2017 Arena PSS – Atlanta: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2017 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES – ATLANTA

The final session of the Arena Pro Swim Series in Atlanta is set to get underway, with the 200 fly, 100 breast, 100 back, 200 IM and the women’s 800 and men’s 1500 free on the schedule.

There were many scratches after prelims, including top seeded Kelsi Worrell out of the women’s 200 fly. Check them all out here.

The top seeded swimmers in the distance events had the option to swim there race either in the morning or at night, with many opting to swim this morning. Katie Ledecky swam 8:15.71 this morning to post the top time in the women’s 800 free, while the men’s 1500 saw a battle between Felix Auboeck (15:16.63) and Marcelo Acosta (15:16.95) all the way down to the wire.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY FINAL

  • US Open Record: 2:05.96, Mary T. Meagher, 1981
  • GT Pool Record: 2:07.29, Susie O’Neill, 1995
  1. Hali Flickinger, ABSC, 2:08.90
  2. Lauren Case, UT, 2:10.50
  3. Cassidy Bayer, NCAP, 2:10.67

After Nation Capital’s Cassidy Bayer got out to a slight lead early on, 2016 US Olympian in this event Hali Flickinger took over the race at the halfway mark and pulled away for the win in 2:08.90. That swim was just 13 one-hundredths off her 2:08.77 season best that has her 16th in the world.

Bayer and Ruby Martin were battling for 2nd for most of the race, but Lauren Case closed strong in 33.7 to run them both down and take the runner-up spot in 2:10.50. Bayer touched third, and Martin was 4th in 2:11.15. Flickinger was the only non-teenager in the A-final.

MEN’S 200 FLY FINAL

  • US Open Record: 1:52.20, Michael Phelps, 2008
  • GT Pool Record: 1:56.51, Denis Pankratov, 1996
  1. Chase Kalisz, NBAC, 1:55.94
  2. Joseph Schooling, UN, 1:56.45
  3. Marcos Lavado, AZFL, 1:57.81

Early on it was Joseph Schooling and Tom Shields out front of the pack, with Schooling 1st at the 100 wall in 55.32. Chase Kalisz moved past Shields on the 3rd 50 and battled it out for the win with Schooling down the stretch, pulling away on the last few strokes for the win in 1:55.94. Schooling touched 2nd in 1:56.45, dropping nearly five seconds from his prelim swim. That swim was just off Kalisz’s season best of 1:55.82 which ranks him 11th in the world.

Top seed from the morning Marcos Lavado ran down Shields to take 3rd, with Shields ending up 5th due to a 32.3 final 50, coming in at 1:58.61. Jack Conger got by him for 4th in 1:58.54.

Despite not scratching, Gunnar Bentz was a no-show for the final.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST FINAL

  • US Open Record: 1:04.45, Jessica Hardy, 2009
  • GT Pool Record: 1:05.83, Rebecca Soni, 2011
  1. Lilly King, UN, 1:06.20
  2. Miranda Tucker, CW, 1:07.95
  3. Andrea Cottrell, UOFL, 1:08.36

Lilly King accelerated an early lead of over a second at the 50 wall in 30.74, sailing to the win in a time of 1:06.20. That swim ranks her 4th in the world for the season.

Miranda Tucker pulled away from Andrea Cottrell on the back half to take 2nd in 1:07.95, with Cottrell was 3rd in 1:08.36.

MEN’S 100 BREAST FINAL

  • US Open Record: 58.86, Adam Peaty, 2017
  • GT Pool Record: 1:00.31, Brendan Hansen, 2011
  1. Andrew Wilson, TXLA, 1:01.07
  2. Nicolas Fink, ABSC, 1:01.14
  3. Richard Funk, HPCO, 1:01.19

Andrew Wilson got out to an early advantage and held on over the closing meters to take the win in 1:01.07. He was six tenths slower than the prelims.

Wilson managed to hold off Fink and Funk, as Nic Fink and Richard Funk both gained on Wilson in the closing metres. Fink ended up 2nd, and Funk was 3rd. Kevin Cordes was right there in the thick of it, taking 4th in 1:01.40.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK FINAL

  1. Ali Deloof, CW, 59.96
  2. Grace Ariola, BNY, 1:00.71
  3. Claire Adams, UT, 1:01.54

Club Wolverine’s Ali Deloof had another strong swim in the 100 back, finishing a tenth off her morning swim in 59.96 to take the win. Her prelim time of 59.86 broke Missy Franklin‘s pool record. She currently sits 10th in the world with her 59.82 from Indianapolis.

