2019 Pro Swim Series – Des Moines: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – DES MOINES

• March 6th-9th, 2019
• Wellmark YMCA, Des Moines, Iowa
• LCM (50m), Prelims-Finals
• Live Results
• Psych Sheets
• TV/Webcast Info
• Event Schedule

Keep refreshing this page for live, event-by-event updates from Des Moines.

Women’s 200 free – prelims

• World: 1:52.98 7/29/2009 Federica Pellegrini
• American: 1:53.61 7/31/2012 Allison Schmitt
• U.S. Open: 1:54.40 6/28/2012 Allison Schmitt
• Jr World: 1:56.12 8/20/2014 Shen Duo
• Pro Swim: 1:54.43 2016 Katie Ledecky
• Trial Cut: 2:01.69

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Smith (Tucscon Ford) – 1:59.27
2. Margalis (St. Petersburg) – 1:59.67
3. Flickinger (Athens Bulldog) – 1:59.72
4. Oliveira (Pineheiros) – 2:00.05
5. Schmitt (Sun Devil) – 2:00.21
6. Greenslade (Great Britain) – 2:00.76
7. G. DeLoof (Club Wolverine) – 2:01.28
8. Harvey (Club Aquatique) – 2:01.46

In a pretty sleepy prelims heat, only three swimmers broke two minutes. The A final is pretty tightly-packed, though, with a good chance for some racing tonight. Tucson Ford’s Leah Smith is the top qualifier at 1:59.27.

Georgia alums Melanie Margalis (1:59.67) and Hali Flickinger (1:59.72) are the other two under the barrier. Margalis was 3rd in Knoxville with a 1:58.68, and the top two aren’t competing in Des Moines.

Brazil’s Larissa Oliveira is fourth, just on the other side of two minutes. Fellow internationals in to the A final: Great Britain’s Kathryn Greenslade in sixth and Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey in eighth.

American’s Allison Schmitt and Gabby DeLoof also made the A heat. DeLoof was fifth in Des Moines at 1:59.77 and should be a big factor tonight.

Men’s 200 free – prelims

• World: 1:42.00 7/28/2009 Paul Biedermann
• American: 1:42.96 8/12/2008 Michael Phelps
• U.S. Open: 1:44.10 7/1/2008 Michael Phelps
• Jr World: 1:46.40 8/24/2017 Ivan Girev
• Pro Swim: 1:44.82 2016 Sun Yang
• Trial Cut: 1:50.79

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Correia (Brazil) – 1:48.20
2. Kunert (Unattached) – 1:48.71
3. Pieroni (Unattached) – 1:48.77
4. Conger (Cavalier) – 1:49.06
5. Melo (Pinheiros) – 1:49.64
6. Grothe (Boulder City Henderson) – 1:49.91
7. Dressel (Gator) – 1:50.17
8. Coelho Santos (Pinheiros) – 1:50.29

Brazil loaded up the 200 free A final with three men, included among them the top seed. Breno Correia went 1:48.20 to lead the field this morning, with Luiz Melo fifth and Leonardo Coelho Santos eighth.

Queens University swimmer Alex Kunert was once again fast in prelims. He went 1:48.71 and sits second – Kunert was the top prelims swimmer yesterday in the 200 fly and wound up winning the event.

Correia will get a rematch with American Blake Pieroni. Pieroni beat Correia for the 100 free title last night and is third in the 200 free heading into finals. Fellow American Jack Conger is fourth, with distance man (and 400 free champ) Zane Grothe sixth.

Sprinting world champ Caeleb Dressel had a much better morning swim here than he did in the 100 yesterday. Dressel, wearing a jammer this time around, went 1:50.17 and took 7th, sneaking into the A final.

Women’s 50 breast – prelims

• World: 29.40 7/30/2017 Lilly King
• American: 29.40 7/30/2017 Lilly King
• U.S. Open: 29.62 6/10/2018 Lilly King
• Jr World: 29.86 8/27/2013 Ruta Meilutyte
• Pro Swim: 29.62 2018 Lilly King

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Clark (Great Britain) – 30.81
2. Conceicao (Pinheiros) – 31.14
3. Lazor (Mission Viejo) – 31.59
4. Bernhardt (Gamecock) – 31.94
5. Szara (Unattached) – 31.96
6. Galat (Unattached) – 32.05
7. Rodriguez (Desert Dragons) – 32.57
8. Roberts (Savannah Swim Team) – 32.63

Great Britain’s Imogen Clark was the only swimmer under 31 this morning, going 30.81 for the top spot. She’s followed by Brazil’s Jhennifer Conceicao (31.14) and American Annie Lazor (31.59).

Two more swimmers got under 32 this morning: Rachel Bernhardt and Erin Szara.

