2025 World Cup – Carmel: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2025 SWIMMING WORLD CUP – CARMEL

• October 10-12, 2025
• Carmel, Indiana
• SCM (25 meters)
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  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1

Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet 

Event Schedule: 

• Women’s 400 IM – fastest heat
• Men’s 50 backstroke
• Women’s 200 freestyle
• Men’s 200 IM
• Women’s 100 backstroke
• Men’s 50 breaststroke
• Women’s 50 butterfly
• Men’s 100 freestyle
• Women’s 100 breaststroke
• Men’s 200 butterfly
• Men’s 1500 freestyle – fastest heat

After taking silver and bronze in a duo of off-events last night, Leon Marchand returns to his bread-and-butter 200 IM on Day 2 here in Carmel. He will not be the only world record holder in the field tonight, as Regan Smith goes in as top seed in the women’s 100 back and Gretchen Walsh looked a class apart in the women’s 50 fly this morning.

After we saw six U.S. Open records go down in the finals session on Day 1, we may get our first world record of the meet from the aforementioned Gretchen Walsh in the 50 fly. She was less than two-tenths of a second off her own record this morning, clocking the fourth-fastest time in history and one a quarter-second faster than any other women has ever swum.

We start of the evening with the fastest heat of both the women’s 400 IM and men’s 1500 freestyle, which will feature a surprise name in Carson Foster. After winning the 400 free last night and scratching the 200 IM this morning, this could be an indication of a shift in focus for the Texas swimmer. After the distance races wrap up, we move onto a sprint-heavy lineup, with five of the remaining nine races expected to be over in less than 60 seconds.

Women’s 400m IM — Fastest Heat

• World Record: 4:15.48 — Summer McIntosh, Canada (2024)
• World Junior Record: 4:15.48 — Summer McIntosh, Canada (2024)
• World Cup Record: 4:18.94 — Mireia Belmonte Garcia, Spain (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 4:21.21 — Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2015)

Final:

1. Abbie Wood (GBR) – 4:27.15
2. Ellen Walshe (IRL) – 4:28.47
3. Ella Ramsay (AUS) – 4:30.25
4. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 4:30.60
5. Mio Narita (JPN) – 4:33.03
6. Isabelle Odgers (CLB) – 4:36.66
7. Gina McCarthy (NZL) – 4:39.19
8. Jane Chevalier (CLB) – 4:50.20

Ella Ramsay was a somewhat surprise leader after the first 100, touching in 1:00.99, but Abbie Wood, the bronze medalist from the short course World Championships in this event last December, showed why she was in Lane 4 as she ate up the gap on backstroke.

She hit the halfway mark in 2:09.59, more than a second ahead of the field, before pulling away thanks to a 1:13.56  breaststroke split, nearly two seconds quicker than anyone else.

Ramsay did not fade too far, locked in her own battle with Ireland’s Ellen Walshe through the breaststroke leg, but the former Tennessee Volunteer streaked away from her on freestyle thanks to some monster underwaters. She had the joint-fastest freestyle split in the field, cutting the gap to Wood from 4.00 seconds to just 1.33 seconds thanks to a 1:01.32 final 100.

Ramsay held on for 3rd in 4:30.25, just ahead of a fast-charging Mary-Sophie Harvey, who scratched the 200 free final to focus on this event. The Canadian settled for 4th in 4:30.60 just over five seconds off her best from November last year.

Isabelle Odgers of USC took 6th in a best time of 4:36.66, one spot behind long course silver medalist Mio Narita, who touched in 4:33.03.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle — Fastest Heat

• World Record: 14:06.88 — Florian Wellbrock, Germany (2021)
• World Junior Record: 14:20.64 — Kuzey Tuncelli, Turkey (2024)
• World Cup Record: 14:15.49 — Mykhailo Romanchuk, Ukraine (2016)
• U.S. Open Record: 14:19.29 — Connor Jaeger, United States (2015)

Final:

1. Sam Short (AUS) – 14:30.00
2. Carson Foster (CLB) – 14:41.33
3. Carson Hick (CLB) – 14:55.00
4. Brendan Smith (AUS) – 14:57.29
5. Levi Sandidge (CLB) – 14:58.40
6. Joshua Brown (CLB) – 15:14.86
7. Lev Cherepanov (KAZ) – 15:15.42
8. Oliver Shao (CLB) – 15:21.40

Carson Foster hung with Sam Short through the first 150 meters or so, but the Australian swimmer’s distance prowess showed as he inched away through the rest of the race. Foster stayed in a clear second place ahead of Kentucky teammates Carson Hick and Levi Sandidge, staying within a length of Short for the full 1500.

