UGA's Allison Schmitt took second in the first qualifying heat and second overall, turning in a time of 1:56.15 for Team USA. Her teammate Missy Franklin finished eighth of 16 semifinalists in the two heats of the day at 1:57.57, just .19 seconds ahead of Melani Costa-Schmid of Spain.
As SB Nation's Andy Hutchins put it, Franklin "got into the women's 200m freestyle final on Monday by the skin of her teeth."
The U.S. Olympic team tied China for the medal count lead with its swimming on Monday, but there was Ryan Lochte's disappointing showing in the 200m freestyle where he finished fourth in a race he was expected to win.
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub. For more on Olympic swimming, follow the 2012 Olympic swimming section. SB Nation Atlanta is your source for locals sports news and updates. Also be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.