2021 Pro Swim Series – Indianapolis: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – INDIANAPOLIS (#4)

• May 12 – 15, 2021
• IU Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• Prelims: 9 am/Finals 6 pm EST
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet (Updated)
• Pre-Scratch Timeline
• Live Stream (USA Swimming)
• Live Stream (Olympic Channel)
• Live Results
• Thursday Finals Heat Sheet

The first full night of finals from the Indianapolis Pro Swim Series is upon us, with four men’s and women’s events on the slate.

The swim of this morning’s prelims was undoubtedly Michael Andrew‘s performance in the men’s 100 breaststroke, as the 22-year-old blasted a lifetime best and PSS Record of 58.82, leaving him less than two tenths shy of Kevin Cordes‘ American Record (58.64).

The prelim session also featured a breakthrough performance from Linnea Mack, who qualified first into the women’s 100 free final in a PB of 53.78, and we also saw Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz come within six tenths of the Mexican Record in the men’s 200 fly. Cruz clocked 1:57.91 to qualify first, with the record standing at 1:57.32.

Lilly King leads the women’s 100 breast field into the final, while Blake Pieroni heads up the men’s 100 free, and Hali Flickinger and Regan Smith are set to do battle in the women’s 200 fly.

Leah Smith qualified first in the women’s 400 free, with Emma Nordin and Joanna Evans hot on her tail, while Florida’s Alfonso Mestre paced the men’s event by nearly three seconds in 3:50.76.

Women’s 100 Free Final

• PSS Record: 53.12, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2016

1. Linnea Mack (TE), 54.00
2. Kate Douglass (UVA), 54.30
3. Catie Deloof (CA-Y), 54.36

The results of the women’s 100 freestyle final were nearly identical to the prelims, with top seed Linnea Mack using a big underwater off the turn to charge to the lead and claim the win in a time of 54.00.

Mack had set a personal best time of 53.78 in the prelims, making her the fourth-fastest American this season.

Kate Douglass, who held the slight lead at the 50, tied her prelim time of 54.30 to take second. Both swims are Douglass’ fastest ever, having entered the meet with a PB of 55.24 from November’s U.S. Open.

Catie Deloof charged back from sixth at the 50, producing the fastest back-half in the field (27.84) to snag third in 54.36, .04 slower than the prelims. Three others broke 55 seconds, led by veteran Allison Schmitt (54.60) who scratched tonight’s 400 free to focus on this race.

French native Beryl Gastaldello touched first in the consolation final in a time of 55.02, dropping nearly seven tenths from the prelims (55.69). Gastaldello is tied for eighth in the world this season with her time of 53.40 from December.

Men’s 100 Free Final

• PSS Record: 48.00, Nathan Adrian (USA), 2016

1. Blake Pieroni (SAND), 48.76
2. Nathan Adrian (UN), 48.91
3. Ryan Held (NYAC), 49.21

Blake Pieroni emerged from the pack in razor-thin final in the men’s 100 freestyle, pulling even with Nathan Adrian down the stretch before getting his hand on the wall first in a time of 48.76.

Pieroni, who closed sub-25 in the prelims, had the fastest back-half in the field at 25.23, edging under his prelim swim (48.78) for a new season-best time.

Adrian clocked 48.91 for second, marking his third sub-49 swim of the season. The 32-year-old owns a 2020-21 best of 48.74 from the Mission Viejo PSS in April.

Ryan Held (49.21) held off a hard-charging Michael Chadwick (49.22) for third, while Jorge Iga was just .01 back of Chadwick for fifth.

Alberto Mestre had blasted out to the lead at the 50 in 23.25, but ultimately faded to seventh (49.50).

In the ‘B’ final, it was Grant House and Dean Farris dead-heating in 49.58, putting House within just over a tenth of his PB (49.47).

Women’s 100 Breast Final

• PSS Record: 1:05.32, Lilly King (USA), 2021

1. Lilly King (ISC), 1:05.47
2. Emily Escobedo (COND), 1:07.66
3. Miranda Tucker (UN), 1:07.71

It was another dominant performance from Lilly King in the women’s 100 breast, as the reigning Olympic and World Champion jumped out to a big early lead in 30.66 at the 50 before extending her advantage coming home, ultimately clocking a time of 1:05.47.

That showing is just shy of King’s world-leading 1:05.32 set in late March.

Emily Escobedo moved through the field with a strong back-half of 35.55, edging Miranda Tucker at the wall for second in 1:07.66. Escobedo set a season best of 1:07.11 in Richmond back in January. Tucker dipped under her season-best of 1:07.94 for third in 1:07.71.

Men’s 100 Breast Final

• PSS Record: 58.82, Michael Andrew (USA), 2021

1. Michael Andrew (RPC), 58.67
2. Alex Evdokimov (PRVT), 1:00.83
3. Tommy Cope (CW), 1:00.88

Michael Andrew followed up his prelim PB in a big way, setting a new U.S. Open Record in the men’s 100 breaststroke in 58.67, just .03 shy of the American Record set by Kevin Cordes in 2017 (58.64).

The previous U.S. Open Record was set by Cordes at the 2017 U.S. World Trials in 58.74.

Andrew’s swim is also another Pro Swim Series Record after he lowered it down to 58.82 in the prelims. The previous mark belonged to Adam Peaty at 58.86.

