2019 PRO SWIM SERIES- KNOXVILLE
- January 9-12, 2018
- Alan Jones Aquatic Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- 50m (LCM) pool
- Meet information
- Live stream
- Live results
One meet into the 2019 Pro Swim Series and Katie Ledecky leads all money-earners and also sits atop the chase for the $10,000 top swim bonus.
Ledecky won four events (the 200, 400 and 800 frees plus the 400 IM) and took home $6,000 in earnings. She also tied with Regan Smith for the top FINA points swim. On the men’s side, Josh Prenot is the leader at $5,500. Smith and Prenot had the best prelims swims, earning $1500 bonuses. Ledecky and Smith accounted for all of the top 5 FINA point swims on the women’s side. Ryan Murphy is the narrow leader on the men’s side in FINA point swims, edging Prenot’s 200 breast by 2 FINA points.
Meanwhile in the SwimSquad relays, the winning team (Phoebe Bacon/Nic Fink/Gianluca Urlando/Simone Manuel from the DiRadSquad) earned $250 apiece while the team with the fastest reaction time add-up (Kathleen Baker/Kevin Cordes/Kendyl Stewart/Michael Chadwick from the Beisel Bunch) also earned $250 apiece.
Prize Money System
The top 3 in each individual event will earn money. The top prelims swim in an individual Olympic event (based on FINA points) earns a $1500 bonus, one for the men and one for women. The swimmer with the top individual Olympic event swim (based on FINA points) of the entire series will earn a $10,000 bonus.
Individual Events (including stroke 50s)
- 1st: $1500
- 2nd: $1000
- 3rd: $500
Top Prelims Swim (individual Olympic events)
- $1500
Top Overall Swim for Series (individual Olympic events)
- $10,000
SwimSquad Relays
- TBA
Top Swim Series Leaders
The top swims of the entire series will earn $10,000 bonuses – one for the top man and one for the top women. Here are the current leaders.
Women:
| Rank | Athlete | FINA Points | Time | Event | Meet |
| 1 | Katie Ledecky* | 937 | 15:45.59 | 1500 Free | Knoxville |
| 1 | Regan Smith* | 937 | 59.37 | 100 Back | Knoxville |
| 3 | Katie Ledecky | 929 | 1:55.78 | 200 Free | Knoxville |
| 4 | Katie Ledecky | 924 | 4:05.53 | 400 Free | Knoxville |
| 5 | Regan Smith | 920 | 2:07.53 | 200 Back | Knoxville |
*Ledecky wins the current tie-break with Smith by virtue of having the higher points total in her second-best event.
Men:
| Rank | Athlete | FINA Points | Time | Event | Meet |
| 1 | Ryan Murphy | 927 | 53.17 | 100 Back | Knoxville |
| 2 | Josh Prenot | 925 | 2:09.96 | 200 Breast | Knoxville |
| 3 | Chase Kalisz | 909 | 1:57.68 | 200 IM | Knoxville |
| 4 | Ryan Murphy | 894 | 1:56.16 | 200 Back | Knoxville |
| 5 | Marius Kusch | 876 | 52.06 | 100 Fly | Knoxville |
Full Money Lists
Note: the following list tracks “money earned,” though not necessarily “money received.” Athletes maintaining amateurism for high school or NCAA swimming have restrictions on how much prize money they can accept.
Money List is just so sad. Try giving that money list to a PGA tour stop.
Meanwhile Llyod Harris of South Africa earned $75,000 for losing his first round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament 1-6, 2-6 1-6, solidifying his current rank of 119 in the world.
Too sad to look up what last place at the most recent PGA event won.
$6,500, lord.
What do you think comes first? Swimmers don’t swim well because they don’t get paid well. Or swimmers are not paid well because they don’t swim at the level to make this meet super exiting and extremely profitable.
Neither.
Why was Ledecky participating in this meet? Having the answer would make it easier evaluating her performance. The problem is that we will never know the answer. Katie is a type of person that share her plans in public interviews on the need to know basis only. And it is practically never the case including this meet.
Was she required by her sponsors or USAswimming to be there? Well, if this is the only reason then she performed extremely well. She showed up in all four scheduled events, no scratches, 4 gold medals and all her events brought significant crowd on stands.
Was she doing what pro swimmer is supposed to do: earning money for living? If that… Read more »
TYR might be the answer
This is old news, but it’s clear that without corporate sponsorship/endorsements and speaking fees, professional swimmers would not make enough money to support themselves.
Im curious, is Urlando planning on going to the NCAA? What happens to junior age swimmers who win prize money and still want to swim NCAA?
They get screwed by the establishment
They can use it to reimburse for travel.
Although I am sure the NCAA loved his post race interview of “I was just thinking about the prize money hoping I would get it.” The comment even left Rowdy speechless for a second as he scrabbled to change the subject.
Lol really? I need to see that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKBlIBjcb68
Urlando’s Interview at the end.
He is after all only 16. Am sure he hasn’t studied all the NCAA rules.
so guys like daniel carr and bryce from cal, can use it for travel too?
Correct.
So the definition of travel includes buying a car to get to/from swim practice? He could keep a mileage log to support this I’m sure.
Taa – the NCAA doesn’t write themselves into a corner with rules, they keep them vague and then interpret them as needed. There’s pros and cons to doing it either way, but the current system keeps the rule book much smaller and gives them wiggle room to err on the side of whomever they’re trying to protect in a given scenario.
If it works like he was in college then it can be used for any swim related expenses during the year.
Do these athletes get their way paid to the events? Just curious as to how much of the prize money actually goes to the athlete. Thanks.
SaintJoseph – most National Team athletes get travel paid for, or at least, partially paid for, to attend these meets.
Paid for by whom? USS I hope? But the “others” pay their way? What about meals, housing, etc? Very curious.
And people wondered why she left collage early.
I don’t remember anybody wondering. It makes sense.
No one wondered that