2024 Speedo Summer Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 SPEEDO SUMMER CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, July 23 – Saturday, July 27, 2024
• Prelims 9AM, finals 5PM (Pacific Time)
• LCM (50 meters)
• Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, California
• Meet Central
• Pre–scratch Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 |Day 2

The third night of the Speedo Summer Championships are underway in Irvine, California, with finals of the 400 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 200 backstroke on tap for Thursday evening.

The women’s 400 free field is especially stacked as rising Georgia senior Rachel Stege led the way in 4:11.68 during prelims this morning. Tokyo 2021 Olympic medalist Bella Sims (4:12.06), 2023 World Championships finalist Jillian Cox (4:12.34), and 16-year-old phenom Kayla Han (4:12.51) were all within a second of Stege in the morning heats.

The men’s 400 free saw Silas Beth pace a talented field featuring recent Ohio State graduate Charlie Clark (3:53.24), rising Texas sophomore Rex Maurer (3:53.42), and 15-year-old Luka Mijatovic (3:53.86).

Stay tuned for live updates below:

Women’s 400 Free – Final

• World: 3:55.38 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2023)
• American: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky (2016)
• US Open: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky (2018)
• Jr World: 3:56.08 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)

Top 8:

1. Jillian Cox – 4:06.31
2. Rachel Stege – 4:07.39
3. Kate Hurst – 4:10.89
4. Abby McCulloh – 4:11.37
5. Bella Sims – 4:11.42
6. Sloane Reinstein – 4:11.96
7. Shea Furse – 4:12.03
8. Kayla Han – 4:12.73

Longhorn Aquatics 19-year-old Jillian Cox cruised to victory in the women’s 400 free with a winning time of 4:06.31, shaving .04 seconds off her previous-best 4:06.35 from prelims of last month’s Olympic Trials. She ultimately placed 3rd in the final with a time of 4:06.89.

Rising Georgia senior Rachel Stege earned the runner-up finish in 4:07.39, almost four seconds faster than her prelims swim at Trials last month (4:11.23). She reached the wall within half a second of her personal-best 4:06.94 from the Pan American Games last October.

Cox and Stege distanced themselves from the field, more than three seconds ahead of 3rd-place finisher Kate Hurst (4:10.89). A Scarlet Aquatics 18-year-old and soon-to-be Texas freshman, Hurst knocked almost a second off her previous-best 4:11.71 from last August.

Stege’s Bulldog classmate, rising Georgia senior Abby McCulloh, placed 4th in 4:11.37, just a blink ahead of Bella Sims (4:11.42). McCulloh touched within a tenth of her personal-best 4:11.28 from last month in Indianapolis, where the SwimAtlanta product placed 15th at Trials. Sims has been as fast as 4:03.25 last summer, but the rising Florida sophomore only went 4:12.49 at Trials last month on her way to 20th place.

Men’s 400 Free – Final

• World: 3:40.07 – Paul Biederman, GER (2009)
• American: 3:42.75 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• US Open: 3:43.53 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• Jr World: 3:44.31 – Petar Mitsin, BUL (2023)

Top 8:

1. Rex Maurer – 3:48.72
2. Charlie Clark – 3:49.87
3. Silas Beth – 3:51.21
4. Luka Mijatovic – 3:51.38
5. Bucky Gettys – 3:53.08
6. Carson Hick – 3:53.24
7. Nick Caruso – 3:53.67
8. Cooper McDonald – 3:56.68

Soon-to-be Texas sophomore Rex Maurer took the men’s 400 free title in 4:38.72, just about a second ahead of recent Ohio State graduate Charlie Clark (3:49.87).

Maurer, who spent his freshman year at Stanford, owns a lifetime best of 3:47.63 from last August. Clark reached the wall within half a second of his personal-best 3:49.36 from 2022.

Rising LSU sophomore Silas Beth (3:51.21) outdueled Pleasanton Seahawks 15-year-old Luka Mijatovic (3:51.38) in a tight battle for 3rd place. Beth touched more than a second off his personal-best 3:49.79 from 2021 while Mijatovic has been as fast as 3:50.71 at last month’s Olympic Trials, where he placed 12th.

Women’s 100 Fly – Final

• World: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• American: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, (2024)
• US Open: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• Jr World: 56.43 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)

Top 8:

1. Caroline Larsen – 58.73
2. Brady Kendall – 59.34
3. Sydney Gring – 1:00.08
4. Hannah Bellard – 1:00.13
5. Avery Spade – 1:00.39
6. Lily Archibald – 1:00.40
7. Anna Boemer – 1:00.53
8. Sophie Yendell – 1:01.07

Incoming Louisville freshman Caroline Larsen blasted a personal-best 58.73 to capture the women’s 100 fly crown, shaving .05 seconds off her previous-best 58.78 from May.