Short ended up touching in 14:30.00, splitting 4:45-4:52-4:52 through the three 500s. He led a quartet of swimmers in the final heat to break 15 minutes, with Foster just over ten seconds behind in 14:41.33, a new best time.

Carson Hick won the Kentucky Derby for third with a time of 14:55.00, finishing three seconds ahead of Levi Sandidge who was 14:58.40. Both of those swimmers set new short course bests., as the Kentucky distance program looks to go from strength-to-strength.

Brendan Smith took 4th overall out of the morning heats with his swim of 14:57.29, knocking nearly a minute off his entry time of 15:51.59

Men’s 50m Backstroke — Final

• World Record: 22.11 — Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2022)
• World Junior Record: 22.47 — Miron Lifintsev, Russia (2024)
• World Cup Record: 22.58 — Isaac Cooper, Australia (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 22.72 — Dylan Carter, Trinidad and Tobago (2022)

Final:

1. Hubert Kos (HUN) – 22.65
2. Ralf Tribunstov (EST) – 22.91
3. Dylan Carter (TND) – 23.00
4. Kacper Stokowski (CLB) – 23.06
5. Aiden Hayes (CLB) – 23.08
6. Jack Alexy (CLB) – 23.26
7. Cameron Gray (NZL _ 23.39
8. Finlay Knox (CAN) – 23.59

Hubert Kos kept the dream of a backstroke sweep alive thanks to a dominant second 25 here, negative splitting his swim as he came within a hundredth of his personal best and Hungarian Record from December. He was out in 11.33, turning 5th, but stormed home in 11.32 to take the win by a quarter of a second. He cracked the U.S. Open Record formerly held by the man next to him in lane 4, marking his second of the meet after setting a new record in the 200 backstroke last night.

Silver went to Estonian Ralf Tribuntsov, formerly of USC, as he shaved 0.15 seconds off his own Estonian Record to break 23 seconds for the first time. He out-touched top seed and fellow USC alum Dylan Carter by just under a tenth of a second.

Kacper Stokowski and Aiden Hayes kept the NCAA pipeline going strong to take 4th and 5th, while short course 100 free world champion Jack Alexy flashed some backstroke speed to take 6th in 23.26.

Women’s 200m Freestyle — Final

• World Record: 1:50.31 — Siobhan Haughey, Hong Kong (2021)
• World Junior Record: 1:51.62 — Claire Weinstein, United States (2024)
• World Cup Record: 1:50.43 — Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:51.19 — Siobhan Haughey, Hong Kong (2022)

Final:

1. Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) – 1:50.77
2. Lani Pallister (AUS) – 1:52.41
3. Anna Peplowski (CLB) – 1:53.08
4. Erika Fairweather (NZL) – 1:53.33
5. Freya Colbert (GBR) – 1:54.30
6. Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 1:54.95
7. Bella Sims (CLB) – 1:55.57
8. Brittany Castelluzzo (AUS) – 1:55.79

Mollie O’Callaghan got out in front and never relinquished her lead, winning by nearly two seconds in a new U.S. Open and Australian Record of 1:50.77. She had the fastest split on all four 50s, hitting halfway nearly a second ahead of the rest of the field, and stormed home in 28.01 to take the win and jump up to #3 all-time in the event, behind just Siobhan Haughey and Sarah Sjostrom.

Her teammate Lani Pallister took second in 1:52.41, as she overtook hometown hero Anna Peplowski on the final 50. Peplowski moved up one spot from her finish in the 400 last night to take the bronze, holding off New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather by a quarter of a second.

The European duo of Freya Colbert and Marrit Steenbergen took 5th (1:54.30) and 6th (1:54.95), as Bella Sims took 7th in 1:55.57 just minutes before she returns to the pool in the 100 back.

Men’s 200 IM — Final

• World Record: 1:48.88 — Leon Marchand, France (2024)
• World Junior Record: 1:51.45 — Matthew Sates, South Africa (2021)
• World Cup Record: 1:48.88 — Leon Marchand, France (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:50.76 — Daiya Seto, Japan (2019)

Final:

1. Shaine Casas (CLB) – 1:49.43 *AR*
2. Leon Marchand (FRA) – 1:49.73
3. David Schlicht (AUS) – 1:53.09
4. Tomoyuki Matsushita (JPN) – 1:53.28
5. Finlay Knox (CAN) – 1:54.66
6. Kieran Smith (CLB) – 1:55.04
7. Jeremias Pock (GER) – 1:55.57
8. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 1:56.26

Shaine Casas was out fast, splitting 0.66 under Marchand’s World Record pace at the 50m mark, but Leon Marchand came back hard on the backstroke to touch just 0.19 seconds behind at the halfway mark.

