Ranking the Top 10 Swims From the Pro Swim Series Stop in San Antonio

2024 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – SAN ANTONIO

The final stop of the 2024 Pro Swim Series in San Antonio was a star-studded affair, marking one of the last major domestic meets before the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.

Let’s take a stab at a subjective ranking of the top 10 swims from the week:

10. Simone Manuel‘s 50 Free – 24.34

The only non-winner to make this list, Simone Manuel earned her appearance by clocking her fastest 50 free time in almost three years with a 24.34 in prelims. She was slightly slower in the final at 24.39 for 4th place.

It was her fastest swim since the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials (24.29), a few tenths shy of the 24.09 she posted to win an Olympic silver medal in this event back in 2016. Manuel, 27, continues to stake her claim as a strong contender to make her third Olympics this summer as she works her way back from overtraining syndrome (OTS) under coach Bob Bowman.

Kasia Wasick (24.20), Abbey Weitzeil (24.27), and Gretchen Walsh (24.29) also deserve shoutouts for their podium finishes ahead of Manuel. Wasick was a quarter of a second off her personal-best 23.95 that won the Polish sprinter a bronze medal at February’s World Championships in Doha, but only a few hundredths shy of Sarah Sjostrom‘s Pro Swim Series record from 2016 (24.17). Weitzeil notched a new season best to tie Shayna Jack for 4th in the world this calendar year while Walsh shaved a few hundredths off her best time from last summer (24.31).

9. Katie Ledecky‘s 800 Free – 8:12.95

World record holder Katie Ledecky cruised to a 15-second victory in the 800 free with a winning time of 8:12.95, knocking a couple seconds off her season-best 8:14.97 from January’s Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville.

She has been faster on a couple dozen different occasions, but only Summer McIntosh has been faster in this event among swimmers not named Ledecky with her world-leading 8:11.39 from February. Ledecky is quicker than she was at this time last year, when she went 8:14.70 in March and 8:13.56 in May.

8. Lydia Jacoby‘s 100 Breast – 1:05.74

Reigning Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby tallied her best 100 breast time since the 2023 U.S. Trials (1:05.16) with a winning mark of 1:05.74. She now ranks 4th in the world this season behind Lilly King (1:05.67), Tatjana Schoenmaker (1:05.41), and Tang Qianting (1:05.27).

It was an encouraging sign for Jacoby, who mentioned worry about feeling “tired in the water” after the 2024 NCAA Championships last month, where she placed 5th in the 100-yard breast (57.13) after winning the event last year (57.03). On Thursday night, she was within a second of her lifetime best (1:04.95) from her surprise Tokyo Olympic victory in 2021.

7. Gabe Castano‘s 50 Free – 21.67

Gabe Castano had never been under 22 seconds in the 50 free before this meet before lowering his Mexican record from 22.01 to 21.81 during a time trial on Thursday night.

Then on Saturday morning, the 26-year-old Penn State graduate improved his personal best to 21.67 in prelims, which ranks 4th in the world this season behind Cam McEvoy (21.13), Ben Proud (21.25), and Vladyslav Bukhov (21.38). Later that evening, Castano held on for the victory with a 21.70 in the final, beating Ryan Held (21.79) and Caeleb Dressel (21.85).

6. Matt Fallon‘s 200 Breast – 2:08.18

Matt Fallon got redemption after last month’s runner-up finish in the 200-yard breast at the NCAA Championships, rallying past Leon Marchand (2:08.40) for the victory in 2:08.18.

It wasn’t a lifetime best for Fallon, who went 2:07.71 at U.S. Trials last summer, but the University of Pennsylvania junior did erase Jake Foster‘s previous Pro Swim Series record from last year (2:08.23). He now ranks 7th in the world this season.

It was the first non-exhibition LCM loss since 2022 for Marchand, who has been as fast as 2:06.59 at the 2023 French Championships last summer. Last month at NCAAs, he captured another 200-yard breast crown in 1:46.35, a couple seconds ahead of Fallon’s 1:48.48.

5. Siobhan Haughey‘s 100 Free – 52.74

Siobhan Haughey secured the 100 free crown in 52.74, taking down the Pro Swim Series record of 53.12 shared by Sarah Sjostrom (2016) and Kate Douglass (2024). Haughey outdueled Douglass (52.98) and Torri Huske (53.08), who were also under the old Pro Swim Series record.

