2026 Pro Swim Series — Austin: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2026 PRO SWIM SERIES – AUSTIN

• January 14-17, 2026
• Austin, Texas
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• Psych Sheet (updated)
• How to Watch
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1

Wednesday Finals Heat Sheet

Welcome to the first finals session of the 2026 Pro Swim Series stop in Austin. Not only is this the first finals session of the series, but it is also the first time swimming fans will get to see the newly introduced semifinals in action.

Tonight’s events will start with the fastest heats of the men’s and women’s 1500 freestyle. Katie Ledecky is the clear favorite on the women’s side, coming in seeded more than a minute faster than the rest of the field after the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seeds scratched the event this morning.

On the men’s side, Bobby Finke is the top seed, but he faces a tight challenge in the form of Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, the Olympic bronze medalist in the event.

That race will be followed by the first semifinal of the meet, the 50 freestyle. Beryl Gastaldello and Simone Manuel are the top two seeds out of prelims, with Gastaldello earning the top spot by just over two tenths. The men’s race sees Brooks Curry and Maxime Grousset in the top spots, separated by just seven hundredths. The top eight swimmers will advance to tomorrow’s final, where they will all have the chance to vie for the $3,000 event winner bonus.

That will be followed by the 100 breaststroke finals. The women’s event will see 17-year-old Caprie Moreno swim the ‘B’ final in a lane by herself while reigning World Champion Anna Elendt holds the top seed in the ‘A’ final. Van Mathias holds the top spot on the men’s side by about a second over Denis Petrashov.

We will see our 2nd semifinal of the session in the 200 IM where World Record holders Summer McIntosh and Leon Marchand are both in the 2nd semifinal, swimming more than 10 seconds slower than their World Record times in the prelims. Teagan O’Dell and Carson Foster are the top women’s and men’s seeds.

The evening will wrap up with the 100 backstroke finals, which have the makings to be the most exciting swims of the session.

Regan Smith and Rylee Erisman lead the women’s event with Erisman coming in less than two tenths back of the World Record holder Smith, pointing to a potential upset tonight. The men’s race sees Frenchman Mewen Tomac as the top seed in 55.48, just five hundredths ahead of countrymate Yohann Ndoye Brouard‘s 55.53. Mathys Chouchaoui, also from France, is the 3rd seed in 55.78, just two tenths back.

Women’s 1500 FREESTYLE — Fastest Heat

• World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• American Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• US Open Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• PSS Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• World Jr Record: 15:28.36 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
• Pool Record: 16:15.56 – Kim Linehan

Top 8 Finishers

1. Katie Ledecky (GSC) — 15:23.21
2. Brinkleigh Hansen (SPA) — 16:31.31
3. Becca Mann (TAC) — 16:35.09
4. Brooke Travis (TAC) — 16:48.91
5. Madalyn Petty (TRAC) — 16:56.50
6. Lilliana Krstolic (LAKR) — 17:17.43
7. McKennah Greer (LAC) — 17:40.34
8. Mackenzie Corbin (LAC) — 17:56.48

Katie Ledecky ended 2025 with the fastest 1650 in history, and she started 2026 with the 2nd fastest 1500. In her first event of the meet, she got out to a commanding lead from the beginning, making it clear that her race was with the clock.

At the 800 mark. Ledecky split 8:13.09, sitting more than 30 seconds ahead of Hansen in 2nd place, sitting a little more than a second off her World Record pace in the event. She descended her splits form there, swimming all 30 points on her final 700 meters.

Her final 100 was 1:00.3 after splitting 30.69/26.61 on the final two 50s to touch in 15:23.21. This is the 2nd fastest time in history, coming in only behind her own World Record of 15:20.48 from the 2018 Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis. The previous 2nd fastest swim was the 15:24.51 she swam in April at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale. Later that meet, she broke the World Record in the 800 freestyle.

Brinkleigh Hansen finished 2nd in 16:31.31, a four second drop from her previous lifetime best of 16:35.82 from the 2025 USA Swimming Nationals.

Becca Mann rounded out the top three, touching in 16:35.09 for 3rd. Ths was about 30 seconds off her lifetime best of 16:05.42 from May of 2015.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle — Fastest Heat

• World Record: 14:30.67 – Bobby Finke, USA (2024)
• American Record: 14:30.67 – Bobby Finke, USA (2024)
• US Open Record: 14:40.28 – Bobby Finke, USA (2024)
• PSS Record: 14:52.56 – Peter Vanderkaay, USA (2008)
• World Jr Record: 14:41.22 – Kuzey Runcelli (2024)
• Pool Record: 15:05.51 – Ilia Sibirtsev (2025)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Bobby Finke (SPA) — 15:01.70
2. Daniel Wiffen (CAL) — 15:04.98
3. Ryan Erisman (CAL) — 15:05.94
4. Emile Vincent (FRA) — 15:18.92
5. Ilia Sibirtsev (UZB) — 15:18.93
6. Damien Joly (FRA) — 15:29.07
7. Leopold Nurit (NCAP) — 15:49.26
8. Trevyn Krauss (TOPS) — 15:51.04

Bobby Finke jumped out to an early lead in the men’s 1500 freestyle, and built into it from there, winning the event in 15:01.70 by a little more than three seconds over Daniel Wiffen‘s 15:04.98 for 2nd place. Finke’s swim was more than seven seconds faster than the 15:09.21 he swam at the beginning of December at the U.S. Open Championships.

