2024 Speedo Atlanta Classic: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 SPEEDO ATLANTA CLASSIC DRIVEN BY JIM ELLIS CADILLAC

• Wednesday, May 15th – Saturday, May 18th 2024
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• How To Watch
• Day 1 Distance Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap
• Live Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 Speedo Atlanta Classic”

Day 3 Finals Heat Sheets

Happy Friday everyone and welcome in to the third night of finals at the 2024 Speedo Atlanta Classic. There have been plentry of fast swims through 2.5 days of racing as we’ve seen new national records and word-rankings times swum. It’s a short session tonight with only three events: 200 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 400 IM, and 100 fly on tap but based on the last two days, more fast swimming is surely in store.

Live Stream:

Courtesy: SwimAtlanta

That effort kicks off in the women’s 200 freestyle. Katie Ledecky is the top seed after nearly cracking 1:58 in prelims (1:58.09). She’s shown that she’s on a strong in-season form at this meet after a world-leading 1500 freestyle and tying for third-fastest in the 400 freestyle. She’s got some Gator teammates in the pool as well: Isabel Ivey (3rd, 1:59.52) and Bella Sims (7th, 2:01.48) will likely feature in the race for second along with Madi Mintenko and Camille Spink.

The men’s 200 freestyle will be the first swim of a 200 freestyle/100 butterfly double for Caeleb Dressel. Dressel is sitting back in 7th after prelims (1:49.08), while Tomas Koski locked down lane 4 with a lifetime best 1:46.43. Jorge Iga and Kieran Smith, who both picked up silvers last night, will be on either side of Koski as they look to upgrade to a win.

Phoebe Bacon looks in full control of the women’s 200 backstroke. She was the lone swimmer under 2:10 this morning, clocking 2:09.33, over two seconds ahead of second place qualifier Josephine Fuller (2:11.44). Fuller’s got a double of her own tonight: she’s the 2nd seed here and 1st in the 100 butterfly. Bacon swam a season-best 2:07.24 at the San Antonio Pro Series, so look for her to chase that tonight. Similarly, Emma Weyant dominated the women’s 400 IM prelims. She posted the fastest time of the morning in 4:42.28, 8.67 seconds ahead of her teammate Zoe Dixon.

To close the session, Dressel will take on his second race of the evening and go head to head with Youssef Ramadan in the 100 butterfly. Ramadan earned lane 4 with a 51.92, while Dressel touched in 52.17 for the second fastest qualifying time.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — Final

•  Olympic A Standard: 1:57.26
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 2:00.89

Top 10: 

1. Katie Ledecky (GSC) — 1:55.71 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Isabel Ivey (GSC) — 1:58.19 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
3. Bella Sims (FLOR) — 1:58.43 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
4. Madi Mintenko (PPA) — 1:58.71 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
5. Gabby DeLoof (NYAC) — 2:00.02 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
6. Shea Furse (ABSC) — 2:00.24 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
7. Camille Spink (UN) — 2:00.73 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
8. Sloane Reinstein (PASA) — 2:00.91
9. Helena Jones (LOSC) — 2:01.00
10. Julia Burroughs (UN) — 2:02.27

The Gators picked up right where they left off; after sweeping the men’s 400 freestyle podium to close Day 2 finals, they’ve gotten Day 3 started with a women’s 200 freestyle sweep.

Katie Ledecky picked up her third win of the meet, adding to her 400/1500 freestyle wins. She led the race from wire to wire, splitting 27.30/28.99/29.73/29.69 en route to a winning time of 1:55.71. That’s .74 seconds off her season-best 1:54.97 done at the San Antonio Pro Series.

Isabel Ivey maintained second place the whole race, speeding to a new personal best of 1:58.19. That’s her first best time in this event since 2016, when she swam 1:58.94 at Junior Pan Pacs. She blew past that mark here in Atlanta, dropping .75 seconds.

Bella Sims held onto third for the whole race, moving up from her 7th spot after prelims. Unlike in yesterday’s 400 freestyle, she was able to hold off Madi Mintenko‘s late push and get her hand on the wall ahead of her in 1:58.43.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — Final

• Olympic A Standard: 1:46.26
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 1:49.99

Top 10:

1. Kieran Smith (RAC) — 1:47.10 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Jorge Iga (PRVT) — 1:47.15 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
3. Tomas Koski (ABSC) — 1:47.30 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
4. Caeleb Dressel (GSC) — 1:47.38 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
5. Charlie Hawke (BAMA) — 1:47.93
6. Jake Mitchell (FLOR) — 1:48.29 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
7. Michael Cotter (TAC) — 1:48.48 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
8. Jack Dahlgren (TRI) — 1:49.05 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
9. Alfonso Mestre (GSC) — 1:49.10
10. Owen Mcdonald (UN-DYN) — 1:53.46

The top three swimmers all added from their prelims swim, but it was still a great race in the center of the pool between Kieran Smith, Jorge Iga, and Tomas Koski.

