2019 U.S. Open Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2019 U.S. Open Swimming Championships

Day 4 finals heat sheets

Women’s 1500m Freestyle – Fastest Heat

  • American record: 15:20.48 Katie Ledecky 5/16/2018 Indianapolis, IN (USA)
  • US Open record: 15:20.48 Katie Ledecky 5/16/2018 Indianapolis, IN (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 15:52.10 Janet Evans

Podium:

  1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP) – 15:35.98
  2. Kiah Melverton (AUS) – 16:05.95
  3. Erica Sullivan (SAND) – 16:13.49

Katie Ledecky took down the 31-year-old U.S. Open Meet record, the oldest on the books, with 15:35.98. Ledecky set the pace early. A body up at the 100, she flipped at 58.50, with Kiah Melverton and Erica Sullivan in tow. She increased her lead by a second at the 200, clocking a 2:02.53 to the feet. Ledecky held 31-lows and 31-mids throughout, increasing her lead on the field by at least 1 second per 100.

Melverton moved 2 seconds ahead of Sullivan by the 400, while Haley Anderson moved into 4th. Halfway through the race, Ledecky was about 11 seconds ahead of Melverton, who was 4.5 second ahead of Sullivan, who was about 3 seconds ahead of Anderson.

The order remained to the end. Melverton stopped the clock at 16:05.95 and Sullivan went 16:13.49.

1st 500 2nd 500 3rd 500
58.50 6:14.27 11:27.18
2:02.53 7:17.34 12:29.77
3:05.47 8:19.94 13:32.39
4:08.61 9:22.36 14:34.99
5:11.34 10:24.76 15:35.98

Ledecky turned in the top time of the year so far this year by 5 seconds. “I didn’t have time on my mind today. I just wanted to have a consistent swim and put together a good race and see what I could do. It was probably the best mile I’ve had in a while,” she said after the race. “There’s a lot of room to improve still. I’m going to get back to work and see what I can do in these next couple months.”

Men’s 1500m Freestyle – Fastest Heat

  • American record: 14:39.48 Connor Jaeger 8/13/2016 Rio (BRA)
  • US Open record: 14:45.54 Peter Vanderkaay 7/6/2008 Omaha, NE (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 14:55.46 Damien Joly

Podium:

  1. Guilherme da Costa (BRA) – 14:55.49
  2. Jordan Wilimovsky (TSM) – 15:03.29
  3. Bobby Finke (FLOR) – 15:05.55

Brazil’s Guilherme da Costa, who represents Minas Tenis Club, narrowly missed the U.S. Open Meet record by .03, but nonetheless lowered his own National Record by 3.6 seconds with 14:55.49. Da Costa went out first, turning in 57.33 to establish the pace at the 100. He dominated the first 500 meters, with Jordan Wilimovsky trailing by 2.8 seconds and Bobby Finke another second behind. Wilimovsky had a strong middle 500 and began to eat away at da Costa’s lead, whittling it down to 1.9 seconds at about the 950 wall. But the last 500 belonged to da Costa. He switched to another gear and outsplit the others by about 3/10 per 50. At the end, it was da Costa with 14:55.49, Wilimovsky with 15:03.29, and Finke with 15:05.55.

Women’s 200m Backstroke – Final

  • American record: 2:03.35 Regan Smith 7/26/2019 Gwangju (KOR)
  • US Open record: 2:05.68 Missy Franklin 6/26/2013 Indianapolis, IN (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 2:08.42 Hayley McGregory

Podium:

  1. Isabelle Stadden (AQJT) – 2:08.49
  2. Phoebe Bacon (NCAP) – 2:08.82
  3. Lisa Bratton (ASC) – 2:09.16

17-year-old Phoebe Bacon, swimming in lane 4 after posting the morning’s top, was first out of the gate with 29.82. She held the lead at the 100 wall, turning in 1:02.30. Isabelle Stadden, also 17, was almost a full second behind Bacon and just a tick ahead of Alex Walsh. Stadden began to make her move on the third 50, though, and pulled ahead over the final 50 meters. Meanwhile, Lisa Bratton pulled past Walsh. At the touch, it was Stadden with 2:08.49, Bacon with 2:08.82, and Bratton with 2:09.16. Bacon went a lifetime best and moved to #8 all-time in the 17-18 age group.

