2019 Pro Swim Series – Richmond: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – RICHMOND

The 1500 free will be without Katie Ledecky and Leah Smith this go-around, though Ledecky still has a double tonight as she’s racing A finals in the 200 IM and 100 free.

Ryan Murphy will try to follow up his 100 back win with a victory in the 200 distance tonight, and an on-fire Olivia Smoliga is focusing solely on the 100 free tonight with a lane in the A final.

Another big name to watch is Caeleb Dressel, who scratched the 100 free but will be in A finals in the 200 IM and 50 breast tonight. He’ll go head-to-head with Michael Andrew in both races; Andrew is the top seed in both.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE

TOP 3

  1. Hannah Moore (Wolfpack) – 16:13.72
  2. Kristel Kobrich (Chile) – 16:20.96
  3. Kaersten Meitz (Boilermaker Aquatics) – 16:29.52

Hannah MooreKristel Kobrich, and Madelyn Donohoe (The Fish) were all out together early on in the race in finals tonight, with Donohoe falling off pace in the middle section. With Moore and Kobrich neck and neck, Kobrich had edged into the lead, but Moore pushed down on the gas and left the field in the fust.

Moore ended up being the only woman under 16:20, posting a 16:13.72, with Kobrich 2nd in 16:20.96. Moving up from prelims was Kaersten Meitz of Boilermaker Aquatics, who was 16:29.52 this morning which keeps her at third tonight. Donohoe was just off of that in 4th, touching at 16:30.19.

16-year-old Olivia McMurray of Swim Florida dropped 14 seconds to take 5th at 16:35.47.

MEN’S 1500 FREE

  • PSS Record: 14:53.12 – Jordan Wilimovsky

TOP 3

  1. Anton Ipsen (Wolfpack) – 14:57.15
  2. Marcelo Acosta (Louisville) – 15:20.20
  3. Zane Grothe (Boulder City Henderson) – 15:26.38

Anton Ipsen took this one with a lifetime best of 14:57.15, less than two seconds off of the Danish record.

Marcelo Acosta of Louisville was 15:20.20 for 2nd, with Zane Grothe of Boulder City Henderson touching 3rd in 15:26.38.

WOMEN’S 200 IM

  • PSS Record: 2:08.66 – Katinka Hosszu

TOP 3

  1. Madisyn Cox (Longhorn Aquatics) – 2:10.27
  2. Ella Eastin (Alto Swim Club) – 2:11.68
  3. Katie Ledecky (NCAP) – 2:14.45

Madisyn Cox had a great swim here, posting a 2:10.27 with Alto’s Ella Eastin 2nd in 2:11.68. Cox’s 37.38 breast split put her out of reach.

Katie Ledecky was in 6th at the last wall, but utilized a 29.50 final 50 to race past three women, including Katie Drabot. Ledecky edged Drabot for 3rd, 2:14.45 to 2:14.46.

Zoe Bartel (unattached) won the B final in 2:18.28.

MEN’S 200 IM

  • PSS Record: Michael Phelps- 1:56.32

TOP 3

  1. Michael Andrew (Race Pace Club) – 1:57.49
  2. Chase Kalisz (Athens Bulldogs) – 1:59.02
  3. Josh Prenot (Cal) – 2:00.70

Michael Andrew put together the best swim of his life by a huge margin, coming back with a 30.00 to clock a 1:57.49. His old best was a 1:59.12 from 2017. He was 24.50 going out, then 29.70 on back, 33.29 on breast, and nearly breaking 30 coming home. He now moves from 18th to 9th on the U.S. all-time performers list in this event.

Athens Bulldogs’ Chase Kalisz was 1:59.02 for 2nd, with Cal’s Josh Prenot hitting a 2:00.70 for 3rd. Caeleb Dressel, who was home in the fastest free split (29.03), took 4th in 2:01.72.

New Zealand’s Bradlee Ashby clocked a 2:02.98 to take the B final.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK

  • PSS Record: Taylor Ruck- 2:06.36

TOP 3

  1. Lisa Bratton (Aggie Swim Club) – 2:09.24
  2. Hali Flickinger (Athens Bulldogs) – 2:10.12
  3. Sonnele Oezturk (Auburn University) – 2:10.74

Lisa Bratton of Aggie Swim Club took this one in 2:09.24, moving her into the world top 10 this year with that time. She was nearly a second ahead of anyone else, with Athens Bulldogs’ Hali Flickinger touching 2nd in 2:10.12 with a nice final push to the wall. Sonnele Oezturk, a German national, was 2:10.74 to settle for 3rd.

Katharine Berkoff of Missoula Aquatic Club grabbed 4th in 2:11.63.

MEN’S 200 BACK

  • PSS Record: Xu Jiayu- 1:55.04

TOP 3

  1. Ryan Murphy (Cal) – 1:57.23
  2. Jacob Pebley (Team Elite) – 1:57.61
  3. Hennessey Stuart (Wolfpack) – 2:01.07

Jacob Pebley led through the first 150, clocking 29’s on the 2nd and 3rd 50s. Ryan Murphy, though, shot forward off the last wall, and he pushed past Pebley to the final wall to win it in 1:57.23, just knocking off Pebley (1:57.61). Wolfpack’s Hennessey Stuart was 3rd in 2:01.07.

