Pro Swim Series – Mission Viejo: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2022 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – MISSION VIEJO

• June 1 to 4, 2022
• LCM (50m)
• Marguerite Aquatics Center, Mission Viejo, CA
• Meet Central
• Pre-Scratch Psych Sheets
• Livestream
• Live Results

THURSDAY FINALS HEAT SHEET

Thursday night’s finals session of the Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series stop will feature the 100 free, 100 breast, 200 fly, and 400 free. The men’s 100 free has shaped up to be a great race tonight, with Ryan Held and Justin Ress both posting low 49s in prelims. An Arizona State trio of Carter Swift, Grant House, and Patrick Sammon were all knocking on the door of being sub-50 this morning, and could certainly enter the fray tonight. NC State’s David Curtiss was one of the top seeds coming in, but finished 8th this morning with a 50.85, and therefore will be operating out of an outside lane tonight.

USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler has a chance to make a statement swim tonight in the women’s 100 breast after posting the only sub-1:10 in the field in prelims. Dobler swam a 1:08.66 in prelims, about 2.5 seconds off her personal best of 1:06.19, which she swam at the U.S. International Team Trials in late April.

Swimming a 1:57.21 this morning, Arizona State’s Leon Marchand, a French national, blew away the field with a 1:57.21. Next in was Sandpipers 17-year-old Ilya Kharun, who swam a 2:00.95 this morning.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – FINALS

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel (2019)
• US Open Record: 52.54 – Simone Manuel (2018)
• JR World Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak (2016)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 53.12 – Sarah Sjostrom (2016)

Podium:

1. Katarzyna Wasick (TRA) – 54.57
2. Bella Sims (SAND) – 55.18
3. Lindsay Looney (SUN) – 55.55

30-year-old Polish national Katarzyna Wasick was in control of this race essentially from the beginning, tearing to a season best of 54.57. The swim was just off Wasick’s personal best of 54.22, which she swam in 2019. Wasick has primarily been most successful in the 50 free, having won Bronze in the SCM 50 free at the SC World Championships in Abu Dhabi this past December. She used her speed going out tonight, splitting 26.27 on the opening 50 of the race, which was over half a second faster than anyone else in the field.

Olympic Silver medalist Bella Sims came in 2nd tonight, swimming a huge new personal best of 55.18. Sims had swum a personal best of 55.89 in this morning’s prelims, before taking another 0.71 seconds off tonight. She swam a much more conservative race than Wasick, going out in 27.02, then coming home in 28.16.

Lindsay Looney also swam a new personal best, dipping under 56 seconds for the first time in her career to take 3rd.

MEN’S 100 FREE – FINALS

• World Record: 46.91 – Cesar Cielo Filho (2009)
• American Record: 46.96 – Caeleb Dressel (2019)
• US Open Record: 47.39 – Ryan Held/Caeleb Dressel (2019)
• JR World Record: 47.30 – David Popovici (2021)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 48.00 – Nathan Adrian (2016)

Podium:

1. Ryan Held (NYAC) – 48.64
2. Justin Ress (MVN) – 48.90
3. Carter Swift (SUN) – 49.51

Ryan Held was just off his time from the U.S. International Team Trials in late April, swimming a speedy 48.64. He got out ahead of the field, and while Justin Ress closed on him down the stretch, Held was able to hold on and get his hand on the wall first. The swim was just off the 48.18 Held swam for 3rd at Trials, landing him a spot on the 4×100 free relay for the World Championships this summer.

Ress’ 48.90 was also not far off the 48.38 he swam at Trials, which landed him 6th. Arizona State’s Carter Swift was 3rd tonight, breaking 50 seconds.

Also dipping under 50 seconds tonight were Sun Devils Grant House (49.61) and Patrick Sammon (49.88).

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – 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)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 1:05.32 – Lilly King (2021)

Podium:

1. Kailtyn Dobler (TROJ) – 1:07.60
2. Viktoria Gunes (UN-MVN) – 1:09.38
3. Isabelle Odgers (TROJ) – 1:09.56

It was all Kaitlyn Dobler right from the start, which was to be expected if you watched prelims this morning. The 20-year-old exploded out of the start, building a body length lead by the 25m mark. Dobler used her speed to her advantage splitting a sizzling 31.46 on the first 50, which was the only opening 50 split under 33 seconds in the field tonight. She appeared to tighten up a bit through the final 25m of the race, but was still able to post a 1:07.60, not far off the 1:06.19 she swam at U.S. Trials in April.

Viktoria Gunes and Isabelle Odgers were locked in a dead heat, turning at the halfway mark just 0.11 seconds apart. Gunes would have the edge, managing to get her hands on the wall just ahead of Odgers at the finish.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – 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)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 58.67 – Michael Andrew (2021)

Podium:

1. Will Licon (TXLA) – 1:01.46
2. Brandon Fischer (UN-PC) – 1:01.79
3. Ethan Hansen (SUN) – 1:03.59

Veteran Brandon Fischer went after the race tonight, splitting a blistering 28.56 on the first 50. That put the 33-year-old into the turn over half a second ahead of anyone else in the field. Texas Longhorn Will Licon closed fast on Fischer, gaining the lead with about 10 meters to go. While Fischer was out faster than everyone else, Licon’s closing split of 32.27 was nearly a full second faster than anyone else in the field.

