Louise Hansson Goes With 200 Fly for NCAAs, Not 100 Free

The 2018 NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship pre-selection psych sheets are out, and USC’s Louise Hansson is swimming a somewhat unusual event on the final day of NCAAs.

The Swedish sprinter, who went with the 200 IM/100 fly/100 free lineup last year, will swap out the 100 free for the 200 fly.

The sophomore is the #2 seed in the 200 fly after throwing down a 1:51.13 at Pac-12s. In that race, Hansson shot out to a clocking of 51.81, an incredibly fast first 100. Obviously, Hansson faded considerably, while Stanford’s Ella Eastin built her race perfectly to throw down an NCAA and American record 1:49.51.

It was a gutsy strategy, and while Eastin out-performed her, Hansson and the USC coaching staff have to be really impressed with a 1:51.13– only Eastin, Hansson, and Katie Drabot (1:51.74) have been under 1:52 this year. In fact, Hansson’s time is the 10th-best performance in history, and makes her the 5th-best performer ever.

Hansson will hope to score in this event along with her teammate Maddie Wright, whose 1:53.38 is ranked 6th in the country and on the psych sheets.

In the 100 free, Hansson still holds the #8 time in the country with a 47.41 from Pac-12s. That event is far more tightly bunched, with the trio of Simone ManuelAbbey Weitzeil, and Mallory Comerford looking hard to crack.

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Bupwa
6 years ago

She just afeared o Erika Brown!

Aquatics
6 years ago

✌️

Swim Fan
6 years ago

Go Ella!!! Go Drabot!!! Go Stanford…?????

Hambone
Reply to  Swim Fan
6 years ago

Not a very interesting addition to the discussion…..apparently you like Stanford.

SwimFan
Reply to  Hambone
6 years ago

Yes, Stanford all the way!!! Ella would win this one and Drabot will take 2nd. Go Stanford…crush ‘em! ?????

Swim Fan
Reply to  Hambone
6 years ago

Not to you perhaps! Ella will win in the 200 Fly,
and Drabot 2nd. Yes, I’m going for the classy and dominant team of Stanford! Go Stanford…???

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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