Jackson Free Press

Every four years during the run up to the Olympics and while the event takes place, our attention turns to sports that don't normally get a lot of television time, such as gymnastics, diving and swimming.

We learn the names of sports stars who we don't watch on a regular basis and then expect to see them on our TV four years later during the next Olympics. But it doesn't always happen that way.

Take this year's United States Swimming Trials, for example. Missy Franklin, Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte and Matt Grevers are just a few high-profile winners from London who have struggled to make this year's U.S. swim team. Franklin only recently secured a spot on the 200-meter freestyle team, Coughlin is falling short in the 100-meter backstroke, Lochte has yet to qualify for an individual event, and Grevers missed his chance and may soon retire.

This changing of the guard happens during the Olympic cycle. If you don't keep up with the trials, the new names are a surprise, but it allows for new stars. When former stars lose the race with Father Time, it opens the door to youth. That could help Blaise Vera rise in the 50-meter freestyle.

The 16-year-old from Clinton is a long shot to make the Olympic team, but with the upheaval at this year's swim trials, Vera might have a chance if established swimmers keep faltering.

Vera is the top-ranked swimmer in Mississippi and has already received 45 scholarship offers from colleges and universities across the country before his senior year of high school. Not bad for someone who began swimming just three years ago.

In his final opportunity to make the swim trials, Vera broke through in Atlanta with a time of 23.12 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle. The qualifying time U.S. Swimming set to reach the swim trials was 23.29 seconds. He will have to get a lot faster if he wants to make it far in the trials.

The gold medal time in London for the 50-meter freestyle was 21.34 seconds, which Florent Manaudou of France achieved. Cullen Jones of the U.S. placed second in London with a time of 21.54 seconds.

That doesn't mean Vera can't score a fast time, though. He already holds the state record in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle. Vera swam an extremely fast 20.77 to crush the former state record of 21.58 from 2010, and his 45.84 in the 100-meter freestyle broke a state record of 46.82 from 2014.

Only the top 1 percent of swimmers in the country are able to reach the U.S. swim trials. That means Vera gets to test himself against the best of the best in the country.

He will begin his quest to make the team on today, Friday, July 1, when the contestants of the 50-meter take to the pool. Friday morning preliminaries will set up the semifinals for tonight. The final of the 50-meter freestyle will be held on Saturday night.

Even if Vera doesn't make the team this Olympics, it will give him valuable experience to get him ready for four years from now. He should be a major force in swimming just in time for the 2020 games in Tokyo.

You can watch Vera swim at NBCOlympics.com, on the NBC sports app, the NBC Sports Network from 5 to 6 p.m. and NBC from 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Listing for coverage on Saturday is available at NBCOlympics.com.