Two-time Olympian and recently-crowned world champion Katie Grimes made her long-awaited collegiate debut last weekend, and she kicked off her University of Virginia career with a bang.
Grimes, racing with the Cavaliers for the first time against in-state rival Virginia Tech, won all three events she raced on Saturday, making an immediate impact on a team that was already favored to win its fifth straight national title in March.
The 19-year-old freshman kicked things off by winning the women’s 200 back by more than two seconds in 1:51.56, and then topped the 200 fly in 1:53.23 after a close battle with teammate Alex Walsh (1:53.86).
In her final race of the meet, Grimes went head-to-head with teammate Aimee Canny in the 200 IM, and it turned into a barnburner of a race.
Grimes opened up a big lead on the backstroke leg, but Canny out-split her by more than two seconds on breaststroke, leaving them just 21 one-hundredths apart going into the final 50.
Both swimmers closed strong, and despite Canny out-splitting her, Grimes held on for the win, doing so by just one one-hundredth of a second.
She touched in 1:55.62, with Canny a tick behind in 1:55.63.
WHAT A FINISH!!
Katie Grimes takes the 200 IM by .01 against fellow Hoo Aimee Canny 🤯🤯 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/rMOWvvWQbF— Virginia Swimming and Dive (@UVASwimDive) January 11, 2025
Grimes was just shy of her lifetime best of 1:55.33, set in December 2022 at the Sectionals meet in La Mirada, California.
Split Comparison
| Grimes, 2022 PB | Grimes, Jan. 11 | Canny, Jan. 11 |
| 25.14 | 25.40 | 25.58 |
| 53.16 (28.02) | 53.91 (28.51) | 56.31 (30.73) |
| 1:28.36 (35.20) | 1:28.80 (34.89) | 1:29.01 (32.70) |
| 1:55.33 (26.97) | 1:55.62 (26.82) | 1:55.63 (26.62) |
RACE VIDEO
Courtesy: UVA Swimming
Grimes joins UVA fresh off winning three medals at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in December, highlighted by the gold medal and new world record on the U.S. women’s 4×200 free relay team that also included Walsh.
Grimes also won silver in the women’s 400 IM, setting a new American Record of 4:20.14, and added a bronze medal in the 800 free (8:05.90).
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