2025 Swimming World Cup – Westmont: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2025 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – Westmont

• October 17-19, 2025
• Westmont, Illinois
• SCM (25 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 1

Welcome to the first finals session of 2025 Swimming World Cup-Westmont.

Tonight, we will get our first look at potential triple crown winners as we compare last week’s champions with this week’s. There are a lot of big names in tonight’s finals, and we could see a few world records fall.

Lani Pallister is the top seed in the women’s 400 freestyle, after she won the event in Carmel, and she will be trying to replicate that performance tonight. The men’s 400 free will be led by the Carmel Champion as well with American Carson Foster coming in as the top seed.

Kaylee McKeown will be looking to win her 2nd title in the women’s 50 backstroke, but Mollie O’Callaghan and Katharine Berkoff are not going to give up easy, and the three swimmers were separated by just over a tenth this morning.

Hubert Kos is the favorite to win the 200 backstroke for the 2nd time and Regan Smith is the top seed in the next event, the 200 fly, which she is also the heavy favorite to win.

The men’s 100 fly will see Noe Ponti and Ilya Kharun race as the top two seeds again. Ponti came out on top in Carmel, but Kharun was almost a full second faster in prelims

Kate Douglass and Rebecca Meder are the top two seeds in the women’s 200 breaststroke, with Douglass favored to win her 2nd straight title, and they have a tough double with women’s 100 IM final starting less than half an hour later.

Caspar Corbeau leads a very tight 100 breaststroke field that sees the 2nd-7th seeds separated by less than a second.

The 50 freestyles are also very tight and, while both Carmel champions are in the events, they are not the top seeds with Kasia Wasick coming in four-hundredths behind leader Alexandria Perkins and Chris Guiliano coming in as the 6th seed with Dylan Carter holding the top time.

We will end the session with the 100 IMs which will see Gretchen Walsh and Shaine Casas trying to win again. Walsh is seeded 2nd on the women’s side with Douglass taking the top time in the prelims. Casas barely squeaked into the men’s field as the 7th seed with Luke Barr taking the top spot.

Women’s 400 Freestyle – Fast Heats

• World Record: 3:50.25 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World Junior Record: 3:50.25 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World Cup Record: 3:52.80 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2022)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:54.04 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2022)
• Fastest Morning Swim: 4:03.44 — Minna Abraham (CLB)
• Carmel Champion: Lani Pallister (AUS)  — 3:54.38

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Lani Pallister (AUS) – 3:52.42 **World Cup and US Open Record
2. Erika Fairweather (NZL) – 3:57.99
3. Bella Sims (CLB) – 3:58.29
4. Anna Peplowski (CLB) – 4:00.14
5. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 4:00.32
6. Caitlin Deans (NZL) – 4:00.64
7. Freya Colbert (GBR) — 4:00.99
8. Ella Jansen (CLB) – 4:03.22

Lani Pallister was out like a rocket to win the women’s 400 freestyle final in a new World Cup and US Open Record time of 3:52.42. This is the 3rd fastest swim in history.

She turned in 1:53.98 at her first 200 mark, nearly three seconds ahead of the rest of the field, and maintained her pace, splitting 29-mid 50s throughout the race to win the event by more than five seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather.

Pallister was also about two seconds faster than she swam last week and keeps herself in the running for a triple crown win at the final stop next weekend.

Erika Fairweather also had a strong swim, touching in 3:57.99, which is a second faster than she swam last weekend.

Bella Sims was 3rd in 3:58.29 to be the final swimmer under 4:00 in tonight’s event. This was also a new personal best time, dropping from the 3:58.85 she swam in November of 2022.

Men’s 400 Freestyle – Fast Heat

• World Record: 3:32.25 – Yannick Agnel, FRA (2012)
• World Junior Record: 3:37.92 – Matthew Sates, RSA (2021)
• World Cup Record: 3:32.77 – Paul Biedermann, GER (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:35.99 – Kieran Smith, USA (2022)
• Fastest Morning Swim: 3:38.90 — Luke Hobson (USA)
• Carmel Champion: Carson Foster (CLB) — 3:37.80

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Samuel Short (AUS) – 3:36.27
2. Carson Foster (CLB) – 3:37.93
3. Kieran Smith (USA) – 3:38.79
4. Luke Hobson (USA) – 3:38.90 *from prelims
5. Lucas Pierre A Henveaux (BEL) – 3:39.33
6. Zalan Sarkany (HUN) – 3:39.37
7. Brendon Smith (AUS) – 3:42.28
8. Charlie Hawke (AUS) – 3:42.60

Sam Short won the men’s 400 freestyle in 3:36.27 after getting out hard and maintaining his speed through the end. Last week, Short was chased down in the final 100 meters by Foster, and he was not going to let that happen again this week.

