Four Quotes From Night Three Of The 2024 Knoxville Pro Swim Series

2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• January 10-13, 2024
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• LCM (50 meters)
• Start Times
  • All Prelims: 9am (EST)
  • Thurs-Sat Finals: 6pm (EST)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap

After the third night of the 2024 Knoxville Pro Swim Series, USA Swimming touched base with several event winners. See what the athletes had to say about their performances:

Claire Curzan – Winner of the Women’s 200 Backstroke

After missing the U.S. World Championship team last summer after a bout with illness, Curzan claimed her first big win on the road to Paris. She touched at 2:07.38 for 1st in the 200 back, slower than her time from the U.S. Open last month but an important, confidence-boosting win. She dropped over four seconds from her prelim swim, and talks about adjustments she made for finals in the quote. Curzan will feature in all three backstroke events, in addition to the 50 fly, 100 fly, and 50 free at the World Championships next month. She

Curzan on her strategy: “I think the strategy was to adjust slightly from this morning work the under-waters, try to be strong, and feel my connection to my shoulders to the middle 20. I also wanted to work into the turn, and it turned out well. I felt really strong the last 50, so I’m happy with that one.”

Hunter Tapp – Winner of the Men’s 200 Backstroke

NC State’s Hunter Tapp took a close win over Daniel Diehl in the men’s 200 back, hitting the wall in 1:58.91. His time was a bit off the 1:56.45 best time he produced in August, but like Curzan, represents a confidence-boosting win in a deep field. Tapp was 4th at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, and the event is among the more wide open ones at Trials this summer.

Tapp on his approach to the new season: “You know, it was pretty tough coming off of winter training, but, coming here, I’m swimming well and having a good meet. Seeing my teammates out here doing well is a huge boost to me and to my teammates going into the rest of this collegiate season and into the summer. This is a great start – great start to the year. That’s all I need.”

Carson Foster – Winner of the Men’s 400 IM

After clocking a time of 4:13.43 at the U.S. Open last month, Foster posted a marginally quicker 4:13.04 to win the event here in Knoxville. Foster is the reigning silver medalist in this event from the previous two World Championship meets, and will feature at next month’s Doha World Championships. Foster emphasized that he is moving away from setting strict time goals, and is more focused on how his swims are executed.

Foster on his swim: “As I’ve matured a little bit, I’ve gotten away from time goals. There’s so much out of my control when it comes to meets, but execution wise, it was almost perfect. Sometimes I struggle with losing focus during a four-minute race. For the most part, I was good – I had a few slip ups, but I was faster than I was at (Toyota U.S. Open) so I’ll take it.”

Gretchen Walsh – Winner of the Women’s 100 Butterfly

Gretchen Walsh took the win in a stacked 100 fly field in Knoxville, touching the wall in a time of 56.78. The swim was very promising for January, and was nearly a second faster than her time from the World Championship final this past summer (57.58). Earlier in the meet, she posted a time 0.42 faster in the 100 free than she did leading-off the U.S. 4×100 free relay at the World Championships.

Walsh on the close finish with MacNeil: “Honestly, I was just like really focused on my own race. She’s a great competitor and I love going to meets where I can race her, especially now that she’s not doing NCAA anymore. Everyone in that field pushed me. I was just trying to stay on my own race and finish as best as I could, and I would say that that was one of the best finishes I’ve ever had and 100 fly. I’m really proud of myself.”