2026 Fort Lauderdale Open: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2026 Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open

• Wednesday, April 29 – Saturday, May 2, 2026
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• All the Links
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results: “Fort Lauderdale Open” on Meet Mobile
• Live Video: SwimSwam YouTube Channel (Like and Subscribe)
• Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1

Watch Day 2 Finals Here

It’s day 2 in sunny Florida for the Fort Lauderdale Open. This morning saw plenty of big names hit the water, setting up a sure-to-be action-packed finals session.

Earlier today, it was the UVA trio of Gretchen Walsh (53.64), Anna Moesch (53.69), and Kate Douglass finishing with the top three fastest times in the women’s 100 freestyle, setting up a battle with three of Bob Bowman‘s Longhorn Aquatics swimmers in Simone Manuel (54.41), Erin Gemmell (54.43), and Nikolett Padar (54.73), who finished 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively in the prelims.

World-leading Chris Giuliano secured the top time of the prelims in 48.48 in the men’s 100 free, just about a half second ahead of both Patrick Sammon and Tomas Navikonis in 48.90. Both Caeleb Dressel and Shaine Casas missed the final for tonight, but Guiliano will look to continue his strong start to the season with a big swim here tonight.

The top three women’s 100 breaststrokers tonight were all under 1:08 in the prelims. Mona McSharry nabbed the top time in 1:07.36, just one hundredth behind her was Eneli Jefimova in 1:07.37. Kate Douglass, swimming her 2nd event of the session, finished 3rd once again in 1:07.96. Emma Weber was just on the outside of the top three, finishing 4th in 1:08.00.

There were no sub-1:00 men’s 100 breaststrokers this morning, as Jack Kelly claimed the middle lane, slipping just under the 1:01 mark in 1:00.98, more than a second off of his seed time. Ian Call was five hundredths slower in 1:01.03, while Hubert Kos, more well known as a backstroker and IMer,  finished 3rd in 1:02.47.

Similar to Westmont, Isabelle Stadden (27.34) and Katharine Berkoff (27.78) separated themselves into a league of their own in the women’s 50 back, both finishing as the lone performers faster than 28.4. Those two will headline the middle lane, as US Olympians Gretchen Walsh (28.54), Claire Curzan (28.73), and Phoebe Bacon will all race to try and get themselves onto the podium.

Stanford’s Finn Harland managed to creep past Hubert Kos, fresh off a 100 breast swim, to claim the middle lane for tonight’s men’s 50 back final. Harland outswam Kos by three hundredths in the prelims. Shaine Casas will also look to throw down in that event tonight after missing the 100 free final, as he finished 3rd in this event this morning in 25.27.

Regan Smith was untouchable in the women’s 200 fly, surging to a near three-second top time over the rest of the field. Alex Walsh, who swam her first-ever 200 fly in long-course this morning, managed to put together the 4th fastest performance, well outside of Smith but still in contention for a top-three finish in 2:12.81.

Training partners Leon Marchand and Carson Foster finished 1-2 in the men’s 200 fly prelims, as Marchand earned prelims bragging rights with his 1:56.80, while Foster stuck it out for 2nd in 1:57.36. Princeton teammates Mitchell Schott and Arthur Balva each swam under that 2:00 mark, finishing 3rd and 4th in 1:59.08 and 1:59.43, respectively.

Tonight, we will be treated to the newest chapter of Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh, as the two of them will be side by side once again in the 400 free. Ledecky was nearly three seconds better in 4:06.22, and McIntosh, the World Record holder, will not back down from Ledecky, as the two are setting up for a monstrous penultimate event showdown this evening.

The final event of the session, the men’s 400 free, will see three of the American middle-distance/distance aces in Luke Hobson, Kieran Smith, and Bobby Finke. Hobson was the top performer this morning in 3:53.99, Smith was just behind in 3:54.08. The top five this morning all finished within seven-tenths of one another.

