Lilly King Finds Ease in her “Bread and Butter” Event (Video)

2018 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, July 25 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
• William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
• Prelims 9 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
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^{Reported by Jared Anderson.}

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST:

• World Record: Lilly King, 29.40, 2017
• American Record: Lilly King, 29.40, 2017
• Championship Record: Lilly King, 29.66, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: Lilly King, 29.62, 2018

1. GOLD: Lilly King– 29.82
2. SILVER: Molly Hannis– 30.07
3. BRONZE: Katie Meili– 30.72
4. FOURTH: Jorie Caneta- 30.86

Defending world champ Lilly King touched out Molly Hannis for the national 50 breast title, redemption after missing the Pan Pacs team in the 200 breast last night. The win tonight won’t put King onto the Pan Pacs squad (she’ll have to wait for the 100 breast for her last shot at that), but it does essentially clinch her a berth on the World Championships team next summer, where she’ll have a chance to defend her 2017 world title and challenge her own world record.

Hannis fought hard but dropped off the lead pace over the final 10 meters or so and just missed the 30 second barrier. King wound up going 29.82 (two tenths off her season-best) and Hannis 30.07. Those two sit 1st and 2nd in the world this year, though neither bettered their top-ranked times tonight.

Katie Meili was 30.72 for third, and will have to wait for the 100 to fight for her World Champs berth as well. Texas A&M’s Jorie Caneta (30.86) and Minnesota’s Lindsay Kozelsky (30.87) started an NCAA-heavy run, with the latter tying pro Breeja Larson for fifth. Future Indiana Hoosier Emily Weiss was seventh (30.88) and A&M grad Bethany Galat rounded out the heat in 31.19.