2025 World Cup – Toronto: Day 2 Prelim Scratches – Foster Drops 2 IM in Favor of 1500 Tonight

by Mark Wild 6

October 24th, 2025 News

2025 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – Toronto

Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet

There are not as many names on the scratch sheet this morning, as we get ready for day 2 of the Toronto World Cup. Perhaps the biggest names to pull out of events this morning are the American pair of Carson Foster and Alex Walsh.

Foster, who won the 400 free last night, has been using his appearances in the series as a test of his freestyle events and today’s scratches are no exception as he has opted to swim the 1500 over the 200 IM. The 1500 does have its advantages as it is a times final, so he will only need to race it once, and as a top eight seed he is seeded to swim tonight. Foster placed 2nd in the event at the Carmel stop of the World Cup, going 14:41.33.

His 2024 Olympic teammate, Walsh, too has swapped event showing an emphasis on the breaststroke events. The UVA grad has dropped the 400 IM for the 100 breaststroke a move that is not that surprising as she has been focusing on those events over the past two years. Walsh did not race the 400 in Carmel but placed 7th in Westmont. In the 100 breaststroke, she was 6th in Carmel but improved to 3rd last weekend.

Fellow American Mitchell Schott, who had a very swift 400 free yesterday morning, a time that placed 7th fastest overall, has opted to swim the 200 fly this morning, dropping out of the 200 IM, an event in which he won the silver medal at the World University Games.

The US were not the only nations with multiple scratches, as the Canadians too saw multiple swimmers pull out of the meet. Sydney Pickrem, a three time Olympian for Canada, was a surprise entry on the psych sheets, but has withdrawn from the 100 breaststroke today after having done the same yesterday in the 100 IM. Fellow Tennessee Volunteer and Canadian Brooklyn Douthwright has decided that three events are one two many and has opted to drop the 100 back in favor of the 200 free and 50 back.

All Day 2 Prelims Scratches

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Khase Calisz
7 months ago

#DistanceRevolution

Dylan
7 months ago

Mitchell Schott all in on 200 fly- could surprise some people

Joel
7 months ago

Wunsch must be sick. Such bad luck again. There are a few Aussies who just can’t catch a break this year.

Swimmingly Sorry
7 months ago

Now, this IS very interesting.

I wonder if Bob told him to do it.

Michael Andrew Wilson
Reply to  Swimmingly Sorry
7 months ago

Surely it’s a collaborative decision between them. Carson has had a lot of success in the 400/500 for someone who hasn’t really focused on those races. Maybe they’ve done some testing that suggests he’s aerobically best suited to 400m and up. Plus the competition in the 200 IM is brutal; he’s not even top 2 (maybe not top 3) in his own training group.

xman
Reply to  Swimmingly Sorry
7 months ago

No doubt, won’t be surprised if he is doing 200 of all strokes and probably the 800 or 1500 in the pro series stops to build up for the 400IM.