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The US Olympic Swimming Trials Are Cruel and Ridiculously Competitive

Matt Grevers is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the men's 100-meter backstroke, but to defend his title, he had to earn a trip to Rio via the U.S. Swimming Trials at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, just like everyone else.

The 31-year-old with six Olympic medals to his name had one hell of a swim in the finals of his best event Tuesday night.

NBC's Rowdy Gaines marveled over Grevers' 6'8" frame, saying that his height could provide the necessary difference of a few hundredths of a second at the final touch. He put every inch of that body to flawless use, finishing the race in 52.