2016 USA Swimming Trials: Day 7 Finals Live Recap

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Everything you need to follow along live with day seven finals of the 2016 USA Swimming Trials. Hit refresh for the latest coverage.

Click here to view the heat sheets.

Schedule of Events:

Women’s 200 Back FINAL
Men’s 100 Fly FINAL
Women’s 800 Free FINAL
Men’s 50 Free FINAL
Women’s 50 Free Semi-Final

Women’s 200 Back FINAL:

Maya DiRado, who has already proved herself to be the new IM queen, grabbed her third win of the meet in the 200 backstroke. DiRado jumped to an early and decisive lead, never letting go. DiRado stopped the clock at a 2:06.90 to move from ninth to fourth in the world rankings.

Battling for the second spot and a ticket to Rio was a trio of stars: Missy Franklin, Lisa Bratton, and Amy Bilquist. In the last length of the race Franklin began to make her move edging past the field for second and a 2:07.89.

Britain got her hand to the wall a slim .10 ahead of Bilquist to grab third with a 2:08.20. Bilquist was fourth with a 2:08.30.

Kentucky’s Danielle Galyer took fifth with a time of 2:09.31, while Erin Voss picked up sixth with a 2:09.81.

Elizabeth Beisel (2:11.12) and Bridgett Alexander (2:11.41) finished seventh and eighth respectively.

Photo Courtesy: Omega

Men’s 100 Fly FINAL:

After turning fourth at the turn, world record holder Michael Phelps delivered a strong underwater kick to blast even with the race leaders: Seth Stubblefield and Tim Phillips. Phelps pulled even before eventually eclipsing the leaders and charging to a decisive win of 51.00. Phelps’ time moves him to second in the world rankings, behind only Laszlo Cseh’s 50.86.

Also moving up to challenge the leaders was newly minted Olympian Tom Shields. Shields powered alongside Phelps to claim the number two spot with a final 51.20.

Stubblefield, first to the turn, kept a close race with Shields but slipped to third and a 51.24.

Fourth was picked up by Jack Conger and his time of 51.26, while Phillips slipped to fifth and a 51.44.

Matthew Josa (51.86), Will Glass (52.25), and Giles Smith (53.56) completed the top eight.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Women’s 800 Free FINAL:

USA’s distance queen Katie Ledecky jumped ahead of the competition to begin a battle with her own World Record. At the halfway mark the young superstar was just over a second ahead of World Record pace. With less than 200 meters left to swim Ledecky had slipped off World Record place but continued to accelerate ahead of the competition. Ledecky finished with a new national championship meet record of 8:10.32.

Powering to a strong second place finish was fellow distance ace Leah Smith who stopped the clock at the 8:20.18 mark, good for third in the world rankings.

Stephanie Peacock battled Smith for the second place spot throughout most of the race before finishing third overall with a time of 8:24.71.

Lindsay Vrooman picked up fourth with a final 8:29.10, while Ashley Twichell grabbed fifth with a time of 8:29.85.

Hannah Moore posted a time of 8:31.01, just ahead of Haley Anderson’s 8:33.66.

Sierra Schmidt rounded out the top eight with a time of 8:36.09.

800 free

Men’s 50 Free FINAL:

Splashin’ and dashin’ from the very start of the race was a quad of sprint superstars. Nathan Adrian, Anthony Ervin, Cullen Jones, and Caeleb Dressel blasted off the blocks to swim stroke for stroke for the first 25 meters. It didn’t take long for Adrian and Ervin, however, to start edging away from the crowd to finish 1-2.

The dynamic duo of Adrian and Ervin stopped the clock a slim .01 seconds apart to finish in 21.51 and 21.52 respectively moving them to third and fourth in the world rankings. The win marks Adrian’s second individual event for Rio, while Ervin will add the individual in addition to his relay duties.

Slipping to third was 2012 silver medalist Cullen Jones with a final 21.75, just ahead of the young Caeleb Dressel’s 21.80.

Josh Schneider, who earned his spot in the final after a swim-off with William Copeland, moved up to fifth with a time of 21.95, while Michael Chadwick finished sixth with a 21.96.

Seventh was picked up by Jimmy Feigen and his time of 21.99, while Dillon Virva grabbed eighth with a 22.40.

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Women’s 50 Free Semi-Finals:

Newly minted Olympian Abbey Weitzeil grabbed the top spot in semi-finals of the women’s 50 free with a swift 24.39 from heat two, improving upon her prelims time of 24.58. That time moves her up to sixth in the world rankings for 2016.

Swimming stroke-for-stroke with Weitzeil in the second heat was Madison Kennedy, this morning’s top swimmer. Kennedy clocked a 24.39 to move up to seventh in the world rankings and return as the number two seed for tomorrow’s final.

Simone Manuel, who earned herself a ticket to Rio yesterday in the 100 individual free and as a member of the 4×100 free relay, won the first heat of semis in a time of 24.58 to return as third in tomorrow’s final.

Katrina Konopka picked up fourth with a time of 24.68, while Olivia Smoliga grabbed fifth with a 24.84.

Lia Neal, also a member of the 4×100 free relay for Rio, finished sixth in semi-finals with a 24.85, just ahead of Dana Vollmer’s 25.03.

Amanda Weir rounded out the top eight qualifiers with a time of 25.08.

w50fr

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