2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE
- January 10-13, 2024
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- LCM (50 meters)
- Start Times
- Wednesday Distance: 5pm (EST)
- All Prelims: 9am (EST)
- Thurs-Sat Finals: 6pm (EST)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Wednesday Finals Heat Sheet
The live stream for this meet will be located on the USA Swimming Network, and you can catch the action here.
The 2024 Knoxville Pro Swim Series will kick off this evening with a short session, just featuring the men’s and women’s 1500 freestyle. The 1500s will be contested as timed finals, which will be swum fastest to slowest, alternating heats of women and men.
World record holder Katie Ledecky enters the women’s event as the top seed, with her 15:26.27 winning time from the World Championships this past year sitting her more than a full minute ahead of the field. 21-year-old Tennessee swimmer Aly Breslin will swim out of lane 5, as she is entered in 16:34.64.
The men’s race will feature American record holder Bobby Finke, who won the silver medal at the Fukuoka World Championships this past year. Finke won this event here in Knoxville a year ago, where he stopped the clock in 15:06.53. Kentucky’s Levi Sandidge is ranked second (15:09.75), while Chip Wheelie Shoyat (15:18.87) is seeded third.
Action will continue through Saturday, with preliminary heats of the 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, and 400 freestyle set to commence at 9am (EST) tomorrow.
WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE — TIMED FINALS
- World Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
- World Junior Record: 15:28.36 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
- American Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
- U.S. Open Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
Top 8:
- Katie Ledecky (GSC) – 15:38.81
- Ashley Wall (TAC) – 16:31.13
- Aly Breslin (TENN) – 16:43.09
- Kate McCarville (TENN) – 16:44.37
- Mila Nikanorov (HRA) – 16:44.60
- Clare Custer (SYS) – 16:49.26
- Ella Dyson (OWLS) – 16:54.37
- Grace Hodgins (SYS) – 16:57.97
Katie Ledecky opened up the first event of the 2024 Pro Swim Series in style, dominating the 1500 freestyle from start to finish. Ledecky took the race out swiftly, turning through the 800 in a sub-8:20 effort of 8:19.98. She ultimately hit the wall at the end of the race in 15:38.81, which significantly undercuts her previous season best of 15:46.38 from the U.S. Open last month.
Ledecky’s swim tonight is faster than anyone besides herself has ever been, as she continues to add to her legacy each time she hits the water. Ledecky will feature in several more events this week in Knoxville, as she is entered in the 100/200/400/800 freestyles in addition to the 400 IM.
A pair of Tennessee teammates took 2nd and 3rd behind Ledecky in the first heat, as Aly Breslin touched in 16:43.09 while Kate McCarville touched in 16:44.37.
Ella Dyson touched in 16:54.37 to win the second heat, which places her 7th overall.
Ashley Wall took the win in heat 3, touching in 16:31.13 for 2nd place overall.
MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINALS
- World Record: 14.31.02 — Sun Yang, CHN (2012)
- World Junior Record: 14:46.09 — Franko Grgic, CRO (2019)
- American Record: 14:31.59 — Bobby Finke, USA (2023)
- U.S. Open Record: 14:42.81 — Bobby Finke, USA (2023)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 14:53.12 — Jordan Wilimovsky, USA (2016)
Top 8:
- Bobby Finke (SPA) – 15:04.43
- Felix Auboeck (AUT) – 15:14.70
- Levi Sandidge (UN-1) – 15:28.71
- Connor Lamastra (DYNA) – 15:39.23
- Chip Wheelie Shoyat (CLPR) – 15:46.80
- Cooper Zakorchemny (RMSC) – 15:50.00
- Carson Hick (UN-1) – 15:52.95
- Matthew Marsteiner (WAVE) – 15:53.57
Bobby Finke kicked of his 2024 campaign with a win in the 1500 free, touching in 15:04.43 to win by over 10 seconds. Notably, Finke’s time is over two seconds faster than he was at this meet a year ago. He swam a consistent race from the start, splitting 30-low and 30-mid on nearly all of his 50-meter splits.
Austria’s Felix Auboeck was the 2nd place finisher tonight, touching the wall in 15:14.70. He owns a best time (and Austrian national record) of 14:51.88 from the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Kentucky’s Levi Sandidge, who won the 2023 SEC Championship title in the 1650-yard freestyle, claimed third tonight in 15:28.71.
Six swimmers cracked the 16-minute barrier in the opening heat, with Chip Wheelie Shoyat (15:46.80), Carson Hick (15:52.95), and Matthew Marsteiner (15:53.57) finishing behind Finke, Auboeck, and Sandidge.
Cooper Zakorchemny was victorious in the third heat, posting a time of 15:50.00 for 6th overall. In the final heat, Connor Lamastra of Dynamo posted a time of 15:39.23 to slot into 4th overall.
Ledecky was a little over 1 sec off her gold medal winning time from Tokyo
So far Penny Oleksiak, Caeleb Dressel, and Ryan Murphy have all scratched out of the meet entirely. Wonder how that would go over at any other job
Lmao “job”
They are professional swimmers, meaning, naturally, swimming (and by extension, competing in said sport) is their profession. Last time I checked, “job” is indeed a synonym for “profession.”
And Regan Smith.
He has an illness I believe.
“Wonder how that would go over at any other job”
Forget about any other job. It doesn’t happen in ANY OTHER SPORTS.
stop dreaming about competitive swimming becoming mainstream and swimming becoming professional sport when the top swimmers are nowhere close to being professional.
For swimming fans, it’s just so annoying.
