2022 U.S. World Championship Trials: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2022 U.S. World Championship Trials

WEDNESDAY EVENING HEAT SHEETS

Day Two finals session will add a new crop of international qualifiers to the Team USA rosters. Katie Ledecky will seek her second spot, this time in the 200 free. Lilly King, Kate Douglass, and Annie Lazor will battle for right to represent the US in the 200 breast, while Phoebe Bacon, Rhyan White, and Regan Smith will do the same in the 200 back. Claire Curzan posted the top time this morning in the 50 fly, just ahead of American record-holder Kelsi Dahlia.

In the men’s events, Carson Foster led the qualifiers for the 200 free final, dropping nearly a second from his previous PB to post the #3 time in the world for the season. His brother Jake Foster had the fastest 200 breast of the morning; he will face challenges by Charlie Swanson and Nic Fink. Shaine Casas will have the middle lane in the 200 but with Jack Aikins and Ryan Murphy on either side of him. Finally, in the men’s 50 fly, Michael Andrew qualified first for tonight’s final, but one should never write off Caeleb Dressel, who will be swimming in lane 5 after putting up the second-fastest time this morning.

Wednesday, April 27

Women’s 200 Meter Freestyle – Finals

  • World Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pellegrini (2009)
  • American Record: 1:53.61 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
  • US Open Record: 1:54.40 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
  • Jr World Record: 1:55.11 – Mollie O’Callaghan (2021)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 1:58.66
  • SwimSwam Preview – W200 Free

Podium:

  1. Katie Ledecky, Unattached – 1:55.15
  2. Claire Weinstein, Sandpipers of Nevada – 1:57.08
  3. Leah Smith, Longhorn Aquatics – 1:57.44
  4. Hali Flickinger, Sun Devils – 1:57.53
  5. Bella Sims, Sandpipers of Nevada – 1:57.61
  6. Alex Walsh, Virginia – 1:57.82
  7. Erin Gemmell, Nation’s Capital – 1:58.12
  8. Katie Grimes, Sandpipers of Nevada – 1:58.22

Katie Ledecky pulled off a wire-to-wire win in the 200 free to start Day 2 finals, going 1:55.15 to lead the field by over a body length.

Alex Walsh was in second place at the halfway mark, with Bella Sims just behind. Leah Smith passed Sims on the third 50 and was began to move up on Walsh.

Claire Weinstein, threw it into another gear over the final 50 meters to pass all three of them and finish second to Ledecky with 1:57.08, a new personal best and the #3 performance of all-time for the 15-16 age group. Smith (1:57.44) held on for third place, while Hali Flickinger edged Sims for fourth, 1:57.53 to 1:57.61. Alex Walsh finished sixth with 1:57.82.

The entire A final came in under the FINA “A” standard.

Men’s 200 Meter Freestyle – Finals

  • World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann (2009)
  • American Record: 1:42.96 – Michael Phelps (2008)
  • US Open Record: 1:44.10 – Michael Phelps (2008)
  • Jr World Record: 1:44.62 – Sunwoo Hwang (2021)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 1:47.06
  • SwimSwam Preview – M200 Free

Podium:

  1. Kieran Smith, Florida – 1:45.25
  2. Drew Kibler, Texas – 1:45.32
  3. Carson Foster, Texas – 1:45.66
  4. Trenton Julian, Unattached – 1:46.69
  5. Coby Carrozza, Texas – 1:46.87
  6. Trey Freeman, Florida – 1:46.93
  7. Luke Hobson, Texas – 1:47.43
  8. Luca Urlando, DART – 1:47.99

Olympic bronze medalist Kieran Smith won the men’s 200 free from lane 6, having qualified fourth out of heats. Smith put up the fastest time in the world so far this season, winning in 1:45.25.

Top-seeded Carson Foster led the field at the 50 wall, but Smith took over at the 100 and never let up. Drew Kibler remained in the second position throughout the entire race, coming with .07 of Smith at the touch to nearly take the event. Kibler’s 1:45.32 is the #2 time in the world thus far.

