2021 US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, December 1 – Saturday, December 4, 2021
- Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Info
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live stream
- Live Results (Omega)
Katie Ledecky won her second event of the 2021 US Open on Thursday night, breaking the meet record in the women’s 400 freestyle in a time of 4:00.51.
Also winning on the night was Trey Freeman, Leah Smith, Baylor Nelson, Mallory Comerford and Bruno Fratus.
Check out all six race videos from Day 2 finals below:
Women’s 400 Free
Katie Ledecky did it again. After pulling out a body length ahead by the end of the first 100, Ledecky won the event in 4:00.51, breaking her own U.S. Open meet record from 2019. She finished with a sub-1:00 time, mimicking her speed from prelims when she swam the last 100 in 58.70.
Yesterday, Ledecky won the 800 free in 8:12.81, also setting a new meet record in that event.
Ledecky finished ten seconds ahead of second-place Erin Gemmell, who finished in 4:10.12. Gemmell is just 16 years old. Sierra Schmidt and Katrina Bellio took third and fourth, respectively, with Schmidt finishing in 4:12.53 and Bellio just .20 behind her at 4:12.73.
Schmidt also made the podium in the 800, finishing third in that event.
Men’s 400 Free
Trey Freeman, who was top seed going into the event, and Hoe Yean Khiew, the Malaysian champion in the 400 free, both led the event neck-and-neck at the halfway point. But it was Freeman who took the win, swimming 3:49.06 to best Khiew’s 3:50.52.
Bobby Finke is known for his closing speed, but it wasn’t enough to get him to catch up. His 27-second last 50 allowed him to pass Charlie Clark to take third at 3:51.44.
Women’s 200 IM
Leah Smith went out with a 28.23 butterfly leg, and after losing her edge to Summer Smith in the backstroke, she quickly regained it in the breaststroke, splitting 39.14.
Leah Smith finished in 2:11.67, winning gold and improving on her personal best of 2:12.92, set at the prelims. That time would’ve won her seventh at the Tokyo Olympics.
Summer Smith took second with 2:15.02, holding off third-place Abby Hay, who finished in 2:15.45.
Men’s 200 IM
18-year-old Baylor Nelson led by a body length by the end of the backstroke, ultimately finishing first at 1:59.86, becoming only the tenth person in the 17/18 age group to ever finish sub-2:00.
Nelson beat his best time of 2:01.08 and became the ninth-fastest 17/18 swimmer of all time.
Collyn Gagne finished second at 2:02.59, and Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero finished third at 2:04.49.
Women’s 50 Free
Mallory Comerford finished first in 25.24 — her fastest 50 free since June 2019. Arina Openysheva finished second in 25.33, and Camille Spink finished third in 25.36. All three finished faster than Comerford’s prelims top time of 25.37. Seven of the eight championship finalists were under 26, with NCAP’s Tatum Wall finishing eighth at 26.05.
Men’s 50 Free
Veteran (and meet record-holder) Bruno Fratus got it done in the men’s 50, winning the close event in 22.36. Florida’s Adam Chaney was just .01 behind at 22.37, while Serbian Andrej Barna was third in 22.43. Chaney’s been as fast as 22.00, while the 32-year-old Fratus, the Tokyo bronze medalist in the event, owns a 21.27.
