OMAHA —Mark Dylla, the Heritage High grad and Georgia’s NCAA champion from 2011, qualified in eighth position for the 200 butterfly semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials Wednesday morning.
Dylla, swimming next to two-time defending Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, finished third in the 14th and final heat in 1:58.70. The top 16 advance to Wednesday night’s semifinals with the top eight advancing to Thursday night’s final.
“You don’t worry about your lane,” Dylla said about placing for Wednesday night. “You just make sure you have a lane.”
Dylla has the seventh-best time entering the Trials at 1:57.08. Bobbier Bollier of Stanford qualified first in 1:56.69 while Phelps qualified in third in 1:57.75.
“I wasn’t overly concerned about getting through,” Dylla said, “but if you don’t worry about something and you don’t make it then your meet’s over.”
Dylla, 23, has swam next to Phelps a lot. The pair train together occasionally at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Dylla said it’s not a distraction for him.
“It depends how you approach it,” Dylla said. “There’s a lot of people with pictures. The atmosphere changes when he walks on deck. I’ve swum enough next to him where I’m used to it. I don’t have a problem with it. First time go round it might rattle you.’
Dylla will also swim the 100 butterfly Saturday.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