He flipped in 1:47.13 at the halfway mark, which was about half-a-second slower than the 1:46.68 he swam on the first 200 last weekend. He maintained consistent 50 splits through the whole 2nd half, splitting 27-mid to low on his remaining 50s.

Foster was 3:37.93 which was just a tenth slower than he swam last week, finishing 2nd tonight, and Kieran Smith was 3rd at 3:38.79, which was also about a tenth slower than his swim last week of 3:38.66.

Women’s 50 Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 25.23 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• World Junior Record: 26.03 – Sara Curtis, ITA (2024)
• World Cup Record: 25.36 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 25.37 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• Carmel Champion: Kaylee McKeown (AUS) — 25.42

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 25.63
2. Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 25.65
3. Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) – 25.72
4. Katharine Berkoff (CLB) – 25.76
5. Kylie Masse (CAN) – 25.89
6. Sara Curtis (ITA) – 26.27
7. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 26.43
8. Rhyan White (CLB) – 26.60

A delayed start saw Kaylee McKeown get out of the pool to fix her backstroke wedge, but she still finished 1st overall in the event, touching in 25.63 to just edge out Gretchen Walsh‘s 25.65 in silver and keep her hopes at the Triple Crown alive.

She aws in 2nd after the first 25, splitting 12.68 to Mollie O’Callaghan’s 12.53. She came home strong, splitting 12.95 to touch first overall. She did not have the fastest final 50 split, though. Walsh split 12.90 after opening in 12.75 to almost chase her down on the back end.

O’Callaghan was 3rd in 25.72 and Katharine Berkoff (the LC World Champion in this event) was 4th in 25.76.

Men’s 200 Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 1:45.63 – Mitch Larkin, AUS (2015)
• World Junior Record: 1:48.02 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• World Cup Record: 1:46.11 – Arkady Vyatchanin, RUS (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:46.84 – Hubert Kos, HUN (2025)
• Carmel Champion: Hubert Kos (HUN)- 1:46.84

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Hubert Kos (HUN) – 1:47.51
2. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 1:48.76
3. Alexandre Desangles (CLB) – 1:51.17
4. Joshua Edwards-Smith (AUS) – 1:51.21
5. Enoch Robb (AUS) – 1:51.44
6. Tomoyuki Matsushita (JPN) – 1:52.07
7. Yeziel Morales (PUR) – 1:52.47
8. Kacper Stokowski (CLB) – 1:52.59

Hubert Kos followed up his US Open Record record from last week with another event win, swimming 1:47.51 to take the men’s 200 backstroke by more than a second.

He swam 1:47.51, which was about seven tenths off the 1:46.84 he swam last weekend. Tonight, he split 53.15 at the 50 mark, which was only five-hundredths slower than the 53.10 he opened with in Carmel.

On his final 50 was where the biggest difference in his splits came in. Tonight, he was 13.70/13.45 to touch in 27.15 whereas last week, he was 13.26/13.20 to split 26.46.

Thomas Ceccon finished 2nd in 1;48.76 after coming back from 4th place at the 75 mark.

Alexandre Desangels from the University of Arizona was 3rd in 1:41.17, just out touching Joshua Edwards-Smith‘s 1:51.21.

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 1:59.32 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World Junior Record: 1:59.32 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• World Cup Record: 2:00.28 – Regan Smith, USA (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 2:00.28 – Regan Smith, USA (2025)
• Carmel Champion: Regan Smith (USA) — 2:00.28

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Regan Smith (USA) – 2:00.20 **World Cup and US Open Record
2. Ellen Walshe (IRL) – 2:04.38
3. Brittany Castelluzzo (AUS) – 2:05.43
4. Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 2:06.72
5. Emily Richards (GBR) – 2:06.91
6. Bella Grant (AUS) – 2:07.55
7. Camden Doane (CLB) – 2:11.64
8. Mio Narita (JPN) – 2:15.23

Regan Smith annihilated her final, winning the women’s 200 fly by more than four seconds as she set a new World Cup and US Open Record time of 2:00.20.

She started the race in 1st place from the 1st 25, splitting 12.19 to turn more than three tenths ahead of Brittany Castelluzzo, who was 12.51 in 2nd. Smith only extended her lead from there, turning nearly two seconds ahead at the 100 mark with her 57.74.

She was out a little faster than last week when she turned in 57.85, and came back just a bit slower, but ultimately she dropped eight hundredths from her previous time, setting a new American Record as well.