Compared to his morning swim, Andrew was out .13 faster tonight in 27.32, and back .02 quicker in 31.35.

Andrew now moves up fourth in the world rankings for 2020-21, leading the next-fastest American (Andrew Wilson, 59.58) by a full nine tenths of a second.

In a tight battle for second, Alex Evdokimov (1:00.83) clipped Tommy Cope (1:00.88) at the wall to earn runner-up status, coming within 35 one-hundredths of his PB set in November.

Women’s 200 Fly Final

• PSS Record: 2:06.11, Hali Flickinger (USA), 2020

1. Hali Flickinger, (SUN) 2:06.70
2. Regan Smith (RIPT), 2:07.59
3. Kelly Pash (CSC), 2:08.79

Regan Smith was the early aggressor in the final of the women’s 200 fly, opening up a big early lead with a quick 27.76 opening 50. Hali Flickinger slowly but surely began out-splitting her over the next two lengths, ultimately overtaking her on the final 50 with a 33.89 closing leg to earn the win in 2:06.70.

Flickinger’s time falls just .02 shy of her season-best of 2:06.68 set in Mission Viejo last month, a result that ranks her second in the world this season behind China’s Zhang Yufei (2:05.44).

Despite the early speed catching up with her at the end, Smith still produced a promising result in 2:07.59 for second, her fourth-fastest swim ever and over a second under her season-best (2:08.61). Smith moves up from 14th to ninth in the world rankings.

From way out in Lane 1, Kelly Pash smashed her best time to claim third in 2:08.79, going well under her previous PB of 2:10.61 set at the 2019 Summer Nationals. Pash inserts herself into 15th in the world rankings and fourth among Americans.

Olivia Carter (2:09.05) was eight tenths off her best time in fourth.

Men’s 200 Fly Final

• PSS Record: 1:53.84, Gianluca Urlando (USA), 2019

1. Zheng Quah (CAL), 1:56.94
2. Zach Harting (CARD), 1:57.64
3. Corey Gambardella (ISC), 1:57.67

Zheng Quah fended off a late push from Zach Harting to pick up the win in the men’s 200 fly in a time of 1:56.94, just over nine tenths off his personal best time of 1:56.01 set at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Quah, a Singaporean native who swims at Cal, lowers his season-best of 1:57.52 set in the prelims.

Harting, who sat back in eighth at the 50 and 100-meter turns, had the fastest split in the field on both the third (30.27) and final 50 (30.61), edging Corey Gambardella (1:57.67) at the wall for second in 1:57.64. The time improves Harting’s 2020-21 best of 1:57.82.

Gambardella, 22, cracks 1:58 for the third time in his career, having done so twice at the 2019 Summer Nationals (with a best of 1:57.32).

Aggie Swim Club’s Angel Martinez dropped a huge best time to take fourth in 1:57.84, exactly one second under his PB set in the prelims. Prior to that, his best stood at 1:59.23 from the 2019 Pan Am Games.

Jack Dahlgren (1:59.05) won the consolation final, with Jack Conger (1:59.72) notably breaking 2:00 for the first time this year in second.

Women’s 400 Free Final

• PSS Record: 3:57.94, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018

1. Emma Nordin (SUN), 4:04.60
2. Leah Smith (UN), 4:04.83
3. Paige Madden (UVA), 4:09.49

In an exciting head-to-head battle, Emma Nordin used a strong middle 200 to earn the win in the women’s 400 freestyle over Leah Smith, leaving her personal best time in flames in the process.

Nordin, 21, out-touched Smith in a time of 4:04.60, dropping more than three seconds from her lifetime best of 4:07.72 set just last month in Mission Viejo. In the prelims, Nordin had just missed that time in 4:07.78.

Nordin, an Arizona State Sun Devil, now ranks sixth in the world this season, and second among Americans behind Katie Ledecky (3:59.25).

Trailing by seven tenths at the 300, Smith out-split Nordin on the last two 50s, but it wasn’t enough as she finished just over two tenths back in 4:04.83 for second. The time is a big season-best for Smith, who had previously been 4:06.37 in Mission Viejo.

In an equally tight race for third, Virginia’s Paige Madden (4:09.49) did just enough to fend off a huge push from last night’s 1500 winner Ally McHugh (4:09.59), while Cavan Gormsen (4:10.00) and Sierra Schmidt (4:10.07) weren’t far behind.

Madden was just three tenths off her career best (4:09.19), while Gormsen improved on hers (4:10.84).

Men’s 400 Free Final

• PSS Record: 3:43.55, Sun Yang (CHN), 2016

1. Marwan El Kamash (ISC), 3:48.17
2. Alfonso Mestre (UN), 3:49.16
3. Chris Wieser (DART), 3:50.26

Marwan El Kamash dropped a tantalizing final 150 to run down early leader Alfonso Mestre and win in the men’s 400 free in a time of 3:48.17, getting under his season-best of 3:48.87 set at the U.S. Open.

The 19-year-old Mestre appears to have broken the Puerto Rican National Record for the second time today, touching in 3:49.16 after going 3:50.76 this morning. Mestre entered the meet with a PB of 3:51.65 set two weeks ago.

Rounding out the podium was 25-year-old Chris Wieser, who put together his fastest performance since the summer of 2019 in 3:50.26 to take third.