Beata Nelson won the B final in 2:11.85.

2019-2020 LCM WOMEN 200 BACK

KayleeAUS
McKeown
01/20
2:05.83
2Regan
Smith
USA2:05.9401/19
3Kathleen
Baker
USA2:06.4603/06
4Margherita
Panziera
ITA2:06.5912/14
5Rio
Shirai
JPN2:07.8709/06
View Top 26»

Men’s 200m Backstroke – Final

  • American record: 1:51.92 Aaron Peirsol 7/31/2009 Rome (ITA)
  • US Open record: 1:53.08 Aaron Peirsol 7/11/2009 Indianapolis, IN (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 1:54.59 Nicholas Thoman

Podium:

  1. Christopher Reid (WOLF) – 1:57.04
  2. Jacob Pebley (TE) – 1:57.73
  3. Clark Beach (FLOR) – 1:59.42

Jacob Pebley took control of the race from the outset, turning in 27.3 and 56.8 to build up a lead of a half a second at the 100. He still had a comfortable lead at the 150, with Christopher Reid and Clark Beach trailing. But when Reid came off the final wall he picked up the pace and blew past Pebley to get the win in 1:57.04. Reid was home in 29.4, compared to Pebley’s 30.8. Pebley wound up in second place with 1:57.73. Beach finished 3rd with 1:59.42.

Ryan Lochte won the B final in 1:59.26.

2019-2020 LCM MEN 200 BACK

RyanUSA
Murphy
03/06
1:55.22
2Ryosuke
Irie
JPN1:55.3501/24
3Mitchell
Larkin
AUS1:55.9708/02
4Keita
Sunama
JPN1:56.0508/28
5Jacob
Pebley
USA1:56.3708/02
View Top 26»

Women’s 100m Freestyle – Final

  • American record: 52.04 Simone Manuel 7/26/2019 Budapest (HUN)
  • US Open record: 52.54 Simone Manuel 7/25/2018 Irvine, CA (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 53.92 Megan Romano

Podium:

  1. Erika Brown (TENN) – 53.42
  2. Simone Manuel (ALTO) – 53.72
  3. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 53.87

University of Tennessee’s Erika Brown did it again. After breaking 54 seconds for the first time in morning heats, she dropped another .55 to win the final with a meet-record time of 53.42. Brown flipped at the 50 wall .01 behind Simone Manuel, but she came home 3/10 faster to get the win by exactly .30. Manuel was runner-up with 53.72. Siobhan Haughey came from 4th at the 50 to finish on the 3rd step of the podium with 53.87. Cate DeLoof had been in 3rd place at the halfway mark but she faded to 6th behind Olivia Smoliga (54.15) and Allison Schmitt (54.32).

Gretchen Walsh won the B final in 54.58.

2019-2020 LCM WOMEN 100 FREE

CateAUS
Campbell
08/10
52.34
2Emma
McKeon
AUS53.0003/13
3Sarah
Sjostrom
SWE53.0201/24
4Michelle
Coleman
SWE53.0411/03
5Bronte
Campbell
AUS53.0811/03
View Top 26»

Men’s 100m Freestyle – Final

  • American record: 46.96 Caeleb Dressel 7/28/2019 Budapest (HUN)
  • US Open record: 47.39 Ryan Held 7/31/2019 Budapest (HUN)
  • US Open Meet record: 48.52 Nicholas Brunelli

Podium:

  1. Zach Apple (MVN) – 47.69
  2. Dean Farris (HARV) – 48.45
  3. Bruno Blaskovic (IU) – 48.93

Zach Apple downed yet another meet record with his stunning 47.69 win in the 100 free. It was a lifetime personal best by .10, after his 47.79 from World University Games last summer. Apple was out in 23.0 and back in 24.6, the only sub-25 second 50. Dean Farris was second the entire race; he stopped the clock in 48.45. Bruno Blaskovic rounded out the podium with 48.93. The trio were the only sub-49s in the field.

Townley Haas went 48.91 to win the B final.

