Larsen Qualifies for Finals in 800-Meter Freestyle Event

When Alexis Larsen placed second in the U.S. National Swimming Championships last August, she was thrilled.

But Larsen, 15, of Calabasas-based CLASS Aquatics, knew that the top distance freestylers in the country were absent.

Some were in Cuba at the Pan American Games and others were in Canada at the Pan Pacific championships.

That’s why Larsen’s performance Wednesday in the preliminaries of the 800-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials was meaningful.

With the fastest swimmers assembled, Larsen, the youngest and the smallest at 5-feet-4, 108 pounds, qualified for tonight’s championship finals.

Her time of 8 minutes 46 seconds placed her eighth in an eight-woman field that includes 1988 Olympic triple-gold medalist Janet Evans.

“My goal was to make it into the top eight,” Larsen said.

Larsen’s teammate, Kristine Quance of Northridge, placed seventh in the 100 breaststroke.

Quance, who has been slowed by mononucleosis, posted a time of 1:11.27.