2022 U.S. Trials Previews: Indiana Pro Duo Highlights Women’s 200 Breast

2022 PHILLIPS 66 INTERNATIONAL TEAM TRIALS

• April 26-30, 2022
• Greensboro, NC
• Greensboro Aquatic Center
• LCM (50m)
• FINA Qualifying Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST

• World Record: 2:18.95 – Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 2021
• American Record: 2:19.59 – Rebecca Soni, 2012
• US Open Record: 2:20.38 – Rebecca Soni (USA), 2009
• 2019 World Champion: Yuliya Efimova (RUS) – 2:20.17
• FINA ‘A’ Standard: 2:25.91

This year’s A final of the 200 breaststroke should look a little different than at last year’s Olympic Trials because both Bethany Galat and Micah Sumrall have announced their retirement from the sport. Galat was fourth and Sumrall was sixth in the event at last year’s Olympic Trials.

Annie Lazor won bronze last year at the Olympics swimming a 2:20.84 in finals. So far this year, she has won the event at the Pro Swim Series in Westmont and was third in San Antonio. At Westmont, she swam a time of 2:22.59 which currently sits as the #1 time in the world so far this season. She had the fastest last 50 at Trials last year so expect her to come home strong there.

Training partner Lilly King was second behind Lazor at Trials and swam to a silver medal at the Olympics with a 2:19.92. King so far this year was second behind Lazor in Westmont and won the race at San Antonio. King’s best this year of 2:23.69 sits at #5 in the world this season. As the World Record holder in the 100 version of the event, expect King to be out pretty fast.

Kate Douglass set the American Record in the SCY version of the event at NCAAs going a 2:02.19. She didn’t swim this event at last year’s Olympic Trials but did time trial the event at Virginia’s long course time trial earlier this month, clocking 2:24.02.

Emily Escobedo was third at last year’s Olympic Trials, touching in a 2:22.64. She had a consistent ISL season in the 200 breaststroke finishing either first or second in all four times she swam the race. She competed in the 200 breaststroke at SCM World in December. There she won the event in a 2:17.85.

Ella Nelson was fifth at last year’s Trials in a 2:25.10. She was fourth at NCAAs in the yards version of the event. Nelson time trialed the event on both days of Virginia’s time trial at the beginning of the month, consistently going 2:33s.

Mackenzie Looze was fourth in the event at Pro Swim in San Antonio going a 2:31.12. She was 10th at the Olympic Trials last summer in a 2:27.85. She dropped about a second and a half in the yards version of the event from last year to this year, so if she replicates that here she should be in a solid position for a spot on the podium.

Isabelle Odgers was 16th at last year’s Trials in a 2:29.59. She has already been faster this year as she went a 2:28.73 at the beginning of April. She won the yards version of the event at Pac-12s in a 2:06.42 in March.

Anna Keating finished 8th at 2022 NCAAs in the event with a 2:07.10 which was a big improvement upon her 21st place finish in the event at 2021 NCAAs. She was 11th at last year’s Trials with a 2:27.87 so if she moves up like she did at the NCAA level, she should be able to contend here.

Lydia Jacoby is the fifth seed here. She is more known for her 100 breaststroke but has a seed time of 2:27.39. She’s been a 2:28.03 this year as she swam that in prelims at Pro Swim in Westmont.

TOP 8 PICKS

*unofficially went 2:24.02 in a time trial this year

Darkhorse: Gracie Weyant – Weyant was slightly off of her best time of 2:31.10 at the beginning of March going a 2:31.56. She improved in the yards version of the event by over a second in the last year.