A weekend that began with disappointment ended in celebration for Michael Brinegar.
The Indiana University freshman from Columbus was in fourth place overall and was the second American with 300 meters remaining in Friday’s 10K event at the USA Swimming Open Water Nationals in Miami, Florida, when he lost his cap and goggles after some contact. He finished fifth and was the third American, missing the second-and-final qualifying spot to the FINA World Swimming Championships by two seconds.
On Saturday, Brinegar found redemption. He finished sixth in the Open Water 5K and was the third American, enabling him to qualify for the World Championships, which will be the second week of July in Gwangju, South Korea.
Had Brinegar finished as the second American in the 10K, he would have qualified for the World Championships in that event, with a chance to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Brinegar is coming off a freshman season at IU where he finished second in the NCAA Championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle. He helped lead the Hoosiers to a third-place team finish.
This summer, Brinegar will head back to Mission Viejo, California, where he spent his final three years of high school, to train.