Koski, the top qualifier, led the way at the first turn (24.87). But Iga did not let him get too far in front; he split 24.89/26.94, taking over the lead from Koski by the 100-meter mark. Koski was just .14 seconds back though, and Smith was still in the mix as well, .41 off Iga’s lead.

Iga still held the lead at the final turn, .27 seconds up on Smith and .28 seconds up on Koski. The three pushed each other to the wall and at the touch, it was Smith who came away with the win in 1:47.10. He stopped the clock just five-hundredths ahead of Iga (1:47.15) and Koski was just two-tenths back from Smith in 1:47.30.

Caeleb Dressel also got in on the action at the end of the race. He surged in the final 50 meters with a 26.89 closing split, tracking down the top three and nearly getting his hand on the wall ahead of Koski. In his first 200 freestyle final since the 2022 San Antonio Pro Swim, Dressel touched in 1:47.38 for the third fastest swim of his career.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — Final

• Olympic A Standard: 2:10.39
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 2:13.59

Top 10:

1. Phoebe Bacon (WISC) — 2:09.10 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Josephine Fuller (UN) — 2:11.08 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
3. Catherine Choate (FLOR) — 2:11.20 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
4. Carmen Weiler Sastre (VT) — 2:11.64 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
5. Lilla Bognar (TG) — 2:13.85
6. Zoie Hartman (ABSC) — 2:14.57
7. Sophie Brison (UN) — 2:15.66
8. Ella Menear (BAMA) — 2:15.81
9. Jo Jo Ramey (FLOR) — 2:16.89
10. Phoebe Wright (GW) — 2:17.08

Phoebe Bacon controlled the 200 backstroke prelims this morning, and she controlled the final tonight. The Tokyo Olympian and 2022 Worlds silver medalist took the race out in 30.01, grabbing the lead by .33 seconds ahead of Tennessee’s Josephine Fuller. Bacon just continued to extend her lead from there; she was about a second ahead at the 100 and 1.64 seconds ahead at the final turn.

At the final wall, Bacon collected the win by almost two seconds in 2:09.10. Her season best is a 2:0724 from the San Antonio Pro Swim, which ranks her 7th fastest in the world this season.

Fuller maintained control of second place the entire race. She tired at the end of the race, putting up a 33.94 closing split that gave both Catherine Choate and Carmen Weiler Sastre room to gain on her. But her work early in the race proved to be enough and she got her hand on the wall in 2:11.08 for second place. That’s slightly off her season-best 2:10.94 from April’s Tennessee Invite.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — Final

• Olympic A Standard: 1:57.50
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 2:01.69

Top 10:

1. Jack Aikins (UNAT) — 1:57.52 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Yeziel Morales Miranda (MVN) — 1:58.76
3. Anthony Rincón (VS) — 2:00.52
4. Christopher Thames (MAAC) — 2:01.31 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
5. Caleb Maldari (FLOR) — 2:01.76
6. Sam O’Brien (UNAT) — 2:02.48
7. Baylor Stanton (GA) — 2:02.55
8. Landon Kyser (BSS) — 2:03.27
9. Jensen Nelson (SPAC) — 2:04.34

DNF: Marcus Gentry

Like Bacon in the women’s race, Jack Aikins easily won the men’s 200 backstroke. Aikins posted his fastest effort since finishing fourth at the 2024 World Championships with a 1:57.52. He dropped 2.30 seconds from his prelims time, splitting 56.51/1:01.01 on his way to the win.

He did not lead the entire race though. Marcus Gentry, who seems to have been going for the 100 time, was indeed first to the wall at the 100 meter mark in a personal best 54.68, which does clear the U.S Olympic Trials cut but misses the Olympic ‘A’ cut (54.01).

Yeziel Morales Miranda finished second, adding almost half a second from the Puerto Rican record that he swam in prelims. Nevertheless, he was the only swimmer to join Aikins under the 2:00 barrier.

Anthony Rincon swam his second personal best of the day for 3rd. He represents Colombia internationally and dropped from his 2:00.81 in prelims to a new PB of 2:00.52. His best before today was a 2:01.51, swum in March 2020.

WOMEN’S 400 IM — Final

• Olympic A Standard: 4:38.53
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 4:49.89

Top 10:

1. Emma Weyant (FLOR) — 4:39.00 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Zoe Dixon (FLOR) — 4:48.51 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
3. Mia Abruzzo (PWAC) — 4:50.90
4. Makte McCarville (UN) — 4:52.68
5. Sydney Sanders (BAMA) — 4:54.05
6. Grace Rainey (FLOR) — 4:55.29
7. Tori Abruzzo (PWAC) – -4:58.97
8. Ellie Maradyn (GPA) — 5:01.97
9. Peyton Drexler (UMIZ) — 5:02.42
10. Mary Grace Guzzino (GTCH) — 5:04.15

This race was all Emma Weyant. She maintained a lead from start to finish, splitting 1:03.17/1:12.01 on the front of the race. And while she did have an advantage of over a second at the halfway point, where she really put this race away was the breaststroke. Over the course that leg of the race, she extended her lead out to 5.33 seconds by splitting 1:19.76.

