2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – RICHMOND
- April 10-13, 2019
- Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Richmond, VA
- Meet information
- Psych Sheets
- Live results
- TV/Live Stream Schedule
- Live Stream – USA Swimming (Prelims & Finals)
- Live Stream – NBC Sports (Finals)
- Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet
The first prelims session of the meet kicks off this morning, featuring the 200 free, 100 breast, 50 back, 100 fly, and 400 IM. The top two finishers in last night’s women’s 800 free, Katie Ledecky and Leah Smith, will be next to each other in the final heat of the women’s 400 IM this morning. They’re both also swimming the 200 free. Caeleb Dressel will be making his debut this morning in the 100 fly, where he is the top seed by over a second.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE
- PSS Record: Katie Ledecky – 1:54.43
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Katie Ledecky – 1:57.08
- Leah Smith – 1:58.15
- Hali Flickinger – 1:59.26
- Madisyn Cox – 1:59.84
- Katie Drabot – 1:59.98
- Brooke Forde – 2:01.05
- Kaersten Meitz – 2:01.16
- Leonie Kullman – 2:01.97
In the 5th and final heat, Katie Ledecky broke away early and roared to the top time of the morning by over a second, posting a 1:57.08. Leah Smith broke away from the pack in the heat 4, rockting to a 1:58.15. Madisyn Cox was behind Smith in that heat, dropping from her seed time of 2:00.82 to hit the wall in 1:59.84. Katie Drabot took heat 3, the first of the circle seeded heats, by a huge margin. She ultimately ended up 5th this morning with a 1:59.98.
Hali Flickinger was 2nd to Ledecky in heat 5, and 3rd overall this morning with a 1;59.26. Coming off a stellar meet at Women’s NCAAs a few weeks ago, Brooke Forde made it in 6th this morning in 2:01.05. 14-year-old Claire Tuggle was 9th this morning, posting a 2:02.13.
MEN’S 200 FREE
- PSS Record: Sun Yang – 1:44.82
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Zane Grothe – 1:49.46
- Caeleb Dressel – 1:49.67
- Zavh Harting – 1:49.84
- Jack Conger – 1:49.96
- Mohamed Samy – 1:50.53
- Jacob Pebley – 1:50.54
- Jan Switkowski – 1:50.58
- Norbert Szabo/Jack Wright – 1:51.18
Swimming in heat 7, the first of the circle seeded heats, Zach Harting roared to a 1:49.84, just 0.01 seconds off his personal best. Jack Conger took heat 8 with a 1:49,96, with Mohamed Samy 2nd in that heat with a 1:50.53. Conger swam a tight race, splitting 54.08 on the first 100, and 55.88 on the back half. It was Zane Grothe, last night’s 800 free champion, that swam the fastest time this morning. In the 9th and final heat, Grothe hit the wall in 1:49.46, while Caeleb Dressel was tight behind him in 1:49.67.
There is a tie for 8th between N0rbert Szabo and Jack Wright, but there will be no swim-off, as Szabo opted for the B-final.
WOMEN’s 100 BREAST
- PSS Record: Rebecca Soni – 1:05.57
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Annie Lazor – 1:07.71
- Sophie Hansson – 1:07.82
- Katie Meili – 1:08.88
- Molly Hannis – 1:09.01
- Breeja Larson – 1:09.71
- Zoe Bartel – 1:09.80
- Bethany Galat – 1:09.88
- Emily Escobedo – 1:09.91
Annie Lazor has been all-but-unstoppable on the Pro Swim Series this year, and she’s the top qualifier in the women’s 100 breast. Lazor currently has four wins in four 100/200 breast swims on the Pro Swim Series in 2019. She was 1:07.71.
Only a tenth behind was NC State swimmer and Swedish national Sophie Hansson at 1:07.82, with the rest of the field more than a second back. Katie Meili is competing in her first meet since Short Course Worlds, and she was 1:08.88 for third.
MEN’S 100 BREAST
- PSS Record: Adam Peaty – 58.86
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Cody Miller – 1:00.80
- Kevin Cordes – 1:01.20
- Nic Fink – 1:01.27
- Andrew Wilson – 1:01.31
- Chuck Katis – 1:01.40
- Josh Prenot – 1:01.69
- Nils Wich-Glasen – 1:01.69
- Jan Delkeskamp – 1:01.93
It’ll be Indiana-based pros leading both 100 breast events into finals. Lazor’s training partner Cody Miller won the men’s prelims at 1:00.80. That’s about two tenths off what he went in Des Moines last month.
The top two are the two 2016 U.S. Olympians in this event, interestingly enough, even though the men’s breaststrokes have seen a lot of young talent rise in the years since Rio. Kevin Cordes is second in 1:01.20 with Nic Fink and Andrew Wilson in tow.
WOMEN’S 50 BACK
- PSS Record: Olivia Smoliga – 27.43
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Olivia Smoliga – 27.97
- Katharine Berkoff – 28.26
- Claire Curzan – 28.58
- Ali DeLoof – 28.69
- Gabi Fa’Amausili – 28.81
- Klaudia Nazieblo / Anika Apostalon – 29.09
- —
- Isabella Arcila – 29.10
Olivia Smoliga of Athens Bulldog Swim Club won the women’s 50 back prelims, going 27.97 for the only sub-28 swim of the morning. Smoliga won this event in Knoxville and was second to Kathleen Baker in Des Moines. She’ll chase her second 50 back win of the tour tonight. She’s also only a half-second off the American record she set on the April stop in last year’s series in Mesa.
Katharine Berkoff is second at 28.26, with a three-tenth dropoff to the next qualifers. 14-year-old Claire Curzan is third in 28.58.
