Lilly King Wins Knoxville 100 Breast In World-Leading Time

2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – Finals

  • World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
  • American Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
  • Pro Swim Series Record: 1:05.32 – Lilly King (2021)
  • US Open Record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy (2009)
  1. Lilly King – 1:05.67
  2. Mona McSharry – 1:06.23
  3. Lydia Jacoby – 1:06.62
  4. Kate Douglass – 1:06.67
  5. Alex Walsh – 1:07.70
  6. Sophie Angus – 1:08.16
  7. Anna Elendt – 1:08.41
  8. Ella Nelson – 1:08.48

After a prelims disqualification in her signature event at the U.S. Open, World Record holder Lilly King asserted herself in this field with a 1:05.67. That time is faster than her 4th-place time from last summer’s Worlds (1:06.02) and would have been good for silver. She was as fast as 1:04.75 at U.S. Nationals last summer, though, which would have won gold.

2023 Fukuoka Worlds Women’s 100 Breast Top 8:

  1. Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) — 1:04.62
  2. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) — 1:05.84
  3. Lydia Jacoby (USA) — 1:05.94
  4. Lilly King (USA) — 1:06.02
  5. Mona McSharry (IRL) — 1:06.07
  6. Eneli Jefimova (EST) — 1:06.36
  7. Sophie Hansson (SWE) — 1:06.61
  8. Satomi Suzuki (JPN) — 1:06.67

King has had some ups and downs in the 100 breast since her World Record performance. Her last international gold in the long course version of the event comes from the 2019 World Championships, though she did pick up a gold medal at Short Course Worlds in 2022.

Domestically, King will face a slew of young challengers in the lead up to Trials as she vies for her third straight Olympic appearance, namely from defending Olympic Champion Lydia Jacoby. There’s also up-and-comer junior swimmer Piper Enge, who became the first high school swimmer in the state of Washington to break one minute in the yards version of the event last year and who placed 4th at the World Junior Championships over the summer.

Behind King was a stacked field. Irish national record holder Mona McSharry held on for 2nd after posting the top time of the morning (1:06.23). Jacoby placed 3rd with a 1:06.62, just off of the 1:06.20 she posted at the U.S. Open. Fresh off a PSS record in the 100 free, Kate Douglass was back in the water with a new best time (1:06.67), moving up from 22nd to 18th all-time among American women. Her Virginia teammate Alex Walsh also completed the double, touching over a second behind (1:07.70).

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3 months ago

Lily King I mean queen of the Knoxville Pool!

GrameziPT
3 months ago

Why did she tapper for this meet?

Mr Piano
3 months ago

I forgot why she had such a bad 100 at worlds. Was she sick?

Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reply to  Mr Piano
3 months ago

She wasn’t sick. It was just one of the days when she had an off swim.

Mike
Reply to  Mr Piano
3 months ago

They had underwater cameras at Worlds

JimSwim22
3 months ago

Piper Enge was not the first HS swimmer under 1:00 was she?

Kristine M
Reply to  JimSwim22
3 months ago

Says first in Washington State

Admin
Reply to  Kristine M
3 months ago

It didn’t before, it was corrected :-).