Olivia Smoliga Breaks Down Prelims/Swim Off/Finals 200 Free Triple (Video)

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – SAN ANTONIO

Reported by James Sutherland.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINALS

  • PSS Record: 1:54.43, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2016
  • U.S. Olympic Trials Cut: 2:01.69
  1. Madisyn Cox, TXLA, 1:59.42
  2. Regan Smith, RIPT, 1:59.49
  3. Olivia Smoliga, ABSC, 1:59.91

Coming off her swim-off victory over Isabel Ivey to get into the ‘A’ final, Olivia Smoliga attacked the women’s 200 free from the front out in Lane 8, holding the lead through the 150 with Regan SmithMadisyn Cox and Abbey Weitzeil hot on her tail.

Cox had a solid closing 50 in 30.75, managing to out-touch Smith for the win in a time of 1:59.42 to Smith’s 1:59.49. Cox swam a season-best of 1:58.97 at the U.S. Open in November.

Smith’s time is her third-fastest ever, while Smoliga held on for third in 1:59.91, her fourth time breaking into the 1:59s.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE FINALS

  • PSS Record: 53.12, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2016
  • U.S. Olympic Trials Cut: 56.29
  1. Olivia Smoliga, ABSC, 54.67
  2. Abbey Weitzeil, CAL, 55.13
  3. Margo Geer, MVN, 55.49

Olivia Smoliga rocketed off the turn in the women’s 100 freestyle, overtaking early leader Abbey Weitzeil on the back-half to win in a time of 54.67, good for fifth among U.S. swimmers in 2020-21.

Smoliga, who closed in 28.49, has only been this fast a handful of times in-season, and never that quick this early in the year. Her best-ever PSS swim was a 54.45 last March in Des Moines, while her fastest-ever January showing was a 55.50 from 2019.

Weitzeil had the early speed flipping in 25.91, and held on for second in 55.13 to take the seventh spot in the national rankings this season.

Margo Geer (55.49) edged out Natalie Hinds (55.61) in the race for third.

 

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About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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