Foster came in third, finishing a full second ahead of Trenton Julian, 1:45.66 to 1:45.69.

Coby Carrozza (1:46.87= and Trey Freeman (1:46.93) came in fifth and sixth, both swimming faster than the FINA “A” cut.

2021-2022 LCM Men 200 Free

DavidROM
Popovici
08/15
1:42:97 WJR
2Hwang
Sunwoo
KOR1:44.4706/20
3Thomas
Dean
GBR1:44.9806/20
4Drew
Kibler
USA1:45.0106/20
5Duncan
Scott
GBR1:45.0207/30
View Top 27»

Women’s 200 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

  • World Record: 2:18.95 – Tatjana Schoenmaker (2021)
  • American Record: 2:19.59 – Rebecca Soni (2012)
  • US Open Record: 2:20.38 – Rebecca Soni (2009)
  • Jr World Record: 2:19.64 – Viktoria Gunes (2015)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 2:25.91
  • SwimSwam Preview – W200 Breast

Podium:

  1. Lilly King, Indiana Swim Club – 2:21.19
  2. Kate Douglass, Virginia – 2:21.43
  3. Annie Lazor, Indiana Swim Club – 2:21.91
  4. Anna Keating, Virginia – 2:24.62
  5. Lydia Jacoby, Seward – 2:26.60
  6. Mackenzie Looze, Indiana University – 2:27.60
  7. Ella Nelson, Virginia – 2:29.07
  8. Josie Panitz, Ohio State – 2:29.78

In a thrilling race to the end, Lilly King edged Kate Douglass and Annie Lazor to win the women’s 200 breast with 2:21.19. King went out characteristically fast, leading by .9 at the halfway mark in 1:07.7. Douglass turned up the pressure over the second half of the race and finished just .24 behind King with 2:21.43 to become the fourth-fastest performer in American history (behind only Rebecca Soni, King, and Lazor). Lazor touched in third place with 2:21.91, and the trio are now the only sub-2:22s in the world so far this year.

Splits:

King – 1:07.7/1:13.4
Douglass – 1:08.5/1:12.8
Lazor – 1:09.0/1:12.8

2021-2022 LCM Women 200 Breast

2Lilly
King
USA2:21.1904/27
3Kate
Douglass
USA2:21.4304/27
4Tatjana
Schoenmaker
RSA2:21.7607/31
5Annie
Lazor
USA2:21.9104/27
View Top 27»

Men’s 200 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

  • World Record: 2:06.12 – Anton Chupkov (2019)
  • American Record: 2:07.17 – Josh Prenot (2016)
  • US Open Record: 2:07.17 – Josh Prenot (2016)
  • Jr World Record: 2:09.39 – Haiyang Qin (2017)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 2:10.32
  • SwimSwam Preview – M200 Breast

Podium:

  1. Nic Fink, MAAC / Charlie Swanson, Nova of Virginia – 2:08.84
  2. Jake Foster, Texas – 2:09.73
  3. Will Licon, Longhorn Aquatics – 2:11.03
  4. AJ Pouch, Virginia Tech – 2:11.14
  5. Josh Matheny, Indiana University – 2:11.14
  6. Tommy Cope, Indiana Swim Club – 2:12.84
  7. Maxwell Reich, Indiana University – 2:15.04

Jake Foster, swimming in lane 4 after posting the top time out of morning heats, went out first in the final, leading Charlie Swanson by a tenth at the 50 wall. Swanson took over the lead at the 100, outsplitting Foster by half a second on the second 50. Swanson was still up by almost half a body at the 150 turn and seemed to have the race sewn up.

But then along came Nic Fink.

Fink upped his tempo over the final 50 meters to shoot by Foster. He then began to challenge Swanson and the two traded stroke for stroke over the final 15 meters. They lunged for the wall and stopped the clock at exactly the same time, going 2:08.84 to tie for first place.

Foster fell off pace over the final 50 meters to finish third in 2:09.73, 1.3 seconds ahead of Will Licon (2:11.03).

