.29
100 m backstroke[23] Ryan Murphy 52.33 Hunter Armstrong 52.48 Shaine Casas 52.76
200 m backstroke[24] Ryan Murphy 1:54.20 Bryce Mefford 1:54.79 Austin Katz 1:55.86
100 m breaststroke[25] Michael Andrew 58.73 Andrew Wilson 58.74 Nic Fink 58.80
200 m breaststroke[26] Nicolas Fink 2:07.55 Andrew Wilson 2:08.32 Will Licon 2:08.50
100 m butterfly[27] Caeleb Dressel 49.87 Tom Shields 51.19 Luca Urlando 51.64
200 m butterfly[28] Zach Harting 1:55.06 Gunnar Bentz 1:55.34 Luca Urlando 1:55.43
200 m IM[29] Michael Andrew 1:55.44 Chase Kalisz 1:56.97 Kieran Smith 1:57.23
400 m IM[30] Chase Kalisz 4:09.09 Jay Litherland 4:10.33 Carson Foster 4:10.86

Women's events

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Event Gold Silver Bronze
50 m freestyle[31] Simone Manuel 24.29 Abbey Weitzeil 24.30 Torri Huske 24.46
100 m freestyle[32] Abbey Weitzeil 53.53 Erika Brown 53.59 Olivia Smoliga 53.63
200 m freestyle[33] Katie Ledecky 1:55.11 Allison Schmitt 1:56.79 Paige Madden 1:56.80
400 m freestyle[34] Katie Ledecky 4:01.27 Paige Madden 4:04.86 Leah Smith 4:06.27
800 m freestyle[35] Katie Ledecky 8:14.62 Katie Grimes 8:20.36 Haley Anderson 8:20.51
1,500 m freestyle[36] Katie Ledecky 15:40.50 Erica Sullivan 15:51.18 Katie Grimes 15:52.12
100 m backstroke[37] Regan Smith 58.35 Rhyan White 58.60 Olivia Smoliga 58.72
200 m backstroke[38] Rhyan White 2:05.73 Phoebe Bacon 2:06.46 Regan Smith 2:06.79
100 m breaststroke[39] Lilly King 1:04.79 Lydia Jacoby 1:05.28 Annie Lazor 1:05.60
200 m breaststroke[40] Annie Lazor 2:21.07 Lilly King 2:21.75 Emily Escobedo 2:22.64
100 m butterfly[41] Torri Huske 55.66 AM, US Claire Curzan 56.43 Kate Douglass 56.56
200 m butterfly[42] Hali Flickinger 2:05.85 US Regan Smith 2:06.99 Charlotte Hook 2:07.92
200 m IM[43] Alex Walsh 2:09.30 Kate Douglass 2:09.32 Madisyn Cox 2:09.34
400 m IM[44] Emma Weyant 4:33.81 Hali Flickinger 4:33.96 Melanie Margalis 4:34.08

Olympics freestyle relay qualifiers

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Key:   Highlighted swimmers achieved the qualification conditions to be included in the Olympic team in that respective relay event based on their
performance in the corresponding 100 meter or 200 meter freestyle individual event.
[15] The qualifying rules for the 2020 Olympics specified that a country could not have more than 12 swimmers, men and women combined, that would race only in relays; of the four sixth-place finishers, Held ranked lowest in his event in USA Swimming's world rankings, so he was left off the team.

Place → 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
4×100 m freestyle[17] Caeleb Dressel
47.39
Zach Apple
47.72
Blake Pieroni
48.16
Brooks Curry
48.19
Bowe Becker
48.22
Ryan Held
48.46
Brett Pinfold
48.47
Coleman Stewart
48.51
4×200 m freestyle[18] Kieran Smith
1:45.29
Townley Haas
1:45.66
Drew Kibler
1:45.92
Andrew Seliskar
1:46.34
Zach Apple
1:46.45
Patrick Callan
1:46.49
Blake Pieroni
1:46.57
Carson Foster
1:46.67

Women

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Place → 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
4×100 m freestyle[32] Abbey Weitzeil
53.53
Erika Brown
53.59
Olivia Smoliga
53.63
Natalie Hinds
53.84
Catie DeLoof
53.87
Allison Schmitt
54.12
Kate Douglass
54.17
Linnea Mack
54.32
4×200 m freestyle[33] Katie Ledecky
1:55.11
Allison Schmitt
1:56.79
Paige Madden
1:56.80
Katie McLaughlin
1:57.16
Bella Sims
1:57.53
Brooke Forde
1:57.61
Gabby DeLoof
1:57.86
Leah Smith
1:58.13