Rising Michigan sophomore Brady Kendall was the only other finalist under one minute at 59.34, dipping under her best time of 59.38 from May.

Rising Pitt junior Sydney Gring (1:00.08) held off rising Michigan sophomore Hannah Bellard (1:00.13) by a blink in the battle for 3rd place. Gring dropped almost a second off her previous-best 1:00.99 from last July while Bellard has been as fast as 59.85 back in 2022.

Men’s 100 Fly – Final

• World: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• American: 49.5 – Caeleb Dressel, (2021)
• US Open: 49.76 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• Jr World: 50.62 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)

Top 8:

1. Trenton Julian – 51.97
2. Grant House – 52.56
3. Dylan Smiley – 52.80
4. Colin Geer – 53.12
5. Brady Samuels – 53.17
6. Tyler Ray – 53.54
7. Ryan Branon – 53.77
8. Finn Brooks – 54.03

Trenton Julian triumphed in the men’s 100 fly with a time of 51.97, within a second of his personal-best 51.10 from 2022. On Tuesday, the Mission Viejo Nadadores 25-year-old fired off a 200 fly time of 1:54.71 that would have made the U.S. Olympic team last month.

Sun Devil Swimming 26-year-old Grant House (52.56) and Indiana Swim Club 19-year-old Dylan Smiley (52.80) were the only other finalists under 53 seconds. House missed his personal-best 52.55 from 2022 by a hair while Smiley dropped .15 seconds off his previous-best 52.95 from last month’s Olympic Trials, where he placed 22nd.

Rising Michigan sophomore Colin Geer clocked a personal-best 53.12 for 4th place, cutting a couple tenths off his previous-best 53.40 from last month’s Olympic Trials.

Women’s 200 back – Final

• World: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• American: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (2019)
• US Open: 2:03.80 – Regan Smith, USA (2023)
• Jr World: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)

Top 8:

1. Macky Hodges – 2:12.72
2. Anna Freed – 2:13.54
3. Grace Frericks – 2:13.89
4. Maggie Dickinson – 2:14.04
5. Mabel Koff – 2:14.21
6. Quinn White – 2:15.58
7. Claire Jansen – 2:15.60
8. Libby Grether – 2:15.85

Rising USC sophomore Macky Hodges pulled out the 200 back win in 2:12.72, dropping more than half a second off her previous-best 2:13.36 from last month’s Olympic Trials, where she placed 28th.

Recent Indiana graduate Anna Freed clinched 2nd place in 2:13.54, a few tenths ahead of rising Kentucky junior Grace Frericks (2:13.89). Freed has been as fast as 2:12.48 back in 2022 while Frericks owns a lifetime best of 2:13.13 from May.

Schroeder YMCA Swim Team 14-year-old Maggie Dickinson impressed with a 4th-place showing in 2:14.04, dropping more than a second off her best time heading into today, a 2:15.66 from May. Now she ranks 33rd in the U.S. girls 13-14 national age group (NAG) rankings.

Men’s 200 Back – Final

• World: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• American: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, (2009)
• US Open: 1:53.08 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• Jr World: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)

Top 8:

1. Owen McDonald – 1:59.13
2. Jack Wilkening – 2:00.10
3. Sam Powe – 2:01.47
4. Hayden Hakes – 2:02.40
5. Eric Lee – 2:02.59
6. Luigi Perez Franco – 2:02.73
7. Jackson Mussler – 2:03.25
8. David Kovacs – 2:05.05

Soon-to-be Indiana sophomore Owen McDonald topped the podium in the last individual event of the evening, the men’s 200 back. The 20-year-old touched the wall in 1:59.13, almost a second ahead of rising Michigan junior Jack Wilkening (2:00.10).

McDonald dropped .06 seconds off his previous-best 1:59.19 from last summer while Wilkening dipped under his previous-best 2:00.18 from last summer. The two will face off next season in the Big Ten.

Rising Georgia junior Sam Powe rounded out the podium with a 3rd-place effort of 2:01.47, about a second off his best time from 2022 (2:00.43). Iowa Flyers 17-year-old Hayden Hakes placed 4th in 2:02.40, more than a second off his best time from May (2:01.05).