2023 PRO SWIM SERIES – FORT LAUDERDALE
- March 1-4, 2023
- Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
- Prelims/Finals
- `Prelims: 9:00 AM (EST)
- Finals: 5:00 PM Wednesday, 6:00 PM (EST) Thursday-Saturday
- Meet Central
- Live Results
- Psych Sheets
- Ways to Watch
- Storylines to Follow
- Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap
The heat sheets for day two finals at the 2023 Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale have been released, revealing limited top-level scratches heading into the session.
Day 2 Finals Heat Sheets
Ekaterina Nikonova of Russia qualified for the A final in the 100 freestyle with a 55.63 for 8th but has dropped the event heading into finals. Her time in the prelims was just under a second shy of her best time in the event of 54.88 from 2020.
Nikonova’s scratch means that 9th-place finisher Erika Brown will get a spot in the final. Brown, who represented the US in this event at the Tokyo Olympics swam a 55.63 in the morning, originally missing out on a spot in the A final. Brown’s PB of 53.42 and post-Olympic best of 53.59 will keep her competitive with the elite field that will be racing with her. The championship final will feature Natalie Hinds, Erika Pelaez, Summer McIntosh, Abbey Weitzeil, Katie Ledecky, Olivia Smoliga, and Simone Manuel.
On the men’s side of the 100 freestyle, both Ruslan Gaziev and Justin Ress dropped out of the A final after their 2nd and 8th place finishes, respectively. Gaziev is currently in between meets racing for Ohio State, having recently won the 100 freestyle at the Big 10 Championships. He swam a 41.38 to take gold and get under the NCAA A cut, which means we can expect to see him show up at NCAAs later this month.
Gaziev’s morning time of 48.78 was a near-best time here, just missing the 48.41 that he swam in April 2022 at Canadian Trials. Justin Ress was a little further away from his PB, hitting a 49.41 to trail his time of 48.38 from April 2022.
Gaziev and Ress backing out allowed Victor Guimaraes Alcara and Luiz Altamir to get a spot in the A final, having placed 9th and 10th, respectively, in the morning. Alcara swam a 49.43 in, while Altamir hit a 49.57.
Nikonova, Gaziev, and Ress were the only A-final qualifiers to scratch events on day two of the meet, which will also feature the 100 breaststroke, 50 backstroke, 200 butterfly, and 400 freestyle.
Top Seeds Heading Into Day Two Finals
- Women’s 100 Freestyle – Abbey Weitzeil (53.83)
- Men’s 100 Freestyle – Matt Richards (48.41)
- Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Lilly King (1:07.43)
- Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Cody Miller (1:00.43)
- Women’s 50 Backstroke – Regan Smith (27.57)
- Men’s 50 Backstroke – Justin Ress (24.99)
- Women’s 200 Butterfly – Summer McIntosh (2:08.24)
- Men’s 200 Butterfly – Trenton Julian (1:57.22)
- Women’s 400 Freestyle – Leah Smith (4:07.72)
- Men’s 400 Freestyle – Kieran Smith (3:50.77)