The freestyle specialist from Hong Kong was within a second of her personal-best 52.02 from last October’s World Cup stop in Berlin, which ranks as the fastest time in the world this season.

Haughey also won the 200 free in 1:54.52, faster than she went to claim gold at the 2024 World Championships (1:54.89).

4. Caeleb Dressel and Hubert Kos‘s 100 Fly – 50.84

Caeleb Dressel fired off his first sub-51 second effort in the 100 fly since April of 2022 with a season-best 50.84, tying versatile Hungarian Hubert Kos for 1st place on Friday night. Only Matt Temple (50.25) and Noe Ponti (50.16) have been faster so far this season.

Dressel has been as fast as 49.45 during his Tokyo Olympic win in 2021 while Kos lowered his previous-best 51.23 from prelims. Before this meet, his best time was 51.33 from the 2022 European Championships.

Dressel also won the 100 free in a season-best 48.40, his fastest time in the event since the 2022 World Championships (47.67). He’s the fifth-fastest American in the event this calendar year behind Chris Giuliano (47.49) Matt King (48.02), Jack Alexy (48.24), and Hunter Armstrong (48.37).

3. Kate Douglass‘s 200 Breast – 2:19.89

Kate Douglass dominated Saturday night’s 200 breast final by almost five seconds with a 2:19.89, just about half a second shy of her American record (2:19.30) from January’s Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville. It marked the third-fastest time ever by an American behind her own record and Rebecca Soni‘s 2:19.59 from the 2012 Olympics.

Douglass was more than a second faster than her 2:20.91 from February’s World Championships, which earned her a silver medal in Doha. She’s now No. 2 in the world this season after reigning Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker ripped a 2:19.01 earlier this month.

2. Regan Smith‘s 100 Back – 57.74

Like Douglass, Regan Smith was just a hair off her own American record in the 100 back with a time of 57.74, the sixth-fastest of her career. She was fresh off a U.S. Open record at the previous Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont last month (57.64), which narrowly missed her American record from 2019 (57.57).

No American has ever been faster than her 57.74 on Saturday night. Smith still ranks 2nd in the world this season behind Kaylee McKeown (57.33).

Smith added impressive victories in the 200 fly (2:05.97 after 2:05.92 in prelims) and 200 back (2:05.46) earlier in the week.

  1. Torri Huske‘s 100 Fly – 55.68

There were plenty of impressive swims in San Antonio, but only one new world-leading time was produced courtesy of Torri Huske in the 100 fly (55.68). The 21-year-old lowered her own Pro Swim Series record of 56.13 from last month in Westmont, narrowly missing her best time from her 2022 world title (55.64).

Huske now ranks as the fastest in the world this season ahead of China’s Zhang Yufei who is the only other swimmer under 56 seconds with her 55.86 from the Asian Games last September. She followed up Friday’s 100 fly victory with a personal-best 2:08.47 in the 200 IM, sneaking past 2022 world champion Alex Walsh (2:08.60) for the win.

2023-2024 LCM Women 100 Fly

GretchenUSA
WALSH
06/15
55.18 WR
2Torri
HUSKE
USA55.5206/16
3Regan
SMITH
USA55.6206/16
4Yufei
ZHANG
CHN55.8609/27
5Angelina
KOHLER
GER56.1102/11
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Hank
8 months ago

Giuliano’s 47.49 was done in a timetrial in calm water and not a final or heat race. Not shooting it down but just curious how much that affects the result?

Sherry Smit
8 months ago

Emma Weber 1:06.6 worth a mention. She out-touched King!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Sherry Smit
8 months ago

Hopefully, this performance will bode well for her junior season at the University of Virginia.

Beginner Swimmer at 25
8 months ago

Dressel becoming a back halfer is the last thing I would ever expect besides Ohtani being robbed 16 million by his translator

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Beginner Swimmer at 25
8 months ago

That’s how he’s swum his in season 100 flys for years. This is nothing new.

Timothy
8 months ago

Why would Riley continue to use “Former Stanford standout” for Torri Huske? She used it in 2 articles already. Did I miss something?

