2022 U.S. World Championship Trials: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2022 U.S. World Championship Trials

• April 26-30, 2022
• Greensboro, NC
• Greensboro Aquatic Center
• LCM (50m)
• Start Times: Prelims – 9 am ET / Finals – 6 pm ET
• Worlds Qualifying Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ‘Em Contest
• How To Watch
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

FRIDAY EVENING HEAT SHEETS

Friday night’s finals session will give us six more World Championships qualifiers for Team USA. Katie Ledecky is looking to add the 400 free to the 200/800 freestyle events for which she is already qualified, but the battle is on for second place. Leah Smith was almost five seconds faster than Bella Sims in heats, but it should be a closer race in the final. Lilly King is in position to sweep the three breaststroke events; after winning the 200 breast and 50 breast titles this week, she is top seed in the 100 breast tonight with 1:06.20. Kaitlyn Dobler, the NCAA champion in the 100 yard breast, was the only other sub-1:07 this morning. The 100 back could be the most exciting race of the night, with six of the top-10 swimmers in the world so far this season all chasing the title. Regan Smith and Rhyan White both broke 59 seconds in heats, but the field is deep behind them and Katharine Berkoff, Isabelle Stadden, Claire Curzan, and Phoebe Bacon are all contenders.

In the men’s 400 free, the odds are on Kieran Smith who won the 200 free, but he will have to beat Luke Hobson, Trey Freeman, and Coby Carrozza, all of whom qualified ahead of him. Michael Andrew and Nic Fink are the favorites in the 100 breast; they are the only two qualifiers who broke 1 minute in heats. The men’s 100 back is as crowded and as deep as the women’s. Justin Ress had the morning’s fastest time, but World Record-holder Ryan Murphy, Shaine Casas, and newly-minted 50 back World Record-holder Hunter Armstrong are all within shooting distance.

Friday, April 29

Women’s 400 Meter Freestyle – Finals

• World Record: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky (2016)
• American Record: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky (2016)
• US Open Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky (2018)
• Jr World Record: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky (2014)
• FINA “A” Cut: 4:10.57
• SwimSwam Preview – W400 Free

Podium:

1. Katie Ledecky, Unattached – 3:59.52
2. Leah Smith, Longhorn Aquatics – 4:03.15
3. Bella Sims, Sandpipers of Nevada – 4:06.61
4. Katie Grimes, Sandpipers of Nevada – 4:06.67
5. Hali Flickinger, Sun Devils – 4:07.97
6. Claire Weinstein, Sandpipers of Nevada – 4:09.39
7. Cavan Gormsen, Long Island Aquatic Club – 4:12.92
8. Erin Gemmell, Nation’s Capital – 4:13.63

Katie Ledecky notched the world’s only sub-4:00 time of the 2021-22 season so far with a 3:59.52 to win the women’s 400 free by 3.6 seconds. Bella Sims set the pace early on, flipping first at the 50 wall with Ledecky and Leah Smith just behind. Ledecky took over at the 100 wall, leading Sims by a quarter of a second. From there, she seemed to get faster with each 50. By the 150, Ledecky was ahead of Smith, who had moved past Sims, by seven-tenths.

By the halfway mark, Ledecky was 1.1 seconds ahead of Smith with 1:59. Sims was another second behind Smith. Ledecky continued to build her lead over the second half of the race, while Smith was unchallenged in second place.

Ledecky finished with 3:59.52, the 21st-best performance in history. Sixteen of those 21 performances are Ledecky’s; three belong to Ariarne Titmus, and one to Federica Pellegrini.

Smith took second in 4:03.15. Sims held off a very strong challenge from teammate Katie Grimes; they finished third and fourth with 4:06.61 and 4:06.67, respectively. Sims now ranks 18th in American history, while Grimes moves to 19th.

Men’s 400 Meter Freestyle – Finals

• World Record: 3:40.07 – Paul Biedermann (2009)
• American Record: 3:42.78 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• US Open Record: 3:43.53 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• Jr World Record: 3:44.60 – Mack Horton (2014)
• FINA “A” Cut: 3:48.15
• SwimSwam Preview – M400 Free

Podium:

1. Kieran Smith, Florida – 3:46.61
2. Trey Freeman, Florida – 3:46.93
3. Ross Dant, NC State – 3:47.11
4. Charlie Clark, Ohio State – 3:49.36
5. Coby Carrozza, Texas – 3:50.41
6. Tyler Watson, Florida – 3:52.40
7. Luke Hobson, Texas – 3:52.94
8. Nicholas Caruso, Gator Swim Club – 3:53.50

After winning the 200 free on Day 2, Kieran Smith added the 400 free to his portfolio of events for World Championships, clocking a 3:46.61. Smith got out to the early lead, flipping first at the 50 wall with Coby Carrozza and Ross Dant behind him. The three were in the same order at the 100, 150, and 200 walls.

At the halfway point, Smith led Dant by six-tenths; Carrozza was another second behind Dant. Dant crept up on Smith over the next two 50s, narrowing his deficit to just .28 at the 300 wall. Meanwhile, Charlie Clark had passed Carroza and held third place.

Dant flipped just ahead of Smith at the 350 wall and Trey Freeman moved into third place, blowing by Clark. The final 50 meters was an all-out sprint. Smith regained the lead, finishing first with 3:46.61. Freeman dug deep to edge Dant for second place, 3:46.93 to 3:47.11.

The top three finishers all made the FINA “A” cut.