Ellen Walshe finished 2nd in 2:04,38, droppin seven tenths from the 2:05.07 she swam in Carmel, and Brittany Castelluzzo was 3rd in 2:05.43, nearly tying her 2:05.49 from Carmel.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 47.71 – Noe Ponti, SUI (2024)
• World Junior Record: 49.03 – Ilya Kharun, CAN (2022)
• World Cup Record: 48.40 – Noe Ponti, SUI (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 48.53 – Noe Ponti, SUI (2025)
• Carmel Champion: Noe Ponti (SUI) — 48.53

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 48.47
2. Ilya Kharun (CAN) – 49.00
3. Josh Liendo (CAN) – 49.56
4. Finlay Brooks (CLB) – 50.06
5. Simone Stefani (ITA) – 50.08
6. Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 50.17
7. Trenton Julian (CLB) – 50.66
8. Kamil Sieradzki (POL) – 52.34

Noe Ponti is 2-for-2 in men’s 100 butterfly events as he looks to repeat his triple crown win from last year. He swam 48.47 to beat Ilya Kharun by nearly half-a-second.

At the 50-meter mark, Ponti and Kharun were separated by only two hundredths of a second at 22.76 and 22.78 respectively. Ponti came home strong, though, as the only swimmer to split 12 seconds on the final two 25s.

Kharun finished 2nd in 49.00, which was two-hundredths faster than the 49.02 he swam in Carmel, and Josh Linedo was 4th in 49.56, more than half-a-second faster than his 50.20 last weekend.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 2:12.50 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024)
• World Junior Record: 2:14.70 – Evgeniia Chikunova, RUS (2023)
• World Cup Record: 2:12.72 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 2:13.97 – Kate Douglass, USA (2025)
• Carmel Champion: Kate Douglass (USA) — 2:13.07

Top 8 Finishers

1. Kate Douglass (USA) – 2:14.57
2. Alex Walsh (CLB) – 2:18.54
3. Rebecca Meder (RSA) – 2:18.88
4. Mona McSharry (IRL) – 2:19.29
5. Ella Ramsay (AUS) – 2:20.25
6. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 2:21.88
7. Sophie Angus (CAN) – 2:22.46
8. Brearna Crawford (NZL) – 2:23.27

The women’s 200 breaststroke went to Kate Douglass in 2:14.57, which was a second-and-a-half slower than the 2:13.07 she swam last weekend.

She was out first, turning in 1:04.30 to sit nearly two seconds ahead of Mona McSharry who turned 2nd in 1:06.14. From there, she split 1:10.27 on the closing 100 to win by nearly four seconds ahead of Alex Walsh and stay in the running for the triple crown.

Alex Walsh had a monster swim for 2nd, holding off Rebecca Meder for the silver medal to touch in 2:18.54, about half-a-second faster than the 2:18.96 she swam in Carmel to finish 4th overall.

Meder was 2:18.88 for 3rd after splitting 18.16 on the final 25 to make up two tenths on Alex Walsh at the end. Her swim was a little slower than the 2:18.14 she swam last week, but she maintained her bronze medal in the event.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 55.28 – Ilya Shymanovich, BLR (2021)
• World Junior Record: 56.66 – Simone Cerasuolo, ITA (2021)
• World Cup Record: 55.61 – Cameron Van der Burgh, RSA (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 55.92 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
• Carmel Champion: Caspar Corbeau (NED) — 56.67

Top 8 Finishers

1. Ilya Shymanovich (NAA) – 56.41
2. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 56.43
3. Shin Ohashi (JPN) – 56.79
4. Adam Peaty (GBR) – 57.00
5. Joshua Matheny (CLB) – 57.31
6. Van Mathias (CLB) – 57.45
7. Yamato Fukasawa (JPN) – 58.23
8. Brian Benzing (CLB) – 58.37

Ilya Shymanovich had a massive swim in the men’s 100 breaststroke to overtake Carmel champion Caspar Corbeau. Symanovich swam 56.41 to beat Corbeau’s 56.43 by just two hundredths.

Shymanovic was out in 2nd by just one hundredth, turning 2nd at 26.19 to Corbeau’s 26.18. His 3rd 25 was huge, though, at 14.83 to Corbeau’s 15.02, and he was able to hold on at 15.39 on the final 25 to win the event and stop Corbeau’s chances of a triple crown.

His swim tonight was more than a tenth faster than the 57.18 he swam to finish 2nd last week. Shin Ohashi finished 3rd in 56.79 which is more than a second faster than his swim from Carmel and Adam Peaty was 57.00 for 4th after he missed the final entirely last week.