Women’s 200 Meter Backstroke – Finals

  • World Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (2019)
  • American Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (2019)
  • US Open Record: 2:05.68 – Missy Franklin (2013)
  • Jr World Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (2019)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 2:11.08
  • SwimSwam Preview – W200 Back

Podium:

  1. Phoebe Bacon, Unattached – 2:05.08
  2. Rhyan White, Alabama – 2:05.13
  3. Regan Smith, Unattached – 2:05.65
  4. Isabelle Stadden, Unattached – 2:09.69
  5. Reilly Tiltmann, Virginia – 2:10.15
  6. Kennedy Noble, Phoenix Swim Club – 2:10.53
  7. Natalie Mannion, Commonwealth – 2:10.81
  8. Jo Jo Ramey, Fishers Area Swimming Tigers – 2:10.92

The women’s 200 back final was equally as exciting as the 200 breast final, but this time, the top three finishers all came to the wall under the U.S. Open Record time of 2:05.68, set by Missy Franklin in 2013.

Rhyan White took the early lead, flipping in 29.65 at the 50 wall. World Record-holder Regan Smith was just .06 behind, and Phoebe Bacon trailed by .24. Bacon pulled to the lead over the second 50, outsplitting the other two by four-tenths, 31.5 to a pair of 31.9s.

The excitement built over the second half of the race. It was on the final 50 yards that Smith came from behind to win the NCAA title this year, and here she looked like she was making her move on the third 50. But Bacon and White still had plenty left in the tank, and where Smith went 32.0, they went 31.8 and 31.9, respectively.

White had the fastest final 50, coming home one-tenth faster than Bacon, but it wasn’t enough to grab the title. Bacon won in 2:05.08 to White’s 2:05.13; Smith finished third in 2:05.65.

All three were faster than Franklin’s U.S. Open record, and the entire championship final swam better than the FINA “A” cut.

Bacon, White, and Smith now rank second, third, and fourth in the world. Only Australia’s Kaylee McKeown has been faster, with 2:04.64.

2021-2022 LCM Women 200 Back

KayleeAUS
McKeown
02/18
2:04.64
2Phoebe
Bacon
USA2:05.0804/27
3Rhyan
White
USA2:05.1304/27
4Regan
Smith
USA2:05.6504/27
5Margherita
Panziera
ITA2:07.1308/12
View Top 27»

Men’s 200 Meter Backstroke – Finals

  • World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol (2009)
  • American Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol (2009)
  • US Open Record: 1:53.08 – Aaron Peirsol (2009)
  • Jr World Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov (2017)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 1:58.07
  • SwimSwam Preview – M200 Back

Podium:

  1. Ryan Murphy, Cal – 1:55.01
  2. Shaine Casas, Unattached – 1:55.46
  3. Jack Aikins, Virginia – 1:56.29
  4. Hunter Tapp, NC State – 1:56.79
  5. Destin Lasco, Unattached – 1:57.31
  6. Keaton Jones, Neptune – 1:57.97
  7. Josh Zuchowski, FAST – 1:58.44
  8. Sam Stewart, Unattached – 1:58.80

Shaine Casas, whose 1:55.57 in prelims this morning was the fastest performance in the world so far this year, got off to a quick start from lane 4. He flipped at 26.8 and 56.0 to lead 2016 Olympic champion Ryan Murphy by two-tenths at the halfway mark. Just behind the leaders was UVA’s Jack Aikins.

Murphy surged on the third 50, outsplitting Casas by half a second to lead 1:25.3 to 1:25.7 on the final wall. Murphy held the lead, through to the finish, winning with 1:55.01 to take over the top time in the world. Casas improved on his prelims time, and now ranks second with 1:55.46.

Aikins finished in third place, half a body behind the leaders and .50 ahead of fourth-place Hunter Tapp (1:56.79). Destin Lasco (1:57.31) and Keaton Jones (1:57.97) also finished faster than the FINA “A” cut.