Television coverage and viewership

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Two national television networks covered the US Olympic trials in swimming in the United States, NBC and NBCSN.[45] NBCSN aired the heats later the same day and NBC aired the finals and some of the semifinals same day.[46] This coverage was part of the NBC Olympics television and digital programming covering the U.S. Olympic Team trials in various sports that set a new record in number of hours of coverage of the Olympic trials for all sports in the United States at 85.25 hours.[45][46]

Sunday coverage of the U.S. Olympic Team trials in swimming on NBC made it into the top 20 most viewed programs for the day.[47] For the top five most viewed days of U.S. Olympic Team trials across all sports, the swimming team trials had one day make it in the top five along with two days from team trials in track and field and two days from gymnastics team trials.[11]

References

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  1. ^ Rieder, David (May 1, 2017). "USA Swimming Announces 2020 Olympic Trials Will Return to Omaha". Swimming World. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials set new dates in 2021 in Omaha". NBC Sports. April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming Split Into Two Events". USA Swimming. January 26, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "2020 Olympic Trials Official Time Standards" (PDF). USA Swimming. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Bachman, Rachel (January 26, 2021). "U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials Will Be Cut in Half". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  6. ^ D'Addona, Dan (January 26, 2021). "USA Olympic Swimming Trials to be Split into Two Waves For Better Social Distancing". Swimming World. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  7. ^ Keith, Braden (January 26, 2021). "(UPDATE) USA Swimming Will Split 2021 Olympic Trials Into Two Separate Meets". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  8. ^ USA Swimming (June 7, 2021). "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave I: Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Shinn, Peggy (June 8, 2021). "50 Athletes From Swimming's U.S. Olympic Team Trials Wave I Qualify For Wave II". TeamUSA.org. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  10. ^ Johnson, Annika (June 14, 2021). "Women's 100 Breast Prelims Sees First Wave I Swimmer to Make Semi's". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  11. ^ a b McCormick, Jack (July 2, 2021). "Tokyo 2020 Round-Up: US Gymnastics Leads All Trial's Viewership". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  12. ^ Thuc Nhi Nguyen (August 21, 2022). "La Mirada teen swimmer Kayla Han makes national waves with Paris 2024 on horizon". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  13. ^ Johnson, Annika (July 12, 2021). "More Swimmers Beat Their Seed Times at U.S. Olympic Trials in 2020 Than in 2016". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming Wave II Event Order". USA Swimming. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Roster". USA Swimming. June 21, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  16. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  18. ^ a b "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  19. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 400m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Mitchell's time did not meet the qualifying standard of 3:46.78, but as the next highest placing finisher that did have the standard finished 11th, the swimmers in finishing order from 2nd to 10th were given the opportunity for a "time trial" to get a qualifying time; Mitchell swam his in 3:45.86, which qualified him, and no further time trials were needed. -- "The Most Electric Time Trial In Swimming History" SwimSwam. June 15, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  21. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 800m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 1500m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  23. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Backststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  24. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  25. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  26. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  27. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Butterfly Final Results". Omega Timing. June 19, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  28. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Butterfly Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  29. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  30. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Men's 400 metre individual medley (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  31. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  32. ^ a b "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  33. ^ a b "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 200m Freestyle Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  34. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Women's 400 metre freestyle (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  35. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 800m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 19, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  36. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 1500m Freestyle Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  37. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Women's 100 metre backstroke (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  38. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 200m Backstroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 19, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  39. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Women's 100 metre breaststroke (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  40. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 200m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  41. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Women's 100 metre butterfly (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  42. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 200m Butterfly Final Results Summary". Omega Timing. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  43. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Women's 200m Individual Medley Final Results" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  44. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Women's 400 metre individual medley (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  45. ^ a b Keith, Braden (May 27, 2021). "NBC Networks Will Air All 12 Nights of Olympic Swimming Trials Coverage in June". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  46. ^ a b "U.S. Olympic Team Trials TV and streaming schedule". NBC Olympics. May 27, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  47. ^ Elber, Lynn (June 22, 2021). "Olympic trials pique viewer interest in Tokyo Summer Games". Associated Press. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
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