Women’s 100 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
• American Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
• US Open Record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy (2009)
• Jr World Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte (2013)
• FINA “A” Cut: 1:07.43
• SwimSwam Preview – W100 Breast

Podium:

1. Lilly King, Indiana Swim Club – 1:05.67
2. Annie Lazor, Indiana Swim Club – 1:06.12
3. Kaitlyn Dobler, Unattached – 1:06.19
4. Lydia Jacoby, Seward Tsunami – 1:06.21
5. Alex Walsh, Virginia – 1:07.59
6. Anna Keating, Virginia – 1:08.45
7. Mackenzie Looze, Indiana University – 1:08.83
8. Hannah Bach, Ohio State – 1:09.36

Lilly King successfully completed her sweep of the three breaststroke events with a dominant 1:05.67 in the final of the 100 breast. King was out quickly, hitting the 50 wall in 30.81 to lead Annie Lazor by two-tenths. NCAA champion Kaitlyn Dobler was another tenth behind, and Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby trailed King by seven-tenths.

The race for second place heated up down the stretch, as both Dobler and Jacoby put pressure on Lazor over the final 25 meters. King remained untouchable out front, but Jacoby had the fastest second 50 of the field (34.71) and she fell just short of getting her hands to the wall ahead of Lazor and Dobler.

After King’s winning 1:05.67, it was Lazor with 1:06.12, Dobler with 1:06.19, and Jacoby with 1:06.21.

Men’s 100 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (2019)
• American Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• US Open Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• Jr World Record: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi (2017)
• FINA “A” Cut: 59.75
• SwimSwam Preview – M100 Breast

Podium:

1. Nic Fink, Metro Atlantic – 58.37
2. Michael Andrew, MA Swim Academy – 58.51
3. Charlie Swanson, Nova of Virginia – 1:00.06
4. Kevin Houseman, Northwestern – 1:00.30
5. Tommy Cope, Indiana Swim Club – 1:00.42
6. Cody Miller, Sandpipers of Nevada – 1:00.68
7. AJ Pouch, Virginia Tech – 1:01.07
8. Zhier Fan, Metroplex – 1:01.38

Nic Fink became the second-fastest American of all time when he won the 100 breast final in 58.37. His performance now leads the world rankings for the 2021-22 season, moving past Arno Kamminga’s 58.52 from February. Fink’s previous personal best was a 58.50 from Olympic Trials last summer.

American Record-holder Michael Andrew set the pace on the first 50 meters, leading Fink by three-tenths at the halfway point. Fink was almost half a second faster on the back half, though, and got his hands to the wall with a .14 margin for the win.

Charlie Swanson moved past Kevin Houseman on the second 50 to finish in third place with 1:00.06. Houseman held off Tommy Cope and Cody Miller to finish fourth.

Women’s 100 Meter Backstroke – Finals

• World Record: 57.45 – Kaylee McKeown (2021)
• American Record: 57.57 – Regan Smith (2019)
• US Open Record: 57.92 – Regan Smith (2021)
• Jr World Record: 57.57 – Regan Smith (2019)
• FINA “A” Cut: 1:00.59
• SwimSwam Preview – W100 Back

Podium:

1. Regan Smith, Unattached – 57.76
2. Claire Curzan, TAC Ttitans – 58.39
3. Rhyan White, Alabama – 58.59
4. Katharine Berkoff, NC State – 58.61
5. Isabelle Stadden, Unattached – 59.16
6. Olivia Smoliga, Sun Devils – 59.29
7. Phoebe Bacon, Unattached – 59.56
8. Amy Fulmer, Ohio State – 1:00.48

Regan Smith looked like a woman on a mission. The World Record-holder went out like a shot and led the field from wire to wire. She flipped at 28.06, .26 ahead of Rhyan White and Claire Curzan and half a second ahead of Katharine Berkoff and Isabelle Stadden, at the 50 wall.

Smith continued her pace over the second half of the race, outsplitting everyone with the only sub-30 on the back half. She came to the wall in a blazing 57.76, winning by half a body length and taking down the U.S. Open Record, which she had set in 2021 with 57.92.

Behind her, Curzan had a stellar second 50, going 30.07 to separate herself from White. Curzan took second place with 58.39, while White successfully held off a strong charge from Berkoff. Berkoff came home two-tenths faster than White, but fell just short of third place, 58.59 to 58.61.

Men’s 100 Meter Backstroke – Finals

• World Record: 51.85 – Ryan Murphy (2016)
• American Record: 51.85 – Ryan Murphy (2016)
• US Open Record: 51.94 – Aaron Peirsol (2009)
• Jr World Record: 52.53 – Kliment Kolesnikov (2018)
• FINA “A” Cut: 54.03
• SwimSwam Preview – M100 Back

Podium:

1. Hunter Armstrong, Ohio State – 52.20
2. Ryan Murphy, Cal – 52.46
3. Justin Ress, Mission Viejo – 52.73
4. Shaine Casas, Unattached – 53.01
5. Daniel Carr, Unattached – 53.59
6. Jack Aikins, Virginia – 53.95
7. Sam Stewart, Unattached – 53.99
8. Daniel Diehl, YMCA of Cumberlands – 54.15

200 back champion Ryan Murphy got out to a fast start on the first half of the 100 back, and led by a tenth at the 50 wall with 25.18. However, the second half of the race proved crucial. Hunter Armstrong, who set the World Record in the 50 back last night, kept the pressure on Murphy, then took off halfway down the stretch to outpace the 100 back World Record-holder, 26.9 to 27.2, over the second 50. Armstrong stopped the clock at 52.20 for the win, improving his PB by .28. Murphy touched in 52.46 for second place.

Justin Ress and Shaine Casas both came home nearly two-tenths faster than Murphy, but his first 50 had made him out of reach for them. Ress finished third with 52.73; Casas, fourth, with 53.01.