2021-2022 LCM Men 200 Back

RyanUSA
Murphy
06/23
1:54.52
2Luke
Greenbank
GBR1:55.1606/23
3Shaine
Casas
USA1:55.3506/23
4Yohan
Ndoye-Brouard
FRA1:55.6208/13
5Carson
Foster
USA1:55.8607/09
View Top 26»

Women’s 50 Meter Butterfly – Finals

  • World Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjoestroem (2014)
  • American Record: 25.48 – Kelsi Dahlia (2017)
  • US Open Record: 25.46 – Rikako Ikee (2017)
  • Jr World Record: 25.46 – Rikako Ikee (2017)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 26.32

Podium:

  1. Claire Curzan, TAC Titans – 25.49
  2. Torri Huske, Unattached – 25.68
  3. Kelsi Dahlia, Cardinal Aquatics – 25.71
  4. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 25.97
  5. Sarah Thompson, Missouri – 26.06
  6. Natalie Hinds, Unattached – 26.18
  7. Gabi Albiero, University of Louisville – 26.51
  8. Beata Nelson, Wisconsin Aquatics – 26.53

Claire Curzan improved on her prelims time by .11, which had been the fastest 50 fly in the world so far this year, with her winning performance of 25.49. She came within a hundredth of the U.S. Open Record of 25.48, set in 2017 by Kelsi Dahlia. Dahlia was swimming beside Curzan in lane 5 and looked as though she might take the race, but over the final 20 meters, Curzan solidified her lead over the field.

Meanwhile, Torri Huske came from behind to clip Dahlia for second place, stopping the clock in 25.68 to Dahlia’s 25.71.

Gretchen Walsh (25.97), Sarah Thompson (26.06) and Natalie Hinds (26.18) all beat the FINA “A” standard with their fourth- to sixth-place finishes.

2021-2022 LCM Women 50 Fly

2Melanie
Henique
FRA25.3106/24
3Yufei
Zhang
CHN25.3206/24
4Marie
Wattel
FRA25.3308/13
5Torri
Huske
USA25.38 06/23
View Top 27»

Men’s 50 Meter Butterfly – Finals

  • World Record: 22.27 – Andri Govorov (2018)
  • American Record: 22.35 – Caeleb Dressel (2019)
  • US Open Record: 22.91 – Bryan Lundquist (2009)
  • Jr World Record: 23.05 – Andrei Minakov (2020)
  • FINA “A” Cut: 23.63

Podium:

  1. Caeleb Dressel, Gator Swim Club – 22.84
  2. Michael Andrew, MA Academy – 22.87
  3. Maxime Rooney, Pleasanton Seahawks – 23.25
  4. Dalton Lowe, University of Louisville – 23.77
  5. Zach Harting, Cardinal Aquatics – 23.81
  6. Ilya Kharun, Sandpipers of Nevada – 23.90
  7. Coleman Stewart, Wolfpack – 23.91
  8. Carl Bloebaum, Mason Manta Rays – 24.33

American Record-holder Caeleb Dressel took down the U.S. Open Record that had stood since 2009 with his winning 22.84. Dressel and Michael Andrew, who had been the fastest this morning in heats, put on an explosive show in the middle two lanes, finishing with .03 of each other with the second- and third-fastest times in the world so far this year. Brazil’s Nicholas Santos went 22.73 earlier this month for the leading performance of the season.

Behind the leaders, only Maxime Rooney went under the FINA “A” mark with his 23.25 for third place. Rooney is the 5th-fastest American in history in the 100 butterfly, but hadn’t been a long course best in any race since 2019 until this 50 fly result, which shaved .07 seconds off his previous best time – a split en route to his 50.68 in the 100 fly.

2021-2022 LCM Men 50 Fly

2Oleg
Kostin
RUS22.7204/28
3Nicholas
Santos
BRA22.7304/05
4Benjamin
Proud
GBR22.7606/18
5Thomas
Ceccon
ITA22.7906/18
View Top 27»

 

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Friuti
2 years ago

I get that they’re not bad at the 100 Fly, but why are all 3 of Smith, White and Bacon swimming it this morning in the same session as 50 Back? Not judging just trying to understand.

Friuti
Reply to  Friuti
2 years ago

nvm no Regan.

Falcons
2 years ago

Can someone show how many TOP FIVE World Ranking times our swimmers have achieved so far and then carry that forward for the whole trials meet, please?