Grace Ariola had a slight improvement from the morning in 1:00.71 for 2nd, and Claire Adams held off a charging Hali Flickinger (1:01.60) for 3rd in 1:01.54.

Deloof’s sistes, Gabby and Catie, both swam the A-final alongside one another in lanes 1 and 2. They ended up tying for 6th in 1:02.55.

MEN’S 100 BACK FINAL

  • US Open Record: 51.94, Aaron Peirsol, 2009
  • GT Pool Record: 53.08, Ryan Murphy, 2016
  1. Ryosuke Irie, MAC, 53.50
  2. Ryan Murphy, CAL, 53.53
  3. Jacob Pebley, CAL, 54.45

As expected Ryan Murphy was out first at the 50 wall in 25.78, with Ryosuke Irie sitting second over four tenths back. Coming home Irie began to make up ground and Murphy and pulled even with him over the final strokes. At the touch it was Irie in 53.50, with Murphy back by three one-hundredths in 53.53. Irie’s back 50 was a blazing 27.30.

Irie just misses his season best of 53.46 which has him 4th in the world, while Murphy takes over 5th edging past Australia’s Mitch Larkin (53.54).

It was Jacob Pebley taking 3rd in 54.45, holding off Arkady Vyatchanin (54.65) and David Gamburg (54.82). In the B-final, Germany’s Christian Diener took off 1.4 from the morning to win the heat in 54.79.

WOMEN’S 200 IM FINAL

  • US Open Record: 2:08.66, Katinka Hosszu, 2015
  • GT Pool Record: 2:09.39, Caitlin Leverenz, 2011
  1. Melanie Margalis, SPA, 2:11.43
  2. Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo, TAMU, 2:14.40
  3. Brooke Forde, LAK, 2:14.59

Melanie Margalis opened up a big lead on the backstroke leg and continued to extend it throughout the rest of the race, touching 1st in a time of 2:11.43. She was exactly 1 second off her season best from Indi that ranks her 8th in the world.

It was a very tight battle for 2nd, as Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo‘s 30.9 split pulled her past Brooke Forde and Siobhan Haughey for the spot. She touched in 2:14.40, with Forde 3rd in 2:14.59, and Haughey 4th in 2:14.79.

MEN’S 200 IM FINAL

  • US Open Record: 1:54.56, Ryan Lochte, 2009
  • GT Pool Record: 1:59.27, Darian Townsend, 2011
  1. Chase Kalisz, NBAC, 1:57.21
  2. Jay Litherland, DYNA, 2:01.11
  3. Ryosuke Irie, MAC, 2:02.55

Chase Kalisz finished off an impressive double tonight, winning the 200 IM in a personal best 1:57.21. After Matthew Josa had the lead at the 50, Kalisz took off from the field, including 33.3 and 27.9 splits on breast and free, to win the race and post the 4th fastest time in the world this year. Kalisz has now gone 4-for-4 in finals this weekend, winning the 200 breast, 200 fly and sweeping the IMs.

Jay Litherland had a solid drop of 1.8 seconds from prelims to take 2nd in 2:01.11, and Ryosuke Irie closed in 28.26 to finish off an impressive double himself taking 3rd. Angel Martinez (2:02.99) and Mack Darragh (2:03.59) took 4th and 5th.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE (TIMED FINAL)

  1. Katie Ledecky, UN, 8:15.71
  2. Joanna Evans, UT, 8:36.10
  3. G Ryan, CW, 8:36.40
  4. Rose Bi, CW, 8:36.96
  5. Sierra Schmidt, CW, 8:38.92
  6. Megan Byrnes, UN, 8:40.77
  7. Easop Lee, NBAC, 8:45.13
  8. Summer Finke, SPA, 8:50.94

After Ledecky posted an 8:15.71 this morning, Texas’ Joanna Evans posted the top time in the finals heat at 8:36.10, just getting by G Ryan and Rose Bi for 2nd place overall.

Also moving into the top-8 from the finals heat was Easop Lee and Summer Finke, 7th and 8th overall.

