2022 U.S. World Championship Trials: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

2022 U.S. World Championship Trials

• April 26-30, 2022
• Greensboro, NC
• Greensboro Aquatic Center
• LCM (50m)
• Start Times: Prelims – 9 am ET / Finals – 6 pm ET
• Worlds Qualifying Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ‘Em Contest
• How To Watch
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

WEDNESDAY EVENING HEAT SHEETS

Day Two finals session will add a new crop of international qualifiers to the Team USA rosters. Katie Ledecky will seek her second spot, this time in the 200 free. Lilly King, Kate Douglass, and Annie Lazor will battle for right to represent the US in the 200 breast, while Phoebe Bacon, Rhyan White, and Regan Smith will do the same in the 200 back. Claire Curzan posted the top time this morning in the 50 fly, just ahead of American record-holder Kelsi Dahlia.

In the men’s events, Carson Foster led the qualifiers for the 200 free final, dropping nearly a second from his previous PB to post the #3 time in the world for the season. His brother Jake Foster had the fastest 200 breast of the morning; he will face challenges by Charlie Swanson and Nic Fink. Shaine Casas will have the middle lane in the 200 but with Jack Aikins and Ryan Murphy on either side of him. Finally, in the men’s 50 fly, Michael Andrew qualified first for tonight’s final, but one should never write off Caeleb Dressel, who will be swimming in lane 5 after putting up the second-fastest time this morning.

Wednesday, April 27

Women’s 200 Meter Freestyle – Finals

• World Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pellegrini (2009)
• American Record: 1:53.61 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
• US Open Record: 1:54.40 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
• Jr World Record: 1:55.11 – Mollie O’Callaghan (2021)
• FINA “A” Cut: 1:58.66
• SwimSwam Preview – W200 Free

Podium:

1. Katie Ledecky, Unattached – 1:55.15
2. Claire Weinstein, Sandpipers of Nevada – 1:57.08
3. Leah Smith, Longhorn Aquatics – 1:57.44
4. Hali Flickinger, Sun Devils – 1:57.53
5. Bella Sims, Sandpipers of Nevada – 1:57.61
6. Alex Walsh, Virginia – 1:57.82
7. Erin Gemmell, Nation’s Capital – 1:58.12
8. Katie Grimes, Sandpipers of Nevada – 1:58.22

Katie Ledecky pulled off a wire-to-wire win in the 200 free to start Day 2 finals, going 1:55.15 to lead the field by over a body length.

Alex Walsh was in second place at the halfway mark, with Bella Sims just behind. Leah Smith passed Sims on the third 50 and was began to move up on Walsh.

Claire Weinstein, threw it into another gear over the final 50 meters to pass all three of them and finish second to Ledecky with 1:57.08, a new personal best and the #3 performance of all-time for the 15-16 age group. Smith (1:57.44) held on for third place, while Hali Flickinger edged Sims for fourth, 1:57.53 to 1:57.61. Alex Walsh finished sixth with 1:57.82.

The entire A final came in under the FINA “A” standard.

Men’s 200 Meter Freestyle – Finals

• World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann (2009)
• American Record: 1:42.96 – Michael Phelps (2008)
• US Open Record: 1:44.10 – Michael Phelps (2008)
• Jr World Record: 1:44.62 – Sunwoo Hwang (2021)
• FINA “A” Cut: 1:47.06
• SwimSwam Preview – M200 Free

Podium:

1. Kieran Smith, Florida – 1:45.25
2. Drew Kibler, Texas – 1:45.32
3. Carson Foster, Texas – 1:45.66
4. Trenton Julian, Unattached – 1:46.69
5. Coby Carrozza, Texas – 1:46.87
6. Trey Freeman, Florida – 1:46.93
7. Luke Hobson, Texas – 1:47.43
8. Luca Urlando, DART – 1:47.99

Olympic bronze medalist Kieran Smith won the men’s 200 free from lane 6, having qualified fourth out of heats. Smith put up the fastest time in the world so far this season, winning in 1:45.25.

Top-seeded Carson Fosterled the field at the 50 wall, but Smith took over at the 100 and never let up. Drew Kibler remained in the second position throughout the entire race, coming with .07 of Smith at the touch to nearly take the event. Kibler’s 1:45.32 is the #2 time in the world thus far.

Foster came in third, finishing a full second ahead of Trenton Julian, 1:45.66 to 1:45.69.

Coby Carrozza (1:46.87= and Trey Freeman (1:46.93) came in fifth and sixth, both swimming faster than the FINA “A” cut.

Women’s 200 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

• World Record: 2:18.95 – Tatjana Schoenmaker (2021)
• American Record: 2:19.59 – Rebecca Soni (2012)
• US Open Record: 2:20.38 – Rebecca Soni (2009)
• Jr World Record: 2:19.64 – Viktoria Gunes (2015)
• FINA “A” Cut: 2:25.91
• SwimSwam Preview – W200 Breast

Podium:

1. Lilly King, Indiana Swim Club – 2:21.19
2. Kate Douglass, Virginia – 2:21.43
3. Annie Lazor, Indiana Swim Club – 2:21.91
4. Anna Keating, Virginia – 2:24.62
5. Lydia Jacoby, Seward – 2:26.60
6. Mackenzie Looze, Indiana University – 2:27.60
7. Ella Nelson, Virginia – 2:29.07
8. Josie Panitz, Ohio State – 2:29.78

In a thrilling race to the end, Lilly King edged Kate Douglass and Annie Lazor to win the women’s 200 breast with 2:21.19. King went out characteristically fast, leading by .9 at the halfway mark in 1:07.7. Douglass turned up the pressure over the second half of the race and finished just .24 behind King with 2:21.43 to become the fourth-fastest performer in American history (behind only Rebecca Soni, King, and Lazor). Lazor touched in third place with 2:21.91, and the trio are now the only sub-2:22s in the world so far this year.

Splits:

King – 1:07.7/1:13.4
Douglass – 1:08.5/1:12.8
Lazor – 1:09.0/1:12.8

Men’s 200 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

• World Record: 2:06.12 – Anton Chupkov (2019)
• American Record: 2:07.17 – Josh Prenot (2016)
• US Open Record: 2:07.17 – Josh Prenot (2016)
• Jr World Record: 2:09.39 – Haiyang Qin (2017)
• FINA “A” Cut: 2:10.32
• SwimSwam Preview – M200 Breast

Podium:

1. Nic Fink, MAAC / Charlie Swanson, Nova of Virginia – 2:08.84
2. –
3. Jake Foster, Texas – 2:09.73
4. Will Licon, Longhorn Aquatics – 2:11.03
5. AJ Pouch, Virginia Tech – 2:11.14
6. Josh Matheny, Indiana University – 2:11.14
7. Tommy Cope, Indiana Swim Club – 2:12.84
8. Maxwell Reich, Indiana University – 2:15.04

Jake Foster, swimming in lane 4 after posting the top time out of morning heats, went out first in the final, leading Charlie Swanson by a tenth at the 50 wall. Swanson took over the lead at the 100, outsplitting Foster by half a second on the second 50. Swanson was still up by almost half a body at the 150 turn and seemed to have the race sewn up.

But then along came Nic Fink.

Fink upped his tempo over the final 50 meters to shoot by Foster. He then began to challenge Swanson and the two traded stro