Women’s 100 Freestyle

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjöström, SWE (2017)
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel (2019)
• U.S. Open Record: 52.43 – Tori Huske, USA (2025)

Top 8:

1. Kate Douglass (NYAC) – 53.01
2. Anna Moesch (GSYC) – 53.25
3. Gretchen Walsh (NYAC) – 53.44
4. Simone Manuel (TXLA)- 53.94
5. Rylee Erisman (LAKR)- 54.10
6. Erika Pelaez (NCS)- 54.51
7. Nikolett Padar (TXLA) – 54.53
8. Erin Gemmell (TXLA)- 54.59

We understand the stream is a bit fuzzy, but we are doing our best with what we have.

Douglass, despite finishing 3rd in the prelims, managed to open this session with a big 100 free win in 53.01, helping lead her group of fellow Cavaliers in Anna Moesch and Gretchen Walsh to a top 3 sweep of the women’s 100 free.

That time marks her fastest of the season, besting her performance from Westmont in 53.45.

Manuel would remain the top finishing Longhorn in this race, staying put at 4th in 53.94, about half a second quicker than her prelims swim of 54.41.

Men’s 100 Freestyle 

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle, CHN (2024)
• American Record: 46.81 – Jack Alexy, (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 46.99 – Jack Alexy, USA (2025)

Top 8:

1.  Chris Giuliano (TXLA)- 48.43
2. Tomas Navikonis (OSU)- 48.69
3. Patrick Dammon (NYAC)- 48.76
4. Dylan Carter (AZFL) – 48.87
5. Ruslan Gaziev (OSU)- 49.03
6. Luke Hobson (NYAC) – 49.19
7. Josh Liendo (FLOR)- 49.36
8. Jerry Fox (NCS)- 49.62

It was Chris Giuliano, still well off his best time of the season from Westmont, capturing the win here in 48.43. The entire top four was not far behind as Navikonis managed to sneak past Sammo, who he tied with in the morning, outpacing him by just seven hundredths of a second in 48.69.

Dylan Carter notched the only other sub-49 of the evening, taking 4th in a quick 48.87. Josh Liendo, fresh off his final season with the Gators at Florida, dropped two spots from prelims to 7th in 49.36, though still faster than his prelims swim of 49.51.

Luke Hobson did finish 6th in 49.19, but will race later this evening in the 400 free as the top seed from the prelims.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke 

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
• American Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy, USA (2017)

Top 8:

1. Kate Douglass (NYAC)- 1:06.58
2. Mona McSharry (TNAQ)- 1:06.66
3. Eneli Jefimova (NCS)- 1:07.42
4. Emma Weber (CA-Y)- 1:07.62
5. Gabrielle Rose (BCA)- 1:09.79
6. Skylar Zuleger (TYDE)- 1:09.84
7. Hannah Bach (OSU)- 1:09.91
8. Sophia Umstead (UN)- 1:10.08

Douglass claimed her second win in less than half an hour, taking home the win in the 100 breast in 1:06.58. She touched at the first wall in 31.37, .16 behind runner-up Mona McSharry in 31.21, but managed to climb her way and fight off the fatigue to charge to the win, just surging to a lead toward the final stages of the race in 35.21.

McSharry still swam seven-tenths faster than the morning in her 2nd place finish. Eneli Jefimova slid a spot down to 3rd as one of just two swimmers in the championship final to add time from the prelims in 1:07.42, only five hundredths slower than her morning race.

Gabrielle Rose continued to shine at age 48, finishing 5th overall after a 7th-place prelim swim in 1:09.79.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke 

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
• American Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew, (2021)
• U.S. Open Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew, USA (2021)

Top 8:

1. Jack Kelly (NYAC)- 1:00.35
2. Ian Call (NAC)- 1:00.72
3. Hubert Kos (TXLA)- 1:01.94
4. Jordan Willis (GSC)- 1:02.51
5. Pavel Romanov (UN)- 1:02.60
6. Uros Zivanovic (UN)- 1:02.88
7. Prakhanthi Rai (BSS)- 1:03.18
8. Reef McMeeking (LAKR)- 1:03.18

Similar to the morning swims, no swimmer in the field managed to dip under the 1:00 barrier. Jack Kelly and Ian Call each remained atop the final standings as they were after the prelims. Kelly was still more than six tenths faster than his prelims swim of 1:00.98 to claim the win here, largely in part to blistering opening 50 meters, in which he took it out nearly a half second faster in 27.99.