Both Licon and Fischer were “B’ finalists at the U.S. Trials in April, with Licon finishing 12th in 1:01.23 and Fischer 14th in 1:01.66.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Zige Liu (2009)
• American Record: 2:04.14 – Mary Descenza (2009)
• US Open Record: 2:05.85 – Hali Flickinger (2021)
• JR World Record: 2:06.29 – Suzuka Hasegawa (2017)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 2:06.11 – Hali Flickinger (2020)

Podium:

1. Lindsay Looney (SUN) – 2:08.86
2. Justina Kozan (UN-MVN) – 2:11.38
3. Lainey Mullins (SSC) – 2:12.08

Just 40 minutes after swimming a personal best in the 100 free to kick off the session, Arizona State’s Lindsay Looney looked fresh in the 200 fly here, taking complete control from the beginning. Looney led the field from the start, holding her stroke together quite well, splitting 29.04, 32.70, 33.58, and 33.54 on her 50s. Notably, her final 50 was faster than her 3rd 50, which isn’t terribly common in an LCM 200 fly, and far less common given she had just raced the 100 40 minutes earlier.

Looney’s swim was just off her personal best of 2:08.40, which she swam at the Wave II meet of the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer. The swim was faster than the 2:08.99 she swam at the International Team Trials in April, an effort which earned her 6th place. Her time from tonight would have been good for 4th at the International Team Trials.

Justina Kozan was in the 3rd at the 100 mark, but had a great back half, splitting 1:08.01. She got into the wall in 2:11.38, less than a second off the 2:10.40 she swam at Trials in April. 16-year-old Lainey Mullins out of Suburban Seahawks swam a new personal best of 2:12.08 for 3rd. The time undercut her previous best of 2:12.75, which she swam at International Team Trials in April.

MEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS

• World Record: 1:50.73 – Kristof Milak (2019)
• American Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps (2009)
• US Open Record: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps (2008)
• JR World Record: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak (2017)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 1:53.84 – Luca Urlando (2019)

Podium:

1. Leon Marchand (SUN) – 1:56.54
2. Ilya Kharun (SAND) – 1:58.70
3. Colby Mefford (UN-PC) – 1:59.98

It took under 2:00 to crack the top 3, with a large margin between 3rd place Colby Mefford and 4th place Tyler Kopp (2:03.00), both of whom swim for Cal. Leon Marchand, fresh off an incredible freshman NCAA season with ASU, was never in danger of losing the race. He shaved some time off this morning’s performance, clocking a 1:56.54. Marchand will next race the 200 fly at the World Championships in Budapest in a few weeks.

Sandpipers of Nevada 17-year-old Ilya Kharun swam an exceptional race, splitting 26.61, 30.47, 31.12, and 30.50 to propel himself to a new personal best of 1:58.70. The swim was Kharun’s first under 1:59, and lifts him to #30 all-time in the 17-18 boys age group.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINALS

• World Record: 3:56.40 – Ariarne Titmus (2022)
• 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)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky (2018)

Podium:

1. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 4:05.77
2. Bella Sims (SAND) – 4:07.54
3. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 4:13.43

It was a Sandpipers sweep of the podium tonight, with Katie Grimes and Bella Sims out in front, and Claire Weinstein solidly in 3rd. Grimes put up a personal best tonight, taking nearly a second off the 4:06.67 she swam at the Internation Team Trials in April.

After swimming a personal best in the 100 free at the beginning of the session, Bella Sims still took the 400 out hard tonight, leading for the first three laps before Grimes took over. Sims nearly swam a personal best as well, coming in less than a second off the 4:06.61 she swam at Trials in April.

Weinstein came in 3rd by a wide margin, but her time was a bit off the 4:09.39 she swam at Trials.

Former Sandpiper and Olympic Silver medalist in the 1500 free Erica Sullivan was 5th tonight with a 4:18.83. Sullivan has been nursing a shoulder injury and we’re not sure of the status of her training, but the swim tonight was far from her best.

MEN’S 400 FREE – 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)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 3:43.55 – Sun Yang (2016)

Podium:

1. Marwan Elkamash (ISC) – 3:51.12
2. Gabriel Jett (UN-CAL) – 3:53.05
3. Rex Maurer (UN-CA) – 3:54.07

Egyptian Record holder Marwan Elkamash has the fastest personal best in this field by far, and he won the final tonight by a considerable margin. After Gabriel Jett took the early lead, and Rex Maurer and Elkamash were bunched up through the first half of the race, Elkamash took over, pulling away from the others. The swim was 4 seconds off Elkamash’s personal best, but was still good for the win by 2 seconds.

For the 19-year-old Jett, his time of 3:53.05 marked a new personal best, coming in under the 3:53.05 he swam last summer.