Wiffen led through the first 150 of the race, but Finke took over at the 200 mark, splitting 1:57.11 to Wiffen’s 1:57.15. From there, he didn’t relinquish the lead. At the 800 meter mark, he sat about three seconds ahead, turning in 7:58.44 to Wiffen’s 8:01.14.

Finke held consistent 30.3-30.4 splits through the whole 2nd half of the race until the final 100 when he split 29.91/28.95 to come in at 58.86. Wiffen had a faster final 100, splitting 58.64 to make up two tenths with his 30.14/28.50 splits.

Cal freshman Ryan Erisman had a monster drop, swimming 15:06.94 to drop nearly 14 seconds from his previous best 15:20.47 from April of last year.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – Semifinals

• World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2023)
• American Record: 23.91 – Kate Douglass/Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• US Open Record: 23.91 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• PSS Record: 24.17 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2016)
• World Jr Record: 24.17 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)
• Pool Record: 24.17 – Sarah Sjostrom

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Simone Manuel (TXLA) — 24.77
2. Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) — 24.86
3. Marie Wattel (FRA) — 24.93
4. Anna Peplowski (ISC) — 25.41
5. Analia Pigree (FRA) — 25.50
6. Chloe Stepanek (LIAC) — 25.53
7. Emma Harvey (BER) — 25.83
8. Claire Weinstein (UN-CA) — 25.87

Simone Manuel earned the top spot in the women’s 50 freestyle semifinal, touching in 24.77 to lock up the middle lane for tomorrow’s event final, and the chance at an extra $3,000 bonus. She was right around the 24.86 she swam in the prelims at the U.S. Open Championships last month. She ended up swimming 24.42 in the event final at that meet.

Beryl Gastaldello was 24.86 for the 2nd qualifying time, and Marie Wattel wrapped up the sub-25 second swimmers in 24.93 for 3rd qualifier.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – Semifinals

• World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009)
• American Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2019)
• US Open Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2019)
• PSS Record: 21.51 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
• World Jr Record: 21.75 – Michael Andrew, USA (2017)
• Pool Record: 21.44 – Fred Bousquet

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Maxime Grousset (FRA) — 21.62
2. Andrej Barna (SRB) — 21.87
3. Jack Alexy (CAL) — 21.96
4. Brooks Curry (CAL) — 22.16
5. Chris Guiliano (TXLA) — 22.18
6. Matt King (ISC) — 22.22
7. Nikita Baez (FRA) — 22.25
8. Masahiro Kawane (MEI) — 22.29

Maxime Grousset had a very strong January swim in the men’s 50 freestyle, touching in 21.62 to earn his spot in lane four tomorrow night. This swim was only two hundredths off the 21.60 he swam in the Olympic semifinal to qualify 6th for the final, which he later scratched.

Andrej Barna from Serbia was 2nd in 21.87, fur tenths off his lifetime best 21.44, and Jack Alexy was 3rd in 21.96, six tenths off his lifetime best 21.32.

Caeleb Dressel finished 11th in 22.38, just nine hundredths out of a finals spot.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – Finals

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
• American Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
• US Open Record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy, USA (2009)
• PSS Record: 1:05.32 – Lilly King, USA (2022)
• World Jr Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• Pool Record: Lydia Jacoby – 1:06.30

Top 8 Finishers

1. Anna Elendt (TXLA) — 1:06.91
2. Skyler Smith (NCAC) — 1:07.87
3. Kate Canales (AAAA) — 1:10.13
4. Maya McCarney (NCAP) — 1:11.88
5. Grace Hunt (YSSC) — 1:12.10
6. Ella Peterson (DADS) — 1:13.49
7. Audrey Deras (MOR) — 1:14.07
8. Hailey Preuss (ALTO) — 1:14.66

Reigning World Champion Anna Elendt won the women’s 100 breaststroke at the first stop in dominant fashion, swimming 1:06.91 to come in almost a second ahead of NCAC’s Skyler Smith‘s 1:07.87.

Elendt’s best sits at the 1:05.19 she swam at Worlds, while Smith was only four hundredths off her best of 1:07.83 from May of 2024.

Kate Canales was 1:10.13 to finish 3rd, more than a second ahead of Maya McCarney‘s 1:11.88. Canales’s swim was almost a second faster than the 1:11.04 she swam in July of last year. McCarney’s previous best was 1:12.79 from July.

