Produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Hannah Hecht.Â
MEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS
- Townley Haas, NOVA: 1:47.86
- Clark Smith, Texas: 1:47.97
- Clay Youngquist, Longhorn Aquatics: 1:48.48
Defending NCAA champion and 2016 breakout swimmer Townley Haas (who appears to be representing NOVA over the summer instead of the University of Texas) blasted his fastest long course time this season, swimming 1:47.86 to cut nearly half a second from his previous season best 1:48.35 from Mesa.
Second went to Haas’s Texas teammate Clark Smith, who is also coming off an NCAA championship (his in the 500), in 1:47.97.
Another Texas swimmer, albeit a post-grad, Clay Youngquist rounded out the top three, outswimming Michael Phelps for the bronze.
Phelps, meanwhile, took fourth in 1:48.73. Earlier this week, Phelps told Sports Illustrated that he wanted to swim fast enough this weekend to forgo the need to swim the 200 at Trials and still make the 800 relay squad, but he definitely didn’t make that mark tonight.
Nation’s Capital’s Jack Conger finished fifth in 1:49.54, followed by North Baltimore’s David Nolan in 1:50.36.
Townley is doing what we predicted long ago. Steady and confident wins the race. Eddie has brought Townley to fore except the not shaving thing. His turns still need work but he is still winning races………………….hmmmmm imagine that. The US Olympic Trial is the most difficult swimming meet in the World……………..let them swim in peace…………….congrats to the T-MAN for doing his job.
What is cool with him is that I’m unable to predict any time right now for his 200 free this summer. It seems that it could be as well 1.44 as 1.47. I’m still leaning for the first option. 🙂
I love his chinstrap, it reminds me of Cheetos
We keep telling him to shave it.
I’m excited these young guns are improving in the 200 free. The US should have everyone on that relay, positions 1-6, be 144/145 with a relay start.
They are getting ready for trials – both will be on the 800 free prelim relay – and One will be added in the final .
Townley Haas.
I love his name 🙂
I am a big fan of both Townley and Clark, but this article says that Clark Smith is “coming off an NCAA championship (his in the 500)” when it was Townley who won this year, while Clark had an off meet and finished 21st in prelims this year. His victory in the 500 was in 2015. So glad to see that they are both swimming great!