Women’s 50 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 22.83 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• World Junior Record: 23.66 – Eva Okaro, GBR (2024)
• World Cup Record: 22.93 – Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 23.10 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• Carmel Champion: Kasia Wasick (POL) — 23.29

Top 8 Finishers

1. Kasia Wasick (POL) – 23.30
2. Alexandria Perkins (AUS) – 23.45
3. Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) – 23.81
4. Taylor Ruck (CAN) – 23.87
5. Olivia Wunsch (AUS) – 23.99
6. Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 24.21
7. Florine Gaspard (BEL) – 24.24
8. Katharine Berkoff (CLB) – 24.34

Kasia Wasick is chasing another triple crown in the women’s 50 freestyle, winning the 2nd of 3 stops in 23.30. She was very close to her swim last week of 23.29 and won by 0.15 seconds over Australia’s Alexandria Perkins.

Perkins was faster than last week by five hundredths, dropping from 23.50, and bronze medalist Mollie O’Callaghan was also faster than last week, swimming 23.81 to drop from 23.96.

Men’s 50 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 19.90 – Jordan Crooks, CAY (2024)
• World Junior Record: 20.98, Kenzo Simons, NED (2019)
• World Cup Record: 20.48 – Vlad Morozov, RUS (2018)
• U.S. Open Record: 20.24 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2019)
• Carmel Champion: Chris Guiliano (CLB) — 20.83

Top 8 Finishers

1. Ilya Kharun (CAN) – 20.72
2. Josh Liendo (CAN) – 20.87
3. Dylan Carter (TTO) – 20.89
4. Jack Alexy (CLB) – 20.91
5. Chris Guiliano (CLB) – 21.03
6. Ralf Tribuntsov (EST) – 21.22
7. Ruslan Gaziev (CAN) – 21.29
8. Van Mathias (CLB) – 21.38

The men’s 50 free had the biggest podium shift from last week with only one athlete returning despite all three being in the final. Ilya Kharun moved up from 3rd to win the event in 20.72, more than a tenth faster than his 20.89 from Carmel.

Josh Liendo was not in the final in Carmel, but he finished 2nd overall in 20.87 to be the 2nd Canadian on the podium, and Dylan Carter moved up from 4th last week to drop under 20 seconds and swim 20.89, dropping from 21.12.

Last week’s silver medalist Jack Alexy was 4th at 20.91, which was only three hundredths off his time from last week, while Carmel champion Chris Guiliano was 5th in 21.12, which was about two tenths off his 20.83 to win the title.

Women’s 100 IM – Final

• World Record: 55.11 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• World Junior Record: 57.59 – Anastasiya Shkurdai, BLR (2020)
• World Cup Record: 55.91 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 55.91 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2025)
• Carmel Champion: Gretchen Walsh (USA) — 55.91

Top 8 Finishers

1. Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 55.77 ** World Cup and US Open Record
2. Kate Douglass (USA) – 56.42
3. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 57.41
4. Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 57.90
5. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 58.16
6. Phoebe Bacon (CLB) – 58.29
7. Rebecca Meder (RSA) – 58.31
8. Ella Ramsay (AUS) – 59.39

Gretchen Walsh does it again with another World Cup and US Open Record in the women’s 100 IM< dropping a little more than a tenth from last week to swim 55.77 and win the event. She was out in 24.93 which is four tenths faster than the 25.38 she was out when she set the World Record in Budapest.

She came home quite a bit slower, though, splitting 30.84 as she was coming home compared to the 29.73 she swam at the World Championships.

Kate Douglass was 2nd in 56.42, which was about a tenth slower than the 56.34 she swam in Carmel, and Roos Vanotterdijk was almost the same, swimming 57.41  to drop three hundredths from the 57.44 she swam to win the bronze last week.

Men’s 100 IM – Final

• World Record: 49.28 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
• World Junior Record: 50.63 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
• World Cup Record: 49.92 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 50.86 – Shaine Casas, USA (2025)
• Carmel Champion: Shaine Casas (USA) — 50.86

Top 8 Finishers

1. Shaine Casas (USA) – 50.45 **US Open
2. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 50.76
3. Hubert Kos (HUN) – 50.99
4. Grant House (CLB) – 51.07
5. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 51.35
6. Finlay Knox (CAN) – 51.43
7. Luke Barr (CLB) – 51.78
8. Nikola Miljenic (CRO) – 52.85

Shaine Casas won the men’s 100 IM to keep himself in the triple crown running. He swam 50.45 tonight to drop from the 50.86 he swam last weekend and set a new US Open Record in the process.

He was out in 22.58, which was nearly half-a-second faster than the 22.99 he swam to open the race last weekend and he came home in the exact same split of 27.87.

Noe Ponti concluded his strong day with a silver medal at 50.76, a drop from the 51.13 he swam last week.

Hubert Kos rounded out the podium at 3rd, which he holds alone this week after tying with Canadian Finlay Knox last week. He touched in 50.99 to drop three tenths and break 51 for the first time.