2019-2020 LCM MEN 100 FREE

ZachUSA
Apple
12/07
47.69
2Vladislav
Grinev
RUS47.7811/02
3Vladimir
Morozov
RUS47.8808/16
4Kyle
Chalmers
AUS47.9901/21
5Alessandro
Miressi
ITA48.1508/12
View Top 26»

Women’s 200m Breaststroke – Final

  • American record: 2:19.59 Rebecca Soni 8/2/2012 London (GBR)
  • US Open record: 2:20.38 Rebecca Soni 7/11/2009 Indianapolis, IN (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 2:22.51 Kaitlin Freeman

Podium:

  1. Emily Escobedo (COND) – 2:22.00
  2. Lilly King (ISC) – 2:22.63
  3. Annie Lazor (MVN) – 2:23.25

Emily Escobedo broke the meet record by half a second with a come-from-behind victory over 100 breast champion Lilly King. King was out first in 31.90 at the 50 and 1:09.18 at the 100. She had a .77 lead over Escobedo and a 1.4-second lead over Annie Lazor, who had moved past Laura Morley into 3rd. Escobedo began to make her move on the 3rd 50 and took over the lead at the 150 wall. She outsplit King by 9/10 on that 50, 36.5 to 37.4. King poured it on over the final 50 meters but Escobedo answered. She held on for a big PB with 2:22.00. King finished second in 2:22.63, just ahead of Lazor (2:23.25).

In the post-race interview, Escobedo said she knew King would close well and she was “just trying to stay in front.” She also said, “In the women’s breaststroke, we always have a really good time in the ready room. It’s a really friendly environment.” Whatever the reason, Escobedo put up one of the top times in the world so far this year.

Melissa Rodriguez clocked a 2:27.81 in the B final.

2019-2020 LCM WOMEN 200 BREAST

AnnieUSA
Lazor
03/07
2:21.67
2Emily
Escobedo
USA2:22.0012/07
3Tatjana
Schoenmaker
RSA2:22.3012/14
4Kelsey
Wog
CAN2:22.4202/20
5Lilly
King
USA2:22.6312/07
View Top 26»

Men’s 200m Breaststroke – Final

  • American record: 2:07.17 Josh Prenot 6/30/2016 Omaha, NE (USA)
  • US Open record: 2:07.17 Josh Prenot 6/30/201 Omaha, NE (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 2:09.73 Andrew Wilson

Podium:

  1. Cody Miller (SAND) – 2:09.67
  2. Dmitriy Balandin (TROJ) – 2:09.71
  3. Andrew Wilson (ABSC) – 2:10.10

Cody Miller took down the meet record in the 200 breast, in a final that saw a number of lead changes. Kevin Cordes took it out first. He was 28.30 and 1:02.46 at the 50 and 100 walls, holding the lead over the first half of the race. Daniel Roy moved from 6th at the 50 to 2nd at the 100 to 1st at the 150, but faded to 4th over the final 50. Dmitriy Balandin, meanwhile, moved from 7th to 4th to 5th to 2nd, and Andrew Wilson went from 4th to 5th to 4th to 3rd.

Miller swam a patient and very even race, splitting 29.3/33.3/33.3/33.6 for the win.

Brandon Fischer edged Nic Fink 2:12.74 to 2:12.78 to win the B final.

2019-2020 LCM MEN 200 BREAST

ArnoNED
Kamminga
03/07
2:07.18
2Zac
Stubblety-Cook
AUS2:07.2812/14
3Shoma
Sato
JPN2:07.5801/24
4Anton
Chupkov
RUS2:07.7111/03
5Andrew
Wilson
USA2:07.7708/04
View Top 26»

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Final

  • American record: 2:04.14 Mary Mohler 7/29/2009 Roma (ITA)
  • US Open record: 2:05.87 Hali Flickinger 7/25/2018 Irvine, CA (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 2:07.20 Susan O’Neill 1999

Podium:

  1. Katie Drabot – 2:08.34
  2. Olivia Carter (EAC) – 2:08.58
  3. Megan Kingsley (ABSC) – 2:09.87

With the exception of the first 50, where Regan Smith held the lead with 28.76, Katie Drabot was in front from start to finish. She was out in 28.77, then 1:01.29 at the halfway point. She came home in 32.8/34.2 for a final time of 2:08.34. Olivia Carter took over at second place at the 100 wall and held on to her position throughout the race. She closed in on Drabot over the final 50 meters but couldn’t catch the leader and finished with 2:08.58. Megan Kingsley held steady at third from start to finish. She claimed the bronze medal with 2:09.87, while Smith finished 4th in 2:10.16.

