Omaha To Host 2012 U.S. Masters Swimming Summer Nationals

U.S. Masters Swimming, the national governing body for adult competitive and fitness swimming, will host it’s 2012 Summer Nationals in Omaha, Neb. The USMS Summer Nationals will follow the USA Swimming Olympic Trials that are scheduled for June 25 through July 2, 2012. The national championship meet will be contested in the same competition pool as the USA Swimming Olympic Trials. The four-day Masters event will begin on Thursday, July 5 and conclude on Sunday, July 8, 2012.

“To be able to cheer for the Olympic hopefuls, and then to swim in the same pool as Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin and Dara Torres will be a memorable experience for Masters swimmers,” says USMS Executive Director Rob Butcher. “Our Summer Nationals will be a showcase opportunity for U.S. Masters Swimming. In addition to 1,000-adult Masters competitors, we expect numerous past Olympians will want to compete too.”

“Omaha is extremely pleased to host both the USA Swimming Olympic Trials and U.S. Masters Swimming Summer Nationals,” says Omaha Sports Commission CEO Harold Cliff. “Masters swimmers have tremendous passion for swimming so it will be a lot of fun for them to support the Olympic Trials and then have their own competition.”

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle said the four-day event will bring much more than exciting swimming competition to Omaha.

“The Masters Summer Nationals will provide tremendous economic benefits to Omaha, bringing more than 1,000 swimmers from across the country to our community,” says Mayor Suttle.  “Hosting the Olympic Swim Trials, followed by the Masters Summer Nationals, will once again position Omaha as one of America’s great communities for sporting events.”

"When the Olympic Trials were in Omaha in 2008, the town was electric," says Nebraska Local Masters Swimming Committee Chair Erin Sullivan. "We are excited to be a part of this event and are looking forward to making it one of the best Nationals."

More coverage for the Summer Nationals will be made available at usms.org.

Contact: Mark Gill, (941) 387-4490; email: mark.gill@usms.org