Call was about a third of a second faster than his prelims swim, just touching below that 1:01 mark in 1:00.72. Hubert Kos also managed to sneak into the sub-1:02 club, swimming half a second faster than his morning effort, in 1:01.94.

The 4th through 8th-place swimmers all touched just over half a second apart.

Women’s 50 Backstroke 

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• American Record: 26.97 – Katharine Berkoff, (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 26.97 – Katharine Berkoff, USA (2025)

Top 7:

1. Isabelle Stadden (AQJT)- 27.29
2. Katharine Berkoff (WOLF)- 27.74
3. Gretchen Walsh (NYAC)- 28.10
4. Claire Curzan (TAC)- 28.47
5. Erika Pelaez (NCS)- 28.74
6. Emma Harvey (BER)- 29.00
7. Brynn Lavigueur (SYS)- 29.06

Isabelle Stadden took the women’s 50 back by nearly half a second over the reigning American and US Record holder Berkoff in 27.29. She continues her strong long-course campaign, which has seen Stadden and Berkoff head-to-head on numerous occasions this year.

From the 25-meter mark, it looked as though Stadden had everything clicking as she powered her way to a tie for her lifetime best.

Walsh, not too long removed from her 100 free final, managed to stay put in 3rd at 28. 10, as her teammate Claire Curzan would miss out on the top three in 28.47, settling for 4th.

Men’s 50 Backstroke 

• World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2023)
• American Record: 23.71 – Hunter Armstrong, (2022)
• U.S. Open Record: 23.71 – Hunter Armstrong, USA (2022)

Top 8:

1. Hubert Kos (TXLA)- 25.12
2. Shaine Casas (TXLA)- 25.21
3. Finn Harland (ALTO)- 25.35
4. Ralf Tribuntsov (EST)- 25.45
5. Daniel Zaitsev (EST)- 25.75
6. Jack AIkins (UN)- 25.89
7. Liam Carrington (BSS)- 26.22
8. Aiden Norman (FLOR) – 26.39

Minutes after a 3rd place 100 breast swim, Kos quickly got himself to the other side of the pool for a more ‘Kos-like’ event, taking the win in the 50 back in 25.12, just nine hundredths quicker than training partner Shaine Casas in 25.21.

The quick turnaround did not seem to bother Kos, still managing to go six hundredths faster than he was in the 50 back this morning. Casas also managed to drop an equal amount from his prelims 27.27.

Harland was one of the stories of the prelims, just off his performance in the prelims, settling for the 3rd place finish in 25.35, two tenths slower.

Women’s 200 Butterfly

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
• American Record: 2:03.84 – Regan Smith, (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 2:03.87 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)

Top 8:

1. Regan Smith (TXLA)- 2:05.00
2. Lindsay Looney (TXLA)- 2:07.93
3. Tess Howley (LIAC)- 2:08.26
4. Alex Walsh (NYAC)- 2:12.57
5. Elanor Sun (PRIN)- 2:13.42
6. Emerson Callis (QSTS)- 2:14.07
7. Michaela Mattes (UN)- 2:14.20
8. Addison Reese (GSC)- 2:14.47

Regan Smith made her presence felt early in this one, opening a full second faster than her prelims swim, charging to the 100-meter wall in 59.75. She then dropped another .75 coming home in 1:05.25, combining for a massive early/mid-season time of 2:05.00.

Her teammate Lindsay Looney was more than three seconds faster than her prelims swim this morning (2:11.22), touching 2nd only to Smith in 2:07.93.

Alex Walsh dropped another quarter of a second,  from her newly set lifetime best from the prelims to stay 4th in 2:12.57.