Men’s 50 breast – prelims

• World: 25.95 7/25/2017 Adam Peaty
• American: 26.76 8/4/2015 Kevin Cordes
• U.S. Open: 26.84 7/27/2018 Michael Andrew
• Jr World: 26.97 4/4/2017 Nicolo Martinenghi
• Pro Swim: 27.34 1/12/2019 Nic Fink

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Lima (Unattached) – 26.97
2. Andrew (Race Pace) – 27.17
3. Fink (Athens Bulldog) – 27.57
4. Wilson (Athens Bulldog) – 27.63
5. Stevens (Slovenia) – 27.94
6. Dressel (Gator) – 28.00
7. Wilby (Great Britain) – 28.06
8. De Lara Ojeda (Unattached) – 28.08

The Pro Swim Series record went down twice in two heats. First, Michael Andrew of the Race Pace club knocked it out with a 27.17. Then Brazil’s Felipe Lima took it under 27 with a 26.97. The old record was set in Knoxville, meaning the record has been set on every stop of the tour so far this year. Lima is only about a tenth off of Andrew’s U.S. Open record in the event.

Those two are the top seeds. Athens Bulldog pro teammates Nic Fink and Andrew Wilson are third and fourth. Fink was the former record-holder and won this event in Knoxville.

Sprinter Caeleb Dressel also made this final, going 28.00. He set an American record in short course breaststroke last year, but hasn’t added any breaststroke events to his major long course lineups as of yet.

Women’s 50 fly – prelims

• World: 24.43 7/5/2014 Sarah Sjostrom
• American: 25.48 7/29/2017 Kelsi Dahlia (Worrell)
• U.S. Open: 25.48 8/26/2017 Rikako Ikee
• Jr World: 25.46 8/26/2017 Rikako Ikee
• Pro Swim: 25.74 4/14/2018 Kelsi Dahlia

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Osman (Pinnacle) – 26.17
2. Dahlia (Cardinal) – 26.28
3. Stewart (Team Elite) – 26.52
4. Kendall (Mission Viejo) – 26.58
5. Hinds (Athens Bulldog) – 26.74
6. Black (HPC Vancouver) – 26.77
7. Schmidtke (SC Magdeburg) – 27.40
8. Bruce (Great Britain) – 27.52

Egyptian standout and former California swimmer Farida Osman paced the women’s 50 fly, topping American record-holder Kelsi Dahlia by a tenth. Both are on the cusp of a 25-second swi going into tonight. Osman was 26.09 to take second in Knoxville, and champion Penny Oleksiak is absent this month.

Team Elite’s Kendyl Stewart is third, six one-hundredths ahead of Amanda Kendall.

Men’s 50 fly – prelims

• World: 22.27 7/1/2017 Andrii Govorov
• American: 22.76 7/23/2017 Caeleb Dressel
• U.S. Open: 22.91 7/18/2009 Bryan Lundquist
• Jr World: 23.22 8/27/2017 Michael Andrew
• Pro Swim: 23.11 2012 Matt Targett

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Andrew (Race Pace) – 23.51
2. Kusch (Unattached) – 23.77
3. Held (Unattached) – 23.85
4. Martinez (Guatemala) – 23.98
5. Dressel (Gator) – 24.22
6. Holoda (Phoenix) – 24.27
7. Chierighini (Brazil) – 24.31
8. Lynch (California) – 24.37

Michael Andrew, last night’s 50 back winner, made his second straight A final, going 23.51 to pace the 50 fly. Andrew was second in this race in Knoxville to Luis Martinez of Guatemala, who is fourth this morning.

Queens University’s Marius Kusch paced prelims of the 100 fly yesterday, and he was fast in the 50 this morning at 23.77. The only other swimmers under 24 seconds were Ryan Held and Martinez. Caeleb Dressel also made his third A final in a row – he could have a busy night tonight with top-8 spots in the 200 free, 50 breast and 50 fly.

Women’s 200 back – prelims

• World: 2:04.06 8/3/2012 Missy Franklin
• American: 2:04.06 8/3/2012 Missy Franklin
• U.S. Open: 2:05.68 6/25/2013 Missy Franklin
• Jr World: 2:06.43 7/28/2018 Regan Smith
• Pro Swim: 2:06.36 2018 Taylor Ruck
• Trial Cut: 2:14.69

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Baker (Team Elite) – 2:10.62
2. Flickinger (Athens Bulldog) – 2:11.19
3. Sheridan (Northwestern) – 2:12.50
4. Goss (Granite Gator) – 2:14.18
5. Smoliga (Athens Bulldog) – 2:14.44
6. Mazutaityte (Unattached) – 2:14.50
7. Golding (Great Britain) – 2:14.51
8. Alexander (Kentucky) – 2:14.66

U.S. National co-champ Kathleen Baker is the top qualifier in the 200 back. That’s a reassuring swim from Baker after she skipped the 200 back entirely in Knoxville and only finished 8th in the 100 back. She’s comfortably the top qualifier at 2:10.62.

