INDIANAPOLIS — Cumberland swimming phenom Daniel Diehl finished sixth in the 200-meter backstroke finals Thursday at the U.S. Olympic swim trials at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Diehl, 18, swam a 1:57.60 out of the second lane to finish behind Ryan Murphy (1:54.33), Keaton Jones (1:54.61), Jack Aikins (1:54.78), Tommy Janton (1:57.12) and Jay Litherland (1:57.16).
By virtue of finishing first and second, Murphy and Jones punched their tickets to the Paris Olympics.
Diehl advanced to the finals, his first ever at the Olympic trials, by swimming a 1:57.29 in Wednesday night’s semifinals. The Top 8 qualified for the finals and Diehl had the fifth-fastest time.
Diehl nearly advanced to the finals a second time earlier this week in the 200-meter freestyle but was edged in a one-on-one swim-off for the final spot after tying for the eighth with Aaron Shackell.
It was the first time at the U.S. Olympic trials that a swim-off was necessary to determine who advanced to the finals of an event since 2008.
Diehl, an Allegany graduate who was named Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Freshman of the Year at N.C. State this year, has one final event: the 100-meter butterfly. The heat and semifinals are Friday and the final is Saturday.
The 18-year-old was slated to compete in the 200m individual medley on Thursday but scratched with his 200m backstroke final looming.
Diehl began his swimming career with the Sea Otters at the Cumberland YMCA under coach Brian Dowling.