The breaststroke leg served up a surprise, as Casas actually outsplit his teammate by four-hundredths of a second, 32.22 to 32.26. Despite Marchand throwing down a huge final underwater, Casas held off the world record holder 1:49.43 to 1:49.73, as we saw the #2 and #5 swims all-time in October.

Casas’ time stood up as both a U.S. Open Record and a new American Record, erasing his own mark of 1:49.51 which he set when winning gold at the short course world championships last year.

Marchand swam his second-fastest time ever, and has now taken silver or bronze in all three of the races he has contested so far in Carmel. In each one, he has been beaten by a different Texas teammate

While it wasn’t a Texas 1-2-3, Leon Marchand did share the podium with a pair of familiar faces as ASU’s David Schlicht took bronze in 1:53.09. That is just off his best of 1:52.81 set last year, and allowed him to hold off Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita who touched just two tenths behind.

Women’s 100 Backstroke — Final

• World Record: 54.02 — Regan Smith, United States (2024)
• World Junior Record: 55.75 — Bella Sims, United States (2022)
• World Cup Record: 54.27 — Regan Smith, United States (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 55.09 — Minna Atherton, Australia (2019)

Final:

1. Regan Smith (CLB) – 54.92
2. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 55.05
3. Bella Sims (CLB) – 55.25
4. Katherine Berkoff (CLB) – 55.85
5. Celia Pulido Ortiz (MEX) – 56.21
6. Charlotte Crush (CLB) – 56.28
7. Leah Shackley (CLB) – 56.85
8. Kylie Masse (CAN) – 57.48

Kaylee McKeown hit the 25m mark in front, but it was Regan Smith who won a razor thin battle between the two with a new U.S. Open Record of 54.92. McKeown was just half a second off her best time in 55.05, also under the previous U.S. Open mark held by fellow Australian Minna Atherton.

Bella Sims made it a three-way battle for gold, as she was just tenths behind the pair to touch in 55.25. That was a half second best time for the Michigan swimmer, setting her first PB in the event since she set the World Junior Record three years ago. Having exited the pool after swimming the 200 free just over 10 minutes previously, this was a seriously impressive swim from her.

Katherine Berkoff was 4th in 55.85, sticking with the front three through the first 50 before falling away, and Mexico’s Celia Pulido Ortiz, who swims for SIU, set a new National Record by four tenths of a second to take 5th in 56.21.

Men’s 50 Breaststroke — Final

• World Record: 24.95 — Emre Sakci, Turkey (2021)
• World Junior Record: 25.66 — Chris Smith, South Africa (2024)
• World Cup Record: 25.25 — Cameron van der Burgh (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 25.75 — Nic Fink, United States (2019)

Final:

1. Chris Smith (RSA) – 25.75
2. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 25.78
3. Ilya Shymanovich (NAA) – 25.79
4. Finn Brooks (CLB) – 25.88
5. Van Mathias (CLB) – 26.11
6. Adam Peaty (GBR) – 26.43
7. Luke Barr (CLB) – 26.57
8. Melvin Imoudu (GER) – 26.80

South Africa’s Chris Smith got the touch in a blanket finish that saw the top four separated by just 0.13 seconds, and the top three by just 0.04. He was less than a tenth off his personal best and World Junior Record of 25.66 set last December, and looks to be following up his breakout season last year where he made the final in this event at both the short course and long course world championships.

He beat out 100 champion Caspar Corbeau and short course specialist Ilya Shymanovich, who took 2nd and 3rd behind him. Corbeau set a new Dutch Record, his first individually, as he shaved six-hundredths of a second from Arno Kamminga’s previous mark.

Finn Brooks nearly matched his prelims time to take 4th in 25.88, and has translated his big yards swims in breaststroke over into short course meters. He led his teammates Van Mathias (5th) and Luke Barr (7th), as half of this final was made up on swimmers with ties to Indiana.

Adam Peaty was 6th in 26.43, a second off his British record of 25.41, after he missed the final in the 100 yesterday.

Women’s 50 Butterfly — Final

• World Record: 23.94 — Gretchen Walsh, United States (2024)
• World Junior Record: 24.55 — Claire Curzan, United States (2021)
• World Cup Record: 24.38 — Therese Alshammar, Sweden (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 24.81 — Beryl Gastaldello, France (2019)

Final:

1. Gretchen Walsh (CLB) – 23.72 *WR, AR*
2. Alexandria Perkins (AUS) – 24.64
3. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 25.44
4. Alex Shackell (CLB) – 25.51
5. Hazel Ouwehand (NZL) – 25.62
6. Kasia Wasick (POL) – 25.66
7. Charlotte Crush (CLB) – 25.72
8. Leah Shackley (CLB) – 26.02

Gretchen Walsh blew the field away in the 50 fly, taking the win by nearly a second as she shattered her own World Record. She touched in 23.72, more than six tenths of a second faster than any other woman has swum, with Therese Alshammer’s 24.38 currently ranking her second all-time. Walsh got out fast and hit the 25 meter mark 0.06 seconds under WR pace, and pulled away from her time from December last year down the second 25.