Alena Kraus dropped 1.5 seconds to win the B final in 2:10.06.

2019-2020 LCM WOMEN 200 FLY

SuzukaJPN
Hasegawa
08/28
2:05.62
2Hali
Flickinger
USA2:06.1103/05
3Regan
Smith
USA2:06.3903/05
4Katinka
Hosszu
HUN2:07.0708/15
5Brianna
Throssell
AUS2:07.3608/02
View Top 26»

Men’s 200 Butterfly – Final

  • American record: 1:51.51 Michael Phelps 7/29/2009 Roma (ITA)
  • US Open record: 1:52.20 Michael Phelps 7/2/2008 Omaha, NE (USA)
  • US Open Meet record: 1:55.64 Sebastien Rousseau

Podium:

  1. Luca Urlando (DART) – 1:55.60
  2. Eddie Wang (TPE) – 1:55.82
  3. Jonathan Gomez (SCAR) – 1:57.24

Luca Urlando led wire-to-wire in the final championship final, going 1:55.60 to break the U.S. Open Meet record in the 200 fly by .04. He split a solid 25.8/29.2/29.7/30.7 for the win. Eddie Wang was right behind him all the way. Although he came home 7/10 faster, he had to settle for the silver medal with 1:55.82. Jonathan Gomez moved from 6th at the 50 to 3rd at the 100 and held onto his spot throughout the second half of the race. He ended up 3rd with 1:56.90, just in front of Chase Kalisz (1:57.29).

Caeleb Dressel went from 8th to 1st in the last 50, splitting 29.66 to win the B final with 1:58.45. He was out in 25.90 to lead the heat, then split 30.59, 32.30, and 29.66.

2019-2020 LCM MEN 200 FLY

DaiyaJPN
Seto
01/18
1:52.53
2Kristof
Milak
HUN1:53.7511/21
3Federico
Burdisso
ITA1:54.8308/12
4Tamas
Kenderesi
HUN1:55.1701/14
5Nao
Horomura
JPN1:55.2508/03
View Top 27»

In This Story

137
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

137 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Swimfan
4 years ago

Can we talk about the fact that times from this meet alone American woman have an aggravated total 3:55.18 for medlay relay 😳😳😳

Troyy
Reply to  Swimfan
4 years ago

And what an aggravated total it is!

Kristiina
4 years ago

Lochte B-final was good and better than morning. After 400IM last night before 200m back. In morning he not recovering.

swimfast
4 years ago

This meet sort of made me sad- titans, like Dressel and Regan Smith, couldn’t even compete for fun without the press going nuts over their losses. A 17 year old girl facing so much backlash for not winning locally must feel pretty down, and not down about her friend winning and going a best time [absolutey awesome for Bacon] but the seething bitterness for the loss is not conducive for our team next year in Tokyo. Dressel has been on literal fire all season in the ISL, and some comments I’ve read this weekend about his performance here make him seem like he’s a washed up whale…really people? We have a small pool of talent that we should be nurturing;… Read more »

Dan
Reply to  swimfast
4 years ago

Bravo! So well put. This site is supposedly read by “in the know” swim nerds that love the sport. Yet, so often, commenters show a startling lack of understanding of the sport and its athletes. You genuinely thought the top names in their respective events would be rested, shaved, and laser focused on crushing the us open in the December prior to Trials? Why would you possibly think this matters to them other than from a pride perspective? Do they like to lose? No. Do they know it’s for a greater purpose? Yes. If you were concerned about trying to make a name for yourself, you shaved and rested. If you had ALREADY made a name for yourself, you’re thinking… Read more »