MEN’S 1500 FREE (TIMED FINAL)

  • US Open Record: 14:45.54, Peter Vanderkaay, 2008
  • GT Pool Record: 14:56.40, Kieran Perkins, 1996
  1. Park Tae Hwan, KOR, 15:06.38
  2. Felix Auboeck, CW, 15:16.63
  3. Marcelo Acosta, UOFL, 15:16.95
  4. Zane Grothe, BAD, 15:22.05
  5. Henning Muehlleitner, GER, 15:33.47
  6. Robert Finke, SPA, 15:34.42
  7. Poul Zellman, GER, 15:34.56
  8. PJ Ransford, CW, 15:44.35

Park Tae Hwan held consistent 30.4 – 30.6s the entire race before unloading a 25.8 final 50 to touch in a time of 15:06.38, good enough to outdo Felix Auboeck‘s morning time by over ten seconds. That swims gets Park under the FINA ‘A’ standard of 15:12.79, adding a fourth event to his World Championship schedule.

Zane Grothe placed 2nd in the heat and takes 4th overall in 15:22.05, while Germans Henning Muehlleitner and Poul Zellman also made the top-8 out of the last heat, as did Saint Petersburg’s Robert Finke.

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tea rex
6 years ago

Ledecky negative split 4:09 – 4:06 with a 59.8 close. As usual, wow.

Michael Andrew – definitely making some changes. His only great swim was the 50 free, but he competed in 200 back and breast – seems like forever since he did those.

Lol
6 years ago

These 1.58’s in-season swims by shields are great! He will be 50.x in the 100 and 1.53-1.54 in the 200 this summer

bobo gigi
6 years ago

Quick thoughts

Women’s 200 fly. Hali Flickinger good time. The rest is very slow. Crazy open event at world trials. I presume that Cammile Adams will be absent so anything is possible. Flickinger is consistent and looks a little bit ahead. Then we have teens Bayer and Martin. The big question is Katie McLaughlin.

Men’s 200 fly. With MP as mentor, of course Kalisz has to be good in that event. If he wants it, he can make the team in the 200 fly. But there’s still a long way to go before being a medal contender. He has to go around 2 seconds faster. Anyway it helps his IM to have a strong fly.

Women’s 100 breast. Lilly wants… Read more »

Tm71
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Ledecky bad time lol ? Compared to the incredible WRs in Kazan and Rio ? Prior to those two seasons her best was 811 (not far from the 815). I don’t expect her to be that much faster next month but she will be a lot faster in Budapest because she will be able to go out 402 not 409. I don’t think she will break 804 but she will be close. Perhaps she will read our comments and prove us wrong.
As far as Lilly king it is great she is setting high goals like KL. If she can go 104 mid then she will win easily. I think it would be more impressive if she be more… Read more »

Uberfan
6 years ago

Wow Kalisz with that quintuple again, where does this rank him points wise

Irish Ringer
6 years ago

Has anyone checked to see if Shields was OK after coming home in a 32.38 🙂

Irish Ringer
Reply to  Irish Ringer
6 years ago

Same with Michael Andrew…that 31.57 final 50 on the IM looked like he was just trying to make it to the wall.

Person
6 years ago

Kalisz picks up another couple wins. It’ll be interesting to see which events he goes for this summer. Obviously 400 IM, 200 IM and fly seem more than likely, and 200 breast is a possibility too (though Prenot/Licon/Cordes/Wilson will all be tough to beat). I think he makes it in 400 IM, 200 IM, and 200 fly. Multiple golds in Budapest isn’t out of reach if he can get by Hagino and Wang Shun.

SwimSam
6 years ago

Interesting that Kalisz has a fly very similar to Cseh, with a single big kick per stroke cycle, and a very circular arm recovery, which seems to suit him really well. And as everyone else has noted, his fly and back have improved dramatically, and he could be a serious contender in a huge slew of events at Budapest! It’s great seeing him take such big strides, no more “short pool swimmers never translate”

Swimnerd
6 years ago

Gunnar more than likely taking time to process the Turcotte news, swam with Jason through the entirety of his amateur career.
My condolences to the Turcotte and Dynamo community.

SpeedRacer
Reply to  Swimnerd
6 years ago

Looks like Michael Taylor was a NS as well. Much love and prayers to the family and team.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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