Weyant closed in 1:04.06 and touched in a season-best 4:39.00. She blew by the 4:42.11 she swam at the U.S Open last December.

Zoe Dixon ran second for the entire race and that’s where she finished. This was her first meet swimming the 400 IM this long-course season and as she dropped 2.44 seconds from her prelims time, this is a season-best for her. It’s the same story for Mia Abruzzo, who took third in her first 400 IM final of the season with a 4:50.90.

MEN’S 400 IM — Final

• Olympic A Standard: 4:12.50
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 4:25.19

Top 10:

1. Bobby Finke (SPA) — 4:14.44 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Tommy Hagar (BAMA) — 4:22.84 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
3. Mason Laur (FLOR) — 4:23.81 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
4. Jarrod Arroyo (PR) — 4:23.84
5. Baylor Stanton (GA) — 4:25.89
6. Matthew Kortenson (UMIZ) — 4:26.60
7. Josh Parent (FLOR) — 4:27.72
8. Peter Brentzmann (FLOR) — 4:27.75
9. Aidan Crisci (UN) — 4:28.40
10. Crow Thorsen (UN-EM) — 4:35.35

Mason Laur set the pace in the butterfly leg — he turned first to backstroke in 56.25, over two seconds ahead of Bobby Finke. Finke ate into that lead during backstroke with a 1:04.37 split. By breaststroke not only had he caught Laur, but he was 1.49 seconds ahead of him.

Finke didn’t look back once he took the lead, charging to the win with a 4:14.44 — 8.40 seconds ahead of second place. That’s a new season-best for Finke, shattering the 4:18.04 he went in San Antonio. Additionally, it’s two seconds faster than he was at the 2023 Atlanta Classic. From there he went on to post a lifetime best of 4:09.55 at U.S. Nationals.

Tommy Hagar made his move on the breaststroke leg. passing Laur with a 1:15.05 split. Hagar, who just wrapped his freshman season at Alabama, touched in 4:22.84, adding from his 4:22.29 lifetime best in prelims that also earned him an Olympic Trials cut in this event. That was a huge drop for him as he came into the meet with a 4:27.15 personal best.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY — Final

• Olympic A Standard: 57.92
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 1:00.19

Top 10:

1. Caroline Larsen (FOXJ) — 58.78 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Josephine Fuller (UN) — 58.98 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
3. Callie Dickinson (ABSC) — 59.33 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
4. Farida Osman (CAL) — 59.40
5. Kristen Romano (TNAQ) — 59.63 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
6. Andrea Sansores (UARK) — 59.83
7. Miriam Guevara (PRVT) — 59.99
8. Leah Gingrich (KA) — 1:00.00 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
9. Olivia Peoples (FLOR) — 1:00.28
10. Emma Harvey (UPSU) — 1:00.73

Caroline Larsen was 9th at the turn (28.42), 1.31 seconds behind the leader Josephine Fuller (27.11). But Larsen charged over the back half of the race, splitting 30.36 to move through the field and get her hands on the wall first. Larsen edged out Fuller by two-tenths, 58.78 to 58.98.

That’s Larsen’s second personal best of the day, lowering the 59.10 she swam in prelims and breaking 59 seconds for the first time. She came into the meet with a 59.75 PB, swum at NCSAs in March.

Fuller joined Larsen under 59 seconds, adding slightly from prelims. While she’s more known on the NCAA scene for her backstroke and IM abilities but she’s been making gains in her butterfly too; she swam 58.37 in April for a new PB.

Callie Dickinson out-touched Farida Osman by .07 seconds to take third in 59.33.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY — Final

• Olympic A Standard: 51.67
• U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Time: 53.59

Top 10: 

1. Caeleb Dressel (GSC) — 51.38 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
2. Santiago Grassi (BSC) — 51.78
3. Youssef Ramadan (VT) — 51.96
4. Aidan Stoffle (UN-ATT) — 53.17 *U.S Olympic Trials Qualifying Time*
5. Martin Espernberger (UN) — 53.22
6. Djurdje Matic (GW) — 53.27
7. Angel Martinez (AGS) — 53.65
8. Diego Balbi (PERU) — 54.19
9. David Gapinski (GTCH) — 54.30
10. Yusuf Tibazi (AAA) — 54.87

On his second swim of the session, Dressel once again flexed his closing speed. Dressel turned in 25.23, 1.08 seconds behind the leading Youssef Ramadan. He kicked it into gear on the back half of the race, splitting 26.15 to not only chase down the leaders–like he did in the 200 free–but pass them and get the win. That closing split is three-tenths faster than the closing split on his world record.

Dressel’s season best time is 50.84 from the San Antonio Pro Series, which ties him for 3rd fastest in the world this season.

Santiago Grossi moved up from third seed post-prelims into second by dropping .67 seconds from his prelims time for a 51.78. He outsplit Ramadan 27.56 to 27.81 to pass the Virginia Tech swimmer in the closing meters of the race. Ramadan joined the top two sub-52 seconds (51.96). It’s the first time Ramadan has been under that barrier this season.