MEN’S 50 BACK
PSS Record: Michael Andrew – 24.68
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Michael Andrew – 24.66
- Ryan Held – 24.99
- Matt Grevers – 25.41
- Jacob Pebley – 25.75
- Ryan Murphy – 25.75
- Hennessey Stuart – 25.82
- Mohamed Samy – 25.89
- Nikos Sofianidis – 25.95
Maybe he’s more widely-known as a breaststroker and 50 freestyler, but Michael Andrew has been on a 50 back tear this year. He’s won both Pro Swim Series stops so far in that event and broke the Pro Swim Series record this morning – a record he set earlier in the tour. Andrew was 24.66, improving his 3rd-ranked time in the world this season by two one-hundredths.
2018-2019 LCM MEN 50 BACK
KOLESNIKOV
24.35 *WJR
| 2 | Michael ANDREW | USA | 24.39 | 06/21 |
| 3 | Vladimir MOROZOV | RUS | 24.40 | 08/16 |
| 4 | Zane WADDELL | RSA | 24.43 | 07/28 |
| 5 | Jiayu XU | CHN | 24.47 | 03/31 |
Ryan Held was the only other swimmer under 25 this morning. He’s followed by three U.S. backstroking Olympians: Matt Grevers, Jacob Pebley and Ryan Murphy.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY
- PSS Record: Sarah Sjostrom – 56.38
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Kelsi Dahlia – 58.03
- Farida Osman – 58.83
- Claire Curzan – 59.00
- Amanda Kendall – 59.19
- Hali Flickinger – 59.51
- Katie Drabot – 1:00.07
- Leah Gingrich – 1:00.34
- Aliena Schmidtke – 1:00.45
Like Andrew in the 50 back, Kelsi Dahlia is undefeated in the 100 fly on this year’s tour. She qualified fastest by eight tenths this morning, going 58.03. Dahlia has been exactly 57.86 at both stops so far, but was much faster this morning than she has in either of the other meets (58.3 in Knoxville; 59.6 in Des Moines).
Egypt’s Farida Osman was 58.83 for second. Meanwhile Claire Curzan cut eight tenths from her best to move from #5 all-time in the 13-14 age group to #1. She broke the National Age Group (NAG) record of 59.51 held by Kendyl Sewart since the 2009 super-suit era, and before that, since 1979 by Mary T. Meagher.
MEN’S 100 FLY
- PSS Record: Jack Conger – 51.00
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Caeleb Dressel – 52.55
- Michael Andrew – 52.84
- Santiago Grassi – 52.94
- Giles Smith – 52.97
- Zach Harting – 52.98
- Jack Conger – 53.12
- Jack Saunderson – 53.34
- Antani Ivanov – 53.35
Caeleb Dressel and Michael Andrew each went 52s in their second event of the morning. Dressel is the top qualifier at 52.55 – he won this race in Des Moines in 51.5. Andrew went 52.84 with the field’s fastest front-half at 24.2.
Also under 53: Santiago Grassi, Giles Smith and Zach Harting.
WOMEN’S 400 IM
- PSS Record: Katinka Hosszu – 4:31.07
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Leah Smith – 4:40.38
- Ella Eastin – 4:45.82
- Madisyn Cox – 4:46.19
- Brooke Forde – 4:49.05
- Katie Ledecky – 4:50.16
- Mia Abruzzo – 4:52.28
- Megan Kingsley – 4:53.84
- Lauren Poole – 4:56.50
Leah Smith had a huge 800 free best time last night, and she leads heats of the 400 IM by a big margin. Smith was 4:40.38 this morning. That’s one of the better times of her career outside of major national/international competition: her in-season best appears to be a 4:37.64 from the July Columbus Pro Swim Series last year.
NCAA standout Ella Eastin is the second qualifier at 4:45.82, with Madisyn Cox close behind.
MEN’S 400 IM
- PSS Record: Chase Kalisz – 4:08.92
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Tom Peribonio – 4:18.40
- Chase Kalisz – 4:21.08
- Sean Faikish – 4:27.65
- Zachary Tan – 4:28.33
- James McGuire – 4:31.05
- Matias Lopez – 4:31.31
- David Dixon – 4:32.06
- Santi Corredor – 4:32.46
Tom Peribonio out of Gator Swim Club went 4:18.40 to lead the men’s 400 IM. He’s about three seconds ahead of Olympic and World champ Chase Kalisz, 4:21.08 this morning. This was Kalisz’s first 400 IM since last summer’s Pan Pacific Championships.
It’s a couple of young guys after that: 17-year-old Sean Faikish and 15-year-old Zachary Tan.
I really don’t know where to ask but does anyone know what nowicki is up to? Great talent!!!
Chuck Katis is still around?
Can someone tell me what the NBC sports app is? This is where we can watch the finals this evening, but I can’t find it. Help!
If you have an iphone, go to the apps store and type in “NBC Sports App.” It should be the second one to come up (the first being a sponsored app).
If there is anyone trying to sell a ticket for tomorrow, hit me up.
I watched the prelims of the 400 IM (for men) on USA Swimming. Chase Kalisz qualified second, behind Tomas Peribonio. All the events look very interesting. Can’t wait for finals!
Prelims in the TYR series are usually low key and most big names don’t turn it on till the evening session
Could it be low key because there are so few people there?
Does anyone know if Dressel swum in a brief for prelims?
I don’t think so. He’s the top seed in the 100 Fly and second in the 200 Free.
He was wearing Jockey underwear and ankle weights.
Which, incidentally, is also known as the practice attire Dean Farris wears every day.
Just for practice? I swore I saw him sporting it during his 800 free relay leadoff at NCAAs.
Oh, you didn’t hear? That wasn’t a relay, it was only Dean for 800 yards.
Too many no shows.
Always
Didn’t watch her race, but Claire Curzan (59.00 100 fly) really impressive also in LCM