14-year-old Josh Zuchowski was 2:02.12 to take 4th in this A final.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST

  • PSS Record: Lilly King- 29.62

TOP 3

  1. Alia Atkinson (South Florida) – 30.58
  2. Molly Hannis (unattached) – 30.77
  3. Sophie Hansson (NC State) – 30.95

Alia Atkinson of South Florida powered to the win here, going 30.58 to knock off American Molly Hannis (30.77). NC State freshman Sophie Hansson, a Swedish national, was also under 31, going 30.95 for 3rd.

Annie Lazor of Mission Viejo was 31.14 to take 4th.

MEN’S 50 BREAST

  • PSS Record: Felipe Lima- 26.97

TOP 3

  1. Michael Andrew (Race Pace Club) – 27.41
  2. Kevin Cordes (Phoenix) – 27.60
  3. Itay Goldfaden (unattached) – 27.87

Michael Andrew, racing in his second event of the night, posted a 27.41 to win the 50 breast. He was just ahead of Phoenix’s Kevin Cordes, who was 27.60, with Itay Goldfaden, an Israel national, at 27.87 for 3rd.

Caeleb Dressel placed 4th again after touching 4th in the 200 IM, just getting under 28 with a 27.99.

Nic Fink was 27.88 to win the B final.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE

  • PSS Record: Sarah Sjostrom- 53.12

TOP 3

  1. Simone Manuel (Alto Swim Club) – 53.74
  2. Olivia Smoliga (Athens Bulldogs ) – 54.65
  3. Margo Geer (Mission Viejo) – 55.19

Fighting through strep throat, Simone Manuel was still very quick tonight, posting a 53.74 to win the 100 free. She was out in 26.12, but came back hard in 27.62 to win this by nine tenths over Olivia Smoliga of Athens Bulldogs (54.65). Smoliga caps off what has been a very impressive meet for her this week.

Margo Geer of Mission Viejo posted a 55.19 for 3rd, with Athens Bulldogs’ Natalie Hinds close behind (55.35) in 4th.

MEN’S 100 FREE

  • PSS Record: Nathan Adrian- 48.00

TOP 3

  1. Ryan Held (unattached) – 48.70
  2. Tate Jackson (UT) – 48.76
  3. Michael Chadwick (Team Elite) – 48.83

The top three, all Americans, all broke 49 seconds here in a great race for the title. Ryan Held had his best in-season swim of all time, going 48.70 after his previous in-season best was 49.24 from the Des Moines PSS stop. His best is 48.26. Tate Jackson and Michael Chadwick were both under 49, too, with Jackson going his 2nd-best time ever and Chadwick boarding another 48.

Renzo Tjon-a-Joe of Pinnacle was 49.38 for 4th, followed by Cavaliers’ Jack Conger (49.45) and Louisville’s Andrej Barna (49.75).

Mohamed Samy of Egypt posted a 50.06 to take the B final.

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Floater
5 years ago

MA can’t swim a 200 because he only trains 50’s. And you can’t swim until 30 minutes after you eat because you’ll get cramps and drown. LOL

Pags
5 years ago

1:57.49?

comment image

Anonymous
5 years ago

MA 200 IM is 4th in the World standings for 2019

Anonymous
5 years ago

MA IM was fantastic. I think it is great for Chase to have competition at these meets.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Anonymous
5 years ago

Chase was competing for 2nd from the start.

Yozhik
5 years ago

Russian young sensation Evgenia Chikunova who has swum 2:22 in 200 breast and kicked out Efimova from the team in this event decided not to participate in world championships but compete in junior meets instead. So you will have a pleasure to see Efimova at 200 breast at World Championships this summer.

Yozhik
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Whoever downvoted: don’t kill a messenger.

13 % Chinese person
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

. This wss relayed by a Russian poster a few daus ago . . I hope he/ she returns because they just stated tyefact without snark .

Small bird
5 years ago

I think it would be awesome if Pebley beat Murphy. I don’t like either one more than the other, but Pebley has been such a stud but is always sortof second fiddle to Murphy and it would be so cool if he snagged him once. Would be so pumped if they go 1-2 in Tokyo and Pebley gets the win.

NOFLYKICK
Reply to  Small bird
5 years ago

These kinds of rivalries make both swimmers better. Sports history is full of them. Murphy would not be Murphy if it weren’t for Pebley, and vs versa.

DRUKSTOP
5 years ago

In a post Phelps and Lochte era, 1:57.49 is really fast

Tm71
Reply to  DRUKSTOP
5 years ago

Correct less than a second off the rest of the world has put up in their national meets thus far when they were tapered

Sqimgod
Reply to  DRUKSTOP
5 years ago

Not just lochte but Phelps will return next year too

Swimdude
5 years ago

Ryan Held dabbing and doing a fortnite dance after his win lol. Love seeing when the swimmers are pumped and surprised about their times

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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