Alex Walsh Enters Three Events At U.S. Trials, No 400 IM

2022 PHILLIPS 66 INTERNATIONAL TEAM TRIALS

Coming off of a dynamic NCAA Championship performance last month, University of Virginia star Alex Walsh has entered three events for the upcoming U.S. World Championship Trials in Greensboro, leaving one race she figures to have some potential in off the table.

Walsh has opted not to contest the 400 IM, a race she dominated by more than three seconds at NCAAs en route to becoming the fourth-fastest performer in history.

Walsh hasn’t proven herself to be world-class in the long course 400 IM as of yet, holding a best time (4:42.14 from January 2020, the last time she swam it) that would rank sixth on the psych sheets, but fans were certainly anticipating what she was capable of after dropping her best time down 10 seconds in the short course pool since she last raced the event in LC.

In opting out of the 400 IM, Walsh has entered the 200 IM, 200 free and 100 breast.

The Nashville Aquatic Club product won the 200 IM at the U.S. Olympic Trials last year before claiming the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and comes in as the event’s top seed with her best time of 2:08.65. The only other swimmer seeded sub-2:10 is her UVA teammate Kate Douglass, who placed second in Omaha and third in Tokyo last summer.

Walsh also set a new U.S Open and American Record in the SCY 200 IM in March in a time of 1:50.08.

The 20-year-old is also the 13th seed in the 100 breast, having set a lifetime best of 1:09.17 in May 2021 at the PSS meet in Indianapolis. In the 200 free, she’s entered with her SCY best of 1:42.28, which has her down in 33rd on the psych sheets.

Walsh’s best long course time in the 200 free stands at 2:00.61, set in June 2019, and she hasn’t raced it at all in the big pool since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given her improvement in yards, which included a 1:41.9 split on the 800 free relay at NCAAs, Walsh could potentially vie for a spot on the American 800 free relay at Worlds.

Walsh’s schedule in Greensboro currently plays out as follows (the 400 IM will take place on Day 3):

Tuesday, April 26 – Day 1

Off

Wednesday, April 27 – Day 2

  • 200 free

Thursday, April 28 – Day 3

Off

Friday, April 29 – Day 4

  • 100 breast

Saturday, April 30 – Day 5

  • 200 IM

At the 2021 Olympic Trials, the only event Walsh contested outside of the 200 IM was the 100 backstroke, where she finished 13th in the heats before scratching the semis.

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Melanie
2 years ago

Walsh swims a 1:58.0 in the 200 Free, a 1:07.4 in the 100 Breast, and wins the 200 IM in a 2:08.6

Hswimmer
Reply to  Melanie
2 years ago

Faster in all.

Snarky
Reply to  Hswimmer
2 years ago

Have to agree. She was 58.0 in HS in the 100 breast and is clearly a better swimmer now. I’m thinking 105 something and 1:57 in the 2 free.

Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

She’s got one great event plus she knows the 200 is weak and wide open. Like so many others who have potential at 400 individual medley they don’t want to commit to it. I wish Kate Grimes would emulate Summer McIntosh and blow the doors off that race so we can stop pretending these 4:40ish times are acceptable.

Bobo Gigi
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

I fully agree with you about Katie Grimes’ potential.
And I hope you’re wrong about Alex Walsh. I really hope she will fully train for the 400 IM for Paris 2024. And it would only help her 200 IM.

Mr Piano
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

Acceptable? What does that even mean?

HOO love
2 years ago

will be cheering for her and the other UVA girls!!

Lil Swimmy
2 years ago

kate douglass in the 2 breast the lord is good

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Lil Swimmy
2 years ago

That will be one of the most interesting swims of the entire week

Klorn8d
2 years ago

I’m guessing with the last second nature of this meet/championship meets they decided she would focus in on her bread and butter 200 IM, then see if she can get an 800 FRee relay spot. Then the 100 breast is in there just as kind of a keep it moving event so she’s not just sitting arojnd

Swimfan
Reply to  Klorn8d
2 years ago

In SCY, she is is able to swim several events if she wants.

But in the big pool things are way different. Hencewhy, the 200 IM and 200 free are her best events in LCM.

MCH
Reply to  Swimfan
2 years ago

Scy and lcm are 2 completely different worlds.

MarkB
Reply to  MCH
2 years ago

Sez who?

Ervin
Reply to  Swimfan
2 years ago

her 200 back is better LC than SCY…atleast for now

Meow
2 years ago

100 breast seems like a weird choice, doesn’t it?

Hswimmer
Reply to  Meow
2 years ago

Honestly not to me. Her 200 breast in yards could translate to a quick 100 LC breast. I could see her going 1:05 if she has the speed early.

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
Reply to  Hswimmer
2 years ago

It’s also really great tune up for the IM!

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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