The first event of the US Olympic swimming trials produced a stunning outcome as an injured Ryan Lochte failed to qualify for the Rio team in an event he won at the 2012 London Games.
Lochte, an 11-time Olympic medallist, raced out to a big lead on the first two legs of the 400m individual medley but had nothing left for the breaststroke and freestyle.
After the race, Lochte revealed that he pulled a groin muscle during the morning preliminaries, saying it left him with no choice other than to try to build a commanding lead in the butterfly and backstroke and hope it would hold up.
It wasn't even close.
Chase Kalisz won in 4:9.541, while his college teammate Jay Litherland rallied to take the second spot for Rio in 4:11.021.
Lochte, his legs totally gone, laboured home in third at 4:12.021.
"I had to go out faster than usual because I couldn't use my legs in the breaststroke," said the 31-year-old Lochte, who still has several other events to claim his spot on his fourth Olympic team - assuming he can overcome his injury.
"I did everything I could in that race, it just wasn't enough. Just got to forget about that and move forward."
He said he would get a cortisone shot to help deal with the pain.
"I'm going to keep working on it day in and day out, and hopefully it gets better," Lochte said. "I thought about scratching, but I mean, it's the Olympic trials. If I had a broken leg, I'd still go out there and swim."
Michael Phelps, who won the 400 IM at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, finished fourth behind Lochte in London and dropped the gruelling event from his program. With no races on the first day of the meet, Phelps watched from the stands.
"I wasn't surprised with Jay," Phelps said. "He's like a shark in the water. He knows how to rise to the occasion."
Phelps was especially happy for long-time training partner Kalisz, who like Litherland is heading to his first Olympics.
"He's like a brother to me," Phelps said.
Two other finals were held at the sold-out CenturyLink Center in Omaha,Nebraska, which is hosting the Olympic trials for the third straight time in a temporary pool.
Maya DiRado qualified for her first Olympic team in the women's 400 IM, knocking off 2012 silver medallist Elizabeth Beisel.
DiRado, who plans to retire after the Rio Games at age 23, is a late bloomer who peaked at just the right time. She touched in 4:33.73, finishing a couple of body lengths ahead of Beisel, who still earned a spot on her third Olympic team by holding off Bethany Galat.
In the men's 400 freestyle, Connor Jaeger and Conor Dwyer are heading back to the Olympics for the second time after finishing 1-2. Jaeger won in 3:43.79, while Dwyer took the runner-up spot in 3:44.66.
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