Every year, we are excited when looking at PRO SWIMMING psych list, only to get disappointed when many top swimmers scratch most events or bail out altogether
No, it does happen in other sports as well, most notably in track and field meets. And track fans are similarly disappointed when stars scratch meets amd races all the time.
Yep. Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu are now a punch line on track and field sites. They are more well known for not competing than the handful of times per year they show up. Ever since both of them have been coached by Bobby Kersee they’ll be entered in meets then have a phantom excuse to withdraw late.
They get away with it because the public at large doesn’t care. They’ll tune in to the Olympics and assume Sydney and Athing have competed regularly since Tokyo. It’s Oleksiakan
They are also “Olympic only” style sports that are not mainstream popular. In mainstream popular sports, stars don’t just scratch without a good reason.
Yes and that reason being that in most other sports, all your funding won’t be taken away if you underperform in one or two specific meets a year. You can’t create a system where athletes are financially insecure and them blame these athletes for prioritizing training over entertaining you at in-season meets. In mainstream sports, athletes get a big cut of tickets sales, do you think that swimmers get any of it, even from worlds? My parents had to pay $500 to just to watch me represent my nation, does that also happen in mainstream sports? if we are comparing, don’t do it out of context
I feel like basketball players sit all the time for the reason of “just cuz”. It’s basketball, you don’t need three days rest in between games.
The swimming pros don’t get paid like the other pros do, and these pro swim series meets cannot generate anywhere close to the same level of hype that in season games for other sports would.
Swimming is performance based and individualized at a pro level. Let’s be honest, only nerds like us care about seeing swimmers go 1.7 seconds slower than the 100 fly WR at some random meet.
Unless USA swimming works to completely revamp pro clubs to be more team-based, molding them to be a true continuation of the NCAA then nothing will change. But they probably don’t have enough funding to incentivize that.
Uhhh, people take sick time and paternity leave (or choose not to go on work travel close to due dates) in actual jobs too.
Other pros that have scratched: Drew Kibler, Kayla Sanchez, Olivia Smoliga, Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland
Litherland is still listed on tomorrow’s heat sheet.
NBA players take games off all the time – and still get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for every game, including the ones they skip. Pro swimmers get paid relative peanuts even if they swim multiple events and set world records. I give enormous credit to swimmers like Finke and Ledecky who go out and compete as often as they do. Swimming will never be a spectator sport generating sustained interest and revenues like football, basketball, soccer, baseball, hockey, golf, etc,, no matter how often Dressel races or how well it’s marketed If it were ever going to happen, it would have happened by now. I’m just happy we get the swimming stars to come out as often as… Read more »
Swimming isn’t a job though. It’s essentially being self-employed. No other job makes you “re-earn” your spot in the top X number of employees to keep getting paid.
Yes, it’s annoying when people scratch and is bad for the sport IMO but I don’t think this is a fair analogy.
Self employed is still a job my dude
yea, one where you decide for yourself how you work, instead of listening to input of people who has nothing to do with said job and won’t affect it financially whatsoever.
Family first.
You, sir or madam, have clearly never shown up to an empty zoom invite
Or any major sport. This is why swimming will never really grow. The “professionals” don’t treat it as a profession,
Bruh did she actually scratch??
Who?
Penny Oleksiak
She did.
Penny?
Yes, she’s gone from the psych sheets.
Not good.
What’s the over/under at this point that maybe she tries to pull the “knee injury” card and try to get placed on the Canadian team for Paris without having to actually race Trials?
Again, is she even actually training?
It’d be a shock if she didn’t scratch.
She was never coming.
Excluding the first 50 and the final 50, Ledecky’s splits range from 31.01 to 31.84 with (I make it) a standard deviation of only 0.22 seconds. Is anyone else as metronomically consistent?
In my experience a large number of milers are that consistent. Just very few at that speed
I had this same thought as Andy in looking at the Arizona State v. Grand Canyon U. distance events.
Zalan Sarkany had a great SCY 1650 swim, touching at 14:28.09, a time faster than the NCAA winning 14:28.94 turned in by NC State’s Will Gallant last March. But when looking at the ASU meet results, with splits, my reaction was very similar to Andy’s, though I didn’t calculate standard deviation. Excluding the dive and hand touch 50s, Zalan’s range was from :26.17 to :26.63, a separation of only 0.46. He won by over 52 seconds so he was providing all the speed and pace on his own.
Likewise in the women’s 1650, ASU’s Deniz Ertan was 16:05.81,(SB/PB 15:53.23) at a… Read more »
I’m no statistician or mathematician but I checked Finke’s splits minus first 100 (both 1st and 2nd 50’s were under 30) and last 50 – range from 30.08 to 30.51 with a standard deviation of 0.12 …. I think….If you include his second 50 (29.82) the SD goes to 0.14
And on average about 0.4 per 25 slower than Finke. She finished 24 seconds slower!!
Chip Wheelie wins the best name contest
Pretty sure he goes by Eli, which seems like the most reasonable shortening from that combination!
Connor Lamastra easiest lock to make Olympic team I’ve ever seen
Dressel out, baby is almost here
Did Dressel drop out?
Looks like it yes. Just checked 100 fly and 100 free
Yes, check his Instagram.
Yes he dropped out. “too close to Meghan’s due date” is what he posted. Can’t blame him for that (though I’m sure a few online weirdos will)
keeping priorities in order. good for Mr. & Mrs. Dressel
I can’t blame him for that, but I think it is fair if some have an issue with the timing. A due date is something you know early enogh to probably not even get on the psych sheets.
Fair enough.
I wonder how a new baby is going to affect his training. It is not easy to swim when sleep deprived.