At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, the U.S. qualifying meet for the Olympics, Adams made the U.S. Olympic team for the first time by winning the 200-meter butterfly. Adams also competed in the 400-meter individual medley at the trials, and finished third with a time of 4:38.62. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she finished fifth in the finals of the women's 200-meter butterfly.