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  swimfast
4 years ago

Ok. I’ll be the contrarian. First — “seething bitterness” — really? Second, as for Dressel or any other pro, criticisms come with the territory. This is not just a comment board for swim nerds talking about age groupers and handing out participation trophies. It’s largely a pro sports website, especially at a meet like this. Ledecky signed a $7 M contract, Dressel’s income will be off the charts this Olympic cycle. Yet, for some reason, our sport is the only pro sport where all the comments on this board have to be nice and supportive. Walk over to an NBA or MLB comment board after Lebron or Altuve lay an egg. It’s hilarious that we always talk about how we… Read more »

Yozhik
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

You remind me AOC: doesn’t miss any opportunity to get visible.
Don’t get any offense. That is just a criticism that you are advocating for. 😀
But I agree with you about Tom. Let’s talk about it and we will be great friends. 😀

RollTide
Reply to  swimfast
4 years ago

I’m sorry, ‘diluting our sport’? What does that even mean? I don’t think it means anything, but, if you ask me, being nothing but nicey-nice and always having an excuse for bad performance dilutes our sport. If by ‘dilutes our sport’ you mean ‘makes it less interesting and less deep with interest.’

Yozhik
4 years ago

1:56.24 – 4:00.81 – 8:14.59 – 15:35.98
Looks pretty decent for December by Ledecky’s standards. Her pre-Olympic in-season form used to be about a quarter of a second better for each hundred. But it ended up with super personal bests, so there is no reason for any concerns. The only open question is what was this 2min at 200 prelim race about. The splits of this swim looked more like she was warming down after 400IM than racing.
Is she getting uncomfortable with 400 distance? When she was 7 years younger (wow, not get used to talk about Katie this way) she said that she swims each distance as a sprint. Well, 400 is kind of tricky to… Read more »

Corn Pop
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

She is entered as Katy . Until I see her next entry list then Katy it is .

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
4 years ago

Why is everyone concerned about Simone? This is an important training meet. Her focus is on the world record and, above all, Olympic gold.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  ALEXANDER POP-OFF
4 years ago

She’s the last person I’d be worried about. That woman is money in the bank when it counts.

The Ready Room
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

Most clutch swimmer the US has.

Yozhik
Reply to  The Ready Room
4 years ago

I remember people used to call Franklin this way …

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

she was in multiple relays …..2010 -2013 era

Robbos
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
4 years ago

Which would be opposite to Manuel!!!!

Breezeway
Reply to  ALEXANDER POP-OFF
4 years ago

Exactly! Simone is fine and will be for trials. It’s important to get these other 4×100 legs established and rolling

swimfast
Reply to  ALEXANDER POP-OFF
4 years ago

I agree. I say with 100% certainty that she is the most clutch female, individual swimmer we’ve had in over a decade. Name another..

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
4 years ago

One big takeaway from this meet— established Olympic stars or WR record holders are in heavy training. The new kids on the block with something to prove are rested for this meet.

Admin
Reply to  ALEXANDER POP-OFF
4 years ago

Agree with the correlation. Alternative parsing of the groups: ISL swimmers (established Olympic stars) are in heavy training, waiting for ISL to drop or taper, and high school swimmers (with nothing else important to rest for until Trials) are rested for this meet. College swimmers rested anyway for their mid-season invites, so just a little carry-over taper, maybe.

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Exactly!

Superfan
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

I think some ISL are more “prepared” for this meet or as much as they will be for Las Vegas.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Just think how the ISL would’ve played out (not well) in the Phelps era, when the best swimmer on the planet wouldn’t swim because it wasn’t LCM.

Robert
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Um. High school state meets? A lot of HS swimmers skip US Open to train through until state in February.

Yozhik
Reply to  ALEXANDER POP-OFF
4 years ago

Phoebe Bacon said it explicitly about herself in recent interview.

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
4 years ago

well, I feel like Australia could be close in the back relay. The free relay should be untouchable.

Rafael
Reply to  SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
4 years ago

Hungary 4×200 fly relay? Male or even mixed
Britain men 4×100 breast?

Mr Piano
4 years ago

Minnesota had Rachel Bootsma, now has Regan Smith and Isabelle Stadden

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

Read More »