2022 U.S. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS
- April 26-30, 2022
- Greensboro, NC
- Greensboro Aquatic Center
- LCM (50m)
- Start Times: Prelims – 9 am ET / Finals – 6 pm ET
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Alex Walsh just sent a bunch of records with her victory in the 200 IM at the 2022 U.S. World Championship trials, where she swam a best time of 2:07.84.
Here are the ways that Walsh made history:
First, she got under Kathleen Baker‘s old U.S. Open record of 2:08.32 that was set back in 2018. Second, she became the second American woman under the 2:08 barrier, and is now the second-fastest American performer in the event behind Ariana Kukors, who still holds her elusive 2:06.15 American Record from 2009. Third, she cemented herself sixth-fastest performer of all time.
And finally, Walsh’s time is faster than the 2:08.52 that Yui Ohashi swam last year at the Olympics to win gold. Walsh was second to Ohashi in that race, swimming a time of 2:08.65. In fact, Walsh’s time was faster than Ohashi’s personal best of 2:07.91.
Top U.S. Performers Of All-Time, Women’s 200 IM:
- Ariana Kukors – 2:06.15 (2009)
- Alex Walsh – 2:07.84 (2022)
- Kathleen Baker – 2:08.35 (2018)
- Madisyn Cox – 2:08.51 (2021)
- Melanie Margalis – 2:08.70 (2017)
Top Performers Of All-Time, Women’s 200 IM:
- Katinka Hosszu – 2:06.12 (2015)
- Ariana Kukors – 2:06.15 (2009)
- Siobhan Marie O’Connor – 2:06.88 (2016)
- Stephanie Rice – 2:07.03 (2009)
- Ye Shiwen – 2:07.57 (2012)
- Alex Walsh – 2:07.84 (2022)
You can see Walsh’s splits and compare them with some of the other swims that we’ve listed here:
| Alex Walsh, 2022 (U.S. Open Record) | Kathleen Baker, 2018 (Former U.S. Open Record) | Ariana Kukors, 2009 (American Record) | Yui Ohashi, 2021 (Olympic Gold Winning Time) | |
| Fly | 27.62 | 27.94 | 27.72 | 27.98 |
| Back | 32.61 | 31.81 | 31.52 | 32.50 |
| Breast | 36.85 | 37.32 | 37.07 | 37.28 |
| Free | 30.76 | 31.25 | 29.84 | 30.75 |
| Total | 2:07.84 | 2:08.32 | 2:06.15 | 2:08.52 |
With this swim, Walsh soars to the top of the world rankings in the women’s 200 IM, and is the favorite to become world champion in Budapest this summer. She previously qualified for worlds in the 4×200 free relay by finishing sixth in the 200 free.
very smart of Alex to focus in on her priorities at World Champs Trials this week – paid off big time!!
feels bad for her sister. she was really close.
she ganstered that s$%t.
Wow! Just fast bodes well for her on the 800 free relay! Without Madden on the team my line up for the relay way (weintstein, Leah smith and ledecky for final) And I was still undecided as to who should be in the final but after that 200 IM makes we wonder what Walsh can do one the relay (in rio Maya DiRado went 2:08.79 in the 200 IM and went 1:56.3 on the relay) Walsh IM time was over 1 sec faster than Dirado makes me wonder if she can go 1:55 or faster which would be exactly what the women need to have any chance to be the Chinese and Australians
The women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay will miss Paige Madden and Katie McLaughlin. Furthermore, I’m not sure Leah Smith has a 1:55.97 leadoff swim left in her.
Lead off? What about a flying start
Leah Smith led off the final of the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay at the 2017 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
Leah Smith’s relay split was 1:57.49 in the heats of the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay at the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships. Leah Smith was not selected for the final.
Them Canadians are lurking too. Could very well be pushed off the podium if those 1:57s don’t improve before Worlds or maybe Ledecky will produce a 1:52 split to rescue the team.
Aside from Katie Ledecky, the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay is looking worse than last year.
The Canadians in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay are my concern, as well.
Weinstein has been dropping a lot of time. Requiring that from a 15-year-old isnt necessarily fair. I just wouldnt be surprised if she did.
Hope to see her maintain (or exceed) this level of performance when she goes all in on a 400 IM LCM. Sub-4:30 could be feasible.
Alex Walsh is too talented to swim only one event.
And she’s enough smart to know that it’s better to win a gold medal at worlds or olympics in one individual event rather than making 3 or 4 finals and win a bronze.
But I secretly hope she will add the 400 IM to her line-up for Paris 2024. But I wonder if she’s ready to fully train for it. Hopefully….
In other events, let’s be realistic, she would have no medal chances. So all for IM!
Unless they change the schedule she would have 400 IM day 1 and would get it out of the way. I really hope she adds it to her schedule.
If the performance in the women’s 200 meter individual medley is indicative of the potential in the women’s 400 meter individual medley, why not?
Alex Walsh swept the individual medleys at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
I guess we’ll always wonder if that was just one unbelievable meet for Ariana Kukors or, really, what could have been for her if she hadn’t been abused during the years when she should have been climbing the competitive ladder. That just cannot have been a healthy environment.
That record, though… holy moses.
She swam the time in rubber suit.
Any reason why Alex Walsh did not swim the women’s 200 meter butterfly?
200 fly LCM is a whole different ball game from 200 fly scy. Probably not enough time to ramp up the endurance for a 2 fly LCM before trials given the quick turnaround time from NCAAs
A reason for her to swim it? 🙂
Alex Walsh won the women’s 200 yards butterfly at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.