AFAIK, Huske is still at Stanford. Not a “former”

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
8 months ago

No love for Leon Marchand?

Sacre bleu!

mds
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
8 months ago

I suppose it depends on how you define a “non-exhibition LCM loss,” but Leon actually failed to have the winning time in a LCM college dual meet on Saturday, October 21, 2023.

That weekend ASU swam two dual meets with NC State, Friday in SCY and Saturday in LCM. I believe the SCY meet was scored but the LCM meet was of a quality that was far more than “exhibition.”

Among the multiple events Leon swam that Saturday were 100 Fly at :52.42 (winning over a field including Kharun, Hayes, Kos, Bowers, Henderson, Senc-Samardzic and Colson); 200 Free at 1:49.16 (winning over a field including Sammon, Kos, Hill, Cotter, Behar, Dolan, McDonald, Mueller).

But he didn’t get out of… Read more »

Steve Nolan
8 months ago

“The freestyle specialist from Hong Kong…”comment image

Last edited 8 months ago by Steve Nolan
Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Steve Nolan
8 months ago

Keep your hot dog on a plate.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
8 months ago

comment image

she’s not a freestyle specialist you goons

Andy
8 months ago

I think you left out Chris Giuliani’s 47.49 100M free swim off the list of fastest Americans this year (in the Dressel entry).

Proboscus
Reply to  Andy
8 months ago

Read the article bonehead.

Viking Steve
Reply to  Proboscus
8 months ago

Hey Now! (but yes…read the article 🙂

Mr Piano
8 months ago

Ledecky’s 8:12 is the second fastest time in the world this year and is faster than anyone else in history besides McIntosh. Ledecky would have won every single world or Olympic title in history with that time.

I know we’ve gotten desensitized to her over the years but to put it at #9 on this list is absurd. It should be at #3.

Last edited 8 months ago by Mr Piano
Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Mr Piano
8 months ago

A general observation from the months of March and April. While Katie Ledecky has slowly turned the corner posting season best times in the 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR at the 2024 TYR Pro Swim Series – San Antonio, Lilly King has been stuck in a quagmire. Based on the last two TYR Pro Swim Series stops, Lilly King has been thoroughly unimpressive (1:06.68, 1:06.53, 2:25.97, 2:25.76). The point is a comparison of two international veterans ironically born in the same year.

The vast majority of swimming fans have been spoiled with Katie Ledecky posting fast in-season performances in previous years. The older Katie becomes, the more Ledecky will have to rely on a taper heading into a major… Read more »

Jju
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
8 months ago

What do you compare ledecky with King? Katie has been the best for so many years but king has not. Besides, katie’s in season time during stanford was faster than world championship. The past two years of ledecky’s in season time was slower than her stanford’s time but she actually went faster at worlds.

Last edited 8 months ago by Jju
Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Jju
8 months ago

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Katie Ledecky’s time (8:12.95) in the W 800 FR was faster than the times posted in the heats and final of the W 800 FR at the 2021 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials.

Andy
Reply to  Mr Piano
8 months ago

If you use your same argument, every time Sjostrom swims a 50 fly you need to put her at the top of the list because no one has been sub 25 other than her and she basically does it every time she jumps in the pool

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Andy
8 months ago

Except Sarah Sjostrom has never won the gold medal in the W 50 FR at the Summer Olympics. Katie Ledecky is aiming for a fourth straight gold medal in the W 800 FR at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Talk about apples and oranges.

jeff
Reply to  Andy
8 months ago

I would definitely agree with that

bob
Reply to  Andy
8 months ago

this guy gets it!

Mr Piano
Reply to  Andy
8 months ago

Yes, for most meets, yes lol. Or at least very near the top. I’d personally rank her 50 fly at Doha #3 at that meet, behind her 50 free and Pan’s world record performance.

Georgia Rambler
Reply to  Mr Piano
8 months ago

Her times in the 200 and 400 werent too shabby either Her last 50 in the 200 was faster than Haughey’s.She was charging hard at the end and ran out of pool Looked to me that she hasn’t lost that desire, even in her toughest event. She did look tired butg happy when signing stuff. Sill traing pretty hard

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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