2019 US Open
Day Three Heats
The 2019 US Open in Atlanta continued on Friday morning with new meet records from Regan Smith (100 back), Andrew Wilson (100 breast) and Simone Manuel (200 free).
US Open Details
Women’s 400 IM
Meet Record: 4:38.38, Katie Hoff, 2006
17-year-old Emma Weyant out of the Sarasota Sharks swam the top time in the heats of the 400 IM with a 4:41.62 as she leads a stacked field into tonight’s A-Final. Weyant, a Florida native who has committed to Virginia for next year, was the national champion this summer in this event. She is ahead of last night’s 200 IM champ and SCM American record holder Melanie Margalis (4:41.92) and 2018 National champ Ally McHugh (4:43.02).
This is a particularly stacked field with four members of this summer’s Worlds team in the A-Final as well as the 2019 National champ in Weyant. Stanford swimmers Brooke Forde (4:44.07) and Ella Eastin (4:44.28) qualified in sixth and seventh for this final as members of the Worlds team. Forde was ninth at World Championships in this event.
Notably, Madisyn Cox did not swim in the heats as she scratched to focus on the 200 free.
Emma Barksdale (4:43.28) and Makayla Sargent (4:43.99) also have an outside shot at a top three finish, qualifying fourth and fifth.
The meet record of 4:38.38 set by Katie Hoff in 2006 is in jeopardy of falling especially after Margalis swam a 2:08 last night in the 200.
There were some notable A-Final misses from Bethany Galat (4:46.03), Katie Ledecky (4:46.05) and Olympic finalist Emily Overholt (4:50.04).
Results:
- 4:41.62, Emma Weyant, USA
- 4:41.92, Melanie Margalis, USA
- 4:43.02, Ally McHugh, USA
- 4:43.28, Emma Barksdale, USA
- 4:43.99, Makayla Sargent, USA
- 4:44.07, Brooke Forde, USA
- 4:44.28, Ella Eastin, USA
- 4:45.63, Kathrin Demler, GER
Men’s 400 IM
Meet Record: 4:11.11, Sebastien Rousseau, 2013
Last night’s top three in the 200 IM replicated their places in this morning’s 400 as Chase Kalisz (4:18.36), Carson Foster (4:19.20) and Ryan Lochte (4:19.25) will occupy the three middle lanes in tonight’s final. This is a particularly impressive swim for Lochte, who at 35 is still showing he is in shape for a good 400 IM. Although his best is a 4:05 and he was a 4:12 at this point (roughly) four years ago, it is a good sign that he is still willing to swim the harder events as he pushes for a fifth Olympic berth. He was a 4:18 in the heats in January 2016 at a Pro Swim Series so he is not far off where he was leading into Trials.
World Championships silver medalist Jay Litherland (4:20.63) will be the fourth seed and is definitely capable of winning the final tonight. He was a 4:09 at Worlds this summer and has been on Team USA every year since 2016.
2019 summer national champ Bobby Finke (4:22.81) will also be in the final in lane eight. There were no notable A-Final misses in this event.
Results:
- 4:18.36, Chase Kalisz, USA
- 4:19.20, Carson Foster, USA
- 4:19.25, Ryan Lochte, USA
- 4:20.63, Jay Litherland, USA
- 4:22.13, Daniel Sos, HUN
- 4:22.70, Grant Sanders, USA
- 4:22.71, Jacob Heidtmann, GER
- 4:22.81, Bobby Finke, USA
Women’s 100 Fly
Meet Record: 57.53, Marie Wattel, 2017
Farida Osman and Kelsi Dahlia were the only two to break 59 seconds in the heats of the 100 fly with Osman on top at 58.41 and Dahlia following close behind at 58.56. The time for Osman was quicker than what she swam at the World Championships this year when she swam a 58.43 in getting 17th, missing a spot in the semi finals by a tenth. Osman has had better success in the 50 fly in recent years but has been good at the 100, having won an NCAA title in 2017 during her time at Cal.
Dahlia is the second seed ahead of Stanford commit Lillie Nordmann (59.07) and Auburn pro Aly Tetzloff (59.16). The United States is still looking for a second 100 butterflyer behind Dahlia and that second swimmer might very well come from this heat with high schoolers Nordmann and Torri Huske (59.31) advancing to the final as well as rising star in Virginia freshman Kate Douglass (59.31). Huske was the Swimming World High