Alex Perkins set a new Australian Record to take silver, shaving four-hundredths off her best time in the process as she took second behind Walsh for the second night in a row. Roos Vanotterdijk, the 50 fly bronze medalist in long course this summer, repeated that result here to outtouch Carmel’s own Alex Shackell.

Charlotte Crushand Leah Shackley took 7th and 8th on the second half of a tough double, having swum the 100 backstroke just 10 minutes previously.

Men’s 100 Freestyle — Final

• World Record: 44.84 — Kyle Chalmers, Australia (2021)
• World Junior Record: 45.64 — David Popovici, Romania (2022)
• World Cup Record: 44.84 — Kyle Chalmers, Australia (2021)
• U.S. Open Record: 45.22 — Caeleb Dressel, United States (2019)

Final:

1. Jack Alexy (CLB) – 45.32
2. Chris Guiliano (CLB) – 46.00
3. Kaii Winkler (CLB) – 46.11
4. Grant House (CLB) – 46.24
5. Matt Richards (GBR) – 46.25
6. Matt King (CLB) – 46.58
7. Patrick Sammon (CLB) – 46.59
8. Brooks Curry (CLB) – 46.84

Chris Guiliano led the way through the first half of this race, but Jack Alexy turned on the jets at the halfway point and put some distance between himself and the rest of the field, winning by nearly seven-tenths of a second. He came home in 23.51, one of only two in the field under 24 seconds, and eight-tenths quicker than Guiliano.

Kaii Winkler took 3rd in a new best time of 46.11, and is inching closer to Steffan Diebler’s German Record of 45.91. Grant House went from 8th to 4th in the second 50, closing in 23.81 en route to a time of 46.24 ahead of Matt Richards’ 46.25.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke — Final

• World Record: 1:02.36 — Alia Atkinson, Jamaica/Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2016/2013)
• World Junior Record: 1:02.36 — Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2013)
• World Cup Record: 1:02.36 — Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2013)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:02.77 — Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2022)

Final:

1. Kate Douglass (CLB) – 1:02.90
2. Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 1:03.35
3. Anna Elendt (GER) – 1:03.83
4. Mona McSharry (IRL) – 1:04.16
5. Rebecca Meder (RSA) – 1:04.41
6. Alex Walsh (CLB) – 1:04.44
7. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 1:05.00
8. Sophie Angus (CAN) – 1:05.55

Eneli Jefimova hit the halfway mark in 29.77 to lead Kate Douglass, but the Virginia swimmer responded with a 33.04 second 50 to pull away from the Estonian swimmer and take the win here. She now ranks as the second-fastest American swimmer in history behind Lilly King.

Jefimova was just a tenth off her own National record, and looked strong throughout. Anna Elendt, the long course World Champion from this summer, broke her own German Record in 3rd, dipping under 1:04 for the first time in her career.

Mona McSharry was just outside the medals in 1:04.16, and Rebecca Meder (1:04.41) and Alex Walsh (1:04.44) joined her under 1:05.

Men’s 200 Butterfly — Final

• World Record: 1:46.85 — Tomoru Honda, Japan (2022)
• World Junior Record: 1:49.61 — Chen Juner, China (2022)
• World Cup Record: 1:48.56 — Chad Le Clos, South Africa (2013)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:48.77 — Daiya Seto, Japan (2019)

Final:

1. Ilya Kharun (CAN) – 1:50.65
2. Gabriel Jett (CLB) – 1:51.01
3. Federico Burdisso (ITA) – 1:52.06
4. Trenton Julian (CLB) – 1:52.17
5. Lewis Clareburt (NZL) – 1:53.05
6. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 1:54.51
7. Jan Zubik (CLB) – 1:55.75
8. Sebastian Lunak (CZE) – 1:55.80

Ilya Kharun got out in front, but was made to work for the win by a surging Gabriel Jett on the final 50 of this race. Having led Trenton Julian through the first 100, Kharun dropped down to 2nd with just 25 to got before rebounding to get the touch in 1:50.65.

For his part, Jett moved up from 8th at the first turn to be in the lead with just 25 to go, splitting a consistent 25.5/28.2/28.2, but fell to a 28.9 final 50. He still had enough in the tank to pull away from Federico Burdisso and Trenton Julian, who ended up split by just a tenth of a second in their battle for bronze, Burdisso taking the touch in 1:52.06.

Burdisso’s teammate Alberto Razzetti was on the second half of a tough double, having already swum the 200 IM tonight, and placed 6th in 1:54.51.