Do-everything Georgia star Hali Flickinger is second in 2:11.19. Flickinger is also set to swim the 400 IM in the very next event, so she might be a scratch candidate tonight.

Northwestern’s rising star Calypso Sheridan was the early top swimmer, winning the opening heat from an outside lane. Sheridan dropped three seconds from seed and is third in 2:12.50. Canada’s Kennedy Goss and American Olivia Smoliga lead a crowd of women in the 2:14s to wrap up the heat.

Baker’s 856 FINA points are a solid swim, but still don’t crack the current prelims leader on the women’s side, 871 from Flickinger’s 200 fly. The top FINA points swim of prelims earns a $1500 bonus.

Men’s 200 back – prelims

• World: 1:51.92 7/31/2009 Aaron Peirsol
• American: 1:51.92 7/31/2009 Aaron Peirsol
• U.S. Open: 1:53.08 7/11/2009 Aaron Peirsol
• Jr World: 1:55.14 6/28/2017 Kliment Kolesnikov
• Pro Swim: 1:55.04 2017 Xu Jiayu
• Trial Cut: 2:02.99

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Irie (Team Elite) – 2:01.37
2. Tarasevich (Cardinal) – 2:01.57
3. Pebley (Team Elite) – 2:01.64
4. Reid (Crimson Tide) – 2:02.28
5. Tretyakov (Swim Fort Lauderdale) – 2:03.97
6. Pratt (Cascade) – 2:04.44
7. Molina Macias (Itesm Monterrey) – 2:0
8. Koski (Unattached) – 2:05.28

Team Elite’s Ryosuke Irie paced an international backstroke field in 2:01.37. He’s two tenths up on Russian Grigory Tarasevich (2:01.57), with American Jacob Pebley (2:01.64) not far behind.

South Africa’s Chris Reid is fourth, followed by another Russian, Nikita Tretyakov.

16-year-old Cole Pratt of Cascade will be the youngest A finalist, sitting sixth. No other swimmer in the final heat is under 20.

Women’s 400 IM – prelims

• World: 4:26.36 8/6/2016 Katinka Hosszu
• American: 4:31.12 6/29/2008 Katie Hoff
• U.S. Open: 4:31.07 6/19/2015 Katinka Hosszu
• Jr World: 4:39.01 8/25/2015 Rosie Rudin
• Pro Swim: 4:31.07 2015 Katinka Hosszu
• Trial Cut: 4:51.79

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Flickinger (Athens Bulldog) – 4:45.96
2. Harvey (Club Aquatique) – 4:47.02
3. Wood (Great Britain) – 4:47.78
4. Sheridan (Northwestern) – 4:49.31
5. Galat (Unattached) – 4:49.71
6. Kingsley (Athens Bulldog) – 4:51.90
7. Bell (Great Britain) – 4:54.57
8. Hierath (Badger) – 4:55.20

Hali Flickinger is into her third A final of the morning. Tonight, she’ll have to decide between the 200 free, 200 back and 400 IM – swimming some combination of the bunch, or perhaps all of them. The old Pro Swim Series format giving out points for multi-event finishes might have incentivized swimming all three, but the new system places more emphasis on a top FINA points swim, so Flickinger might be better off loading up for one or two races.

Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey is second, with Great Britain’s Abbie Wood third.

Northwestern standout Calypso Sheridan is into her second A final in a row after a solid 200 back earlier.

Men’s 400 IM – prelims

• World: 4:03.84 8/10/2008 Michael Phelps
• American: 4:03.84 8/10/2008 Michael Phelps
• U.S. Open: 4:05.25 6/29/2008 Michael Phelps
• Jr World: 4:14.00 6/26/2016 Sean Grieshop
• Pro Swim: 4:08.92 2018 Chase Kalisz
• Trial Cut: 4:25.99

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. J. Litherland (Dynamo) – 4:25.00
2. Litchfield (Great Britain) – 4:25.78
3. Szaranek (Gator) – 4:26.23
4. Almeida (Brazil) – 4:27.35
5. Palaschuk (Regina Optimist) – 4:27.45
6. Bentz (Dynamo) – 4:27.47
7. Peribonio (Unattached) – 4:27.78
8. Tan (Phoenix) – 4:29.28

Georgia grad Jay Litherland, now competing under the Dynamo banner, took top billing in the 400 IM with a 4:25.00. That’s a tick better than Great Britain’s Joe Litchfield (4:25.78).

Mark Szaranek of Gator Swim Club – himself a Scottish National – went 4:26.23 for third. And Brazilian swimmer Brandonn Almeida is fourth.

The top FINA point swims from prelims remain unchanged: yesterday’s top swims are the current leaders for the meet’s $1500 bonus.

Early leaders – top prelims swim (individual Olympic events):

Men: Marius Kusch, 100 free, 48.95 – 880 FINA points

Women: Hali Flickinger, 200 fly, 2:07.51 – 871 FINA points