Men’s 200 Butterfly 

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristóf Milák, HUN (2022)
• American Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps, (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps, USA (2008)

Top 8:

1. Leon Marchand (TXLA)- 1:53.08
2. Carson Foster (TXLA)- 1:55.09
3. Mitchell Schott (PRIN)- 1:56.41
4. Seb Lunak (NCAC)- 2:01.26
5. Noah Stotler (BSS)- 2:02.09
6. Grant Sanders (SPA)- 2:02.54
7. Arthur Balva (PRIN)- 2:03.40
8. Felix Vicknair (WVU)- 2:05.74

Marchand did Marchand things, appearing to cruise to the world-leading time in the men’s 200 fly in 1:53.08, making his prelims time of 1:56.80 look like a warm-up swim. This swim marks the first time we will see Marchand this week, as he swims his exact lineup from the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he won four gold medals.

His training mate Carson Foster stayed well with Marchand for the first 100 meters but could not stay up long enough, falling a bit back, still managing to swim more than two seconds faster than his prelims swim in 1:55.09.

Princeton’s Mitchell Schott clocked a near lifetime best (1:55.86) to finish 3rd, a near five seconds ahead of the rest of the field in 3rd in 1:56.41.

Women’s 400 Freestyle 

• World Record: 3:54.18 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)
• American Record: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky, (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:55.37 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)

Top 8:

1. Summer McIntosh (TXLA)- 3:58.91
2. Katie Ledecky (3:59.02
3. Emma Weyant (GSC)- 4:07.03
4. Nikolett Padar (TXLA)- 4:09.49
5. Cavan Gormsen (UN)- 4:11.28
6. Erin Gemmell (TXLA)- 4:11.42
7. Rylee Erisman (LAKR)- 4:12.54
8. Audrey Derivaux (JW)- 4:12.65

This race was exactly what we could have hoped for, as Ledecky and McIntosh were side by side. McIntosh and Ledecky were both on sub-4:00 pace through the first 200 free. But it was McIntosh turning about half a second ahead of Ledecky at the halfway point.

The two of them were breathing right on each other on the 2nd 50; McIntosh’s lead had shrunk a bit, with just 100 meters to go. Ledecky still trailed, but by just a hair.

The final 50 meters were nothing but grit as McIntosh and Ledecky both worked for every ounce of water and every inch of space. The lead that McIntosh had built proved to be just enough, as it was the Canadian taking the win by just over a tenth of a second in 3:58.91, leaving Ledecky just behind in 3:59.02. That time moves Ledecky into 2nd in the world this season in the 400 free.

Emma Weyant then powered home to finish 3rd, a near three-second drop from her prelims performance of 4:09.89, clocking 4:07.03.

Men’s 400 Freestyle

• World Record: 3:39.96 – Lukas Märtens, GER (2025)
• American Record: 3:42.78 – Larsen Jensen, (2008)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:43.33 – Rex Maurer, USA (2025)

Top 8:

1. Bobby Finke (SPA)- 3:51.09
2. William Mulgrew (SAC)- 3:51.28
3. Kieran Smith (RAC)- 3:52.10
4. Luke Hobson (NYAC)- 3:52.77
5. Juan Vallmitjana (SOFL)- 3:53.80
6. Joey Eaddy (REV)- 3:59.69
7. Alec Enyeart (TXLA)- 3:59.95
8. Cole Kawaja (PRIN)- 4:02.02

Bobby Finke swam the most Finke 400 free we could have imagined, blasting a 56.71 final 100, including a 27.00 final 50 (which was more than two seconds faster than his prelims final 50 of 29.13) to seal the winhere in 3:51.09. William Mulgrew made a valiant effort, despite the 56.84 closing 100, it was not enough to hold off Finke.

The race was also on for the 3rd place spot, as fellow US Olympians Kieran Smith and Luke Hobson continued to throw jabs at one another, until a big 57.45 final 100 was able to give Smith the advantage and get himself into the top three, just over six tenths better than Hobson.

Each of the top six swimmers in the final dropped from their morning swims, with Finke making the largest jump, having touched 5th in the prelims in 3:54.64.