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – Finals

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
• American Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• US Open Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• PSS Record: 58.67 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• World Jr Record: 58.94 – Shin Ohashi, JPN (2025)
• Pool Record: 59.45 – Alexei Avakov

Top 8 Finishers

1. Van Mathias (ISC) — 59.45
2. Denis Petrashov (CARD) — 59.55
3. Mitch Mason (TFA) — 1:00.50
4. Luke Barr (TFA) — 1:00.95
5. Brian Benzing (ISC) — 1:01.08
6. Andres Puente Bustamante (TFA) — 1:01.13
7. Jeremie Delbois (FRA) — 1:01.32
8. Jack Kelly (NYAC) — 1:01.47

Van Mathias tied the pool record in the men’s 100 breaststroke, touching in 59.45 to pick up the event win. He tied Alexei Avakov’s record and dropped three tenths from the 59.74 mark he swam at the Summer Championships in August.

Denis Petrashov swam 59.55 for 2nd after swimming the fastest closing 50 in the field of 31.97, the only swimmer under 32 seconds on the back half.

Mitch Mason was 3rd in 1:00.50, about a second slower than his lifetime best 59.87 from June of 2023, but seven tenths faster than the 1:01.24 he swam at the U.S. Open last month.

WOMEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Semifinals

• World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)
• American Record: 2:06.15 – Ariana Kukors (2009)
• US Open Record: 2:06.79 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024)
• PSS Record: 2:06.82 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)
• World Jr Record: 2:06.56 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• Pool Record: 2:08.51 – Madisyn Cox

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Summer McIntosh (TXLA) — 2:09.27
2. Teagan O’Dell (CAL) — 2:13.15
3. Emma Weyant (GSC-FL) — 2:14.74
4. Cyrielle Duhamel (FRA) — 2:15.56
5. Ava Chavez (CAL) — 2:16.83
6. Maren Byrne (ALTO) — 2:18.03
7. Lindsay Looney (TXLA) — 2:18.45
8. Rowyn Wilber (CLOV) — 2:19.00

Summer McIntosh was significantly faster than this morning, swimming 2:09.27 to win the 2nd semifinal, and earn her way into tomorrow night’s event final. She was out in the lead from the start, splitting 27.21 on the first 50 to be the only swimmer under 28 seconds in the field.

She had the fastest splits in all four strokes, coming in at 32.73 on the backstroke, 38.74 on the breaststroke, and 30.59 on the freestyle to win by almost four seconds.

Teagan O’Dell finished 2nd in 2:13.15, just under two seconds off her lifetime best 2:11.24 from July of 2025 after splitting 28.31/33.35/39.61/31.88. She had the 2nd fastest splits on butterfly and backstroke.

Emma Weyant finished 3rd in 2:14.74 with the 2nd fastest breaststroke and freestyle splits. She swam 38.96 on the breast and 31.12 on the free to lock up the 3rd seed in tomorrow’s final. Her time was a six tenth drop from her previous best 2:15.36 that she swam in November of 2020.

MEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Semifinals

• World Record: 1:52.69 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2025)
• American Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte (2011)
• US Open Record: 1:54.43 – Ryan Lochte, USA (2010)
• PSS Record: 1:55.68 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2023)
• World Jr Record: 1:56.99 – Hubert Kos, HUN (2021)
• Pool Record: 1:57.20 – Carson Foster

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – Finals

• World Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• American Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• US Open Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• PSS Record: 57.46 – Regan Smith, USA (2025)
• World Jr Record: 57.57 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
• Pool Record: 58.19 – Regan Smith

Top 8 Finishers

1. Regan Smith (TXLA) — 57.98
2. Rylee Erisman (LAKR) — 59.25
3. Anna Peplowski (ISC) — 1:00.18
4. Charlotte Crush (LAK) — 1:00.53
5. Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) — 1:01.85
6. Mena Boardman (CS) — 1:02.65
7. Emma Harvey (BER) — 1:02.72
8. Sydney Wasylenky (TOPS) — 1:02.98

Regan Smith easily took the top spot in the women’s 100 backstroke, swimming 57.98 to win by more than a second over Laker’s Rylee Erisman.

Smith was out in 28.21, six tenths ahead of Erisman’s 28.86, and she came home in 29.77, the only swimmer under 30 seconds in the field.

Smith also broke her own pool record in the event, taking down the 58.19 she swam in December at the U.S. Open.

Erisman set a new personal best time, touching in 59.25, to move up to 5th all-time in the 15-16 age group and drop just over a tenth from her previous best 59.39 that she swam in June.

Anna Peplowski rounded out the podium, swimming 1:00.18 to drop four tenths from her previous best 1:00.57 that she went in June of 2023.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – Finals

• World Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, ITA (2022)
• American Record: 51.85 – Ryan Murphy, USA (2016)
• US Open Record: 51.94 – Aaron Peirsol, USA (2009)
• PSS Record: 52.40 – David Plummer, USA (2016)
• World Jr Record: 52.08 – Mirin Lifintsev (2024)
• Pool Record: 52.51 – Shaine Casas