Day 3 Finals Live Recap
PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE
After for the first time in long course since the Tokyo Olympics this morning, Simone Manuel will be back in action tonight, racing the 50 free. It will be interesting to see how she fares agains the likes of swimmers such as Abbey Weitzell, who has been Manuel’s co-star in the sprint events for several major international meets. In prelims, Weitzeil qualified first with the only sub-25 time in the field (24.70), while Manuel was fourth in 25.48. Also in the mix for this 50 free race are Olympians Erika Brown and Olivia Smoliga, who are the second and third seeds respectively.
Another say swimming tonight is Katie Ledecky, who leads the field in the 400 free by five seconds after prelims. She’s the favorite to win tonight, but the battle for second should be a close one between junior swimmers Bella Sims, Katie Grimes, Erin Gemmell, and Jillian Cox.
On the men’s side, the race to watch is the 50 free, which is essentially a preview of the NCAA Championships. Cal’s Jack Alexy leads the field with a 22.45 from prelims, and he is followed by his teammate Bjorn Seeliger, NC State’s David Curtiss, and Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks and Gui Caribe.
Also being raced this session are the men’s and women’s 200 fly, 100 back, 200 breast, and 50 fly.
WATCH
WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY — FINALS
- World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
- World Junior Record: 2:05.20 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2022)
- American Record: 2:04.14 – Mary DeScenza (2009)
- U.S. Open Record: 2:05.85 – Hali Flickinger (2021)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 2:06.11 – Hali Flickinger (2020)
Top 3:
- Katie Grimes (SAND) — 2:09.58
- Lainey Mullins (SSC) — 2:11.98
- Ella Jansen (Canada) — 2:12.62
100 fly champion and Tennessee commit Ella Jansen led for first 150 meters of the race, and was over a second ahead of the rest of the field at the halfway point. However, Katie Grimes began to close the gap on the third 50, and split 33.69/33.93 on her back half compared to Jansen’s 34.06/37.76 to overtake the Canadian on the last lap and win the race.
Grimes dropped nearly three seconds off her best time of 2:12.38, which was set back in April 2022.
UVA commit Lainey Mullins also made a move on her back half, being in fifth at the halfway point but splitting 33.52/34.89 to pass Jansen and move up to fifth. She was just a few tenths off her best time of 2:11.69.
Coincidentally, all three swimmers on the podium are 17 years old. All swimmers in the finals were teenagers, with nobody over the age of 19.
MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY — FINALS
- World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2022)
- World Junior Record: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
- American Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps (2009)
- U.S. Open Record: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps (2008)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 1:53.84 – Luca Urlando (2019)
Top 3:
- Chase Kalisz (SUN) — 1:56.40
- Gabriel Jett (Unattached) — 1:57.38
- Nick Albiero (CARD) — 1:57.69
For the majority of the race, it seemed as if Gabriel Jett and Nick Albiero would go 1-2, with the two of them switching leads multiple times throughout. However, Chase Kalisz dropped a massive 29.97 third 50 (the only sub-30 rolling split in the field) and 30.31 final 50 (the only sub-31 closing split in the field) to overtake the two of them for the win.
Jett, who was third at the 150-meter mark, also closed well, splitting 31.18 on his last 50 to pass Albiero.
Notably, Kalisz’s time was just a few tenths off his 2021-22 season best, a time of 1:56.03 that he swam at the 2022 International Team trials. Since moving Tempe to train under Bob Bowman, Kalisz has produced strong results in his races (including US Open meet records in the 200 and 400 IM), and the 200 fly is just a continuation of his success.
WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE — FINALS
- World Record: 23.67 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2017)
- World Junior Record: 24.17 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)
- American Record: 23.97 – Simone Manuel (2017)
- U.S. Open Record: 24.10 – Simone Manuel (2018)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 24.17 – Sarah Sjostrom (2016)
Top 3:
- Abbey Weitzeil (CAL) — 24.74
- Erika Brown (TNAQ) — 24.94
- Simone Manuel (SUN) — 25.19
After being the second-fastest off the blocks, Abbey Weitzeil wasted no time taking the lead in this race, and ended up winning by 0.2 seconds with a time of 24.74. She was just 0.04 seconds off of her prelims mark of 24.70.
Also dipping under the 25-second barrier was Erika Brown, who was second with a 24.94 in front of a home crowd.
Simone Manuel, who raced in her first long course final since the Olympics, finished third with a 25.19 and improved upon her prelims time of 25.48. Her ASU training partner Olivia Smoliga came in fourth, swimming a 25.33.
Tying for fifth were Signe Bro and Erin Gemmell, who both clocked a 25.72. Gemmell was just a few tenths slower than her…
Read More: Day 3 Finals Live Recap