Swimmerfromjapananduk
2 years ago

Seto with a 4:09:0 for world #1 at Japan championships

Troyy
Reply to  Swimmerfromjapananduk
2 years ago

Rikako went the same time as Curzan in the 50 fly (25.49) so will be interesting to see what she goes in the 100.

Swimmerfromjapananduk
Reply to  Troyy
2 years ago

Genuinely happy for her. She was an incredible swimmer as a junior, until she developed leukaemia. She was quite upset with her performances in the last few years and her swim today has shown that she’s starting to come back

zdhamme86
Reply to  Swimmerfromjapananduk
2 years ago

I have a pretty good feeling that will be only number 2 or 3 after finals tonight

swimmerfromjapananduk
Reply to  zdhamme86
2 years ago

we’ll see

Bobo Gigi
2 years ago

WOMEN’S 200 FREE
Globally a slow race.
But good news for the US relay to have a great young prospect like Claire Weinstein.
She will take much experience at worlds.
Hopefully she doesn’t go in too many directions in the future with open water that could prevent her from reaching her full potential in the pool. Same remark about Katie Grimes.
There’s a great group of fast young mid-distance freestyle girls at Sandpipers. Let’s hope they keep pushing each other and keep focusing mostly on the pool.
Why Grimes swam the 200 back prelims? Nonsense.
She must focus on the 200 free for the relay and in individual about the 400 free/800 free/1500… Read more »

Samuel Huntington
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
2 years ago

Regan lost her backstroke magic before she changed training places.

Jackson
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
2 years ago

Reagan had the perfect storm in 2019. There were no expectations and she was in prime condition. She was on a high going into the Olympics and would have done phenomenally. But with it being postponed her body changed a little bit and her mind changed a lot. Her psyche got to her.

John26
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
2 years ago

How is the womens 200free a globally slow race. It’s probably the fastest it’s ever been.

nuotofan
2 years ago

Thanks Usaswimming for streaming available also in Europe, I enjoyed every race. For instance the 200 back B final where Williamson told Diehl: “you are the real Diehl, but I’m Maximus” 😃

Swimmerfromjapananduk
Reply to  nuotofan
2 years ago

Destined for the top

Not-so-Silent Observer
2 years ago

Some late night food for thought:

I wonder if the recent Stanford troubles started when Meehan recruited Katie, then learned of/observed her training methods and the team was generally doing so well with Katie, Lia Neal, the Ally duo, Manuel, Easton and Drabot, etc. So he adopted Ledeckys work ethic as the cornerstone of his training methods and just has not learned how to properly taper his swimmers down from that work load. Similar to Eddie Reese that one year (maybe it was 2017-2018)where he says he worked the Texas men harder than he ever has and later admitted they missed their taper because he wore them down too much.

The difference is, Eddie learned from it and adapted/corrected. Where… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Not-so-Silent Observer
Steve Nolan
Reply to  Not-so-Silent Observer
2 years ago

Outside of having any inside info, it’s hard to speculate. There’s definitely still time for them to “turn it around” so to say by Paris.

If everyone’s still sorta the same / regressing by then, I’d jump on the hater bandwagon.

Birch
Reply to  Not-so-Silent Observer
2 years ago

“Stanford troubles”

Huske literally won the 100 free earlier in the meet and has been improving… Ruck had an outstanding turn around from NCAAs to Canadian Trials.

Manuel, Eastin and Ledecky all got significantly faster at Stanford, including all the other athletes mentioned…
Manuel 100 Free 46.75 (HS) > 45.56 (College)

Eastin 400 IM 4:05.35 (HS) > 3:54.60 (College)

Even Ledecky 500… 4:26.58 (HS) > 4:24.06 (College)

I don’t really know where this recent Stanford hate train is coming from…

Robin
2 years ago

Sarah Sjöström posted a 25.05 on the 50 fly about three weeks ago so that world ranking wasn’t correct

Last edited 2 years ago by Robin
Smith-Jacoby-Huske-Curzan
2 years ago

Just for the record:

The Bacon Sizzles!

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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