Clearwater’s Robert Margalis has reached the finals of the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb.

Margalis, who took third place in the 400 IM finals on Sunday—one place from making the Olympic team—had the sixth-fastest qualifying time Thursday morning at 2 minutes, 1.33 seconds, then came back to post the No. 7 time in the semifinals at 2:01.16. The top two qualifiers were Ryan Lochte of Daytona Beach and North Baltimore’s Michael Phelps, the same two guys who broke the 400 IM world record Sunday and grabbed the Olympic berths up for grabs in the event.

In Thursday’s 200 IM qualifying, Lochte went 1:59. 49 and Phelps swam 1:59.70. In the semis, Lochte blew away the field with his 1:57.57 while Phelps went 1:58.05. Finals are Friday night.

In women’s 100 free qualifying Thursday, St. Petersburg’s Megan Romano swan 56.01 for the No. 32 qualifying time while Tampa’s Chelsea Nauta was 46th at 56.40. The top qualifier was American record holder Natalie Coughlin, who swam 53.64, just .25 off her record.

Advancing to the semifinals is St. Petersburg native, Emily Silver, whose dad, Bob, used to be my sports editor at that paper across the bay. The name escapes me. Emily was an all-American at Cal Berkeley and her folks live in Bainbridge Island, Wash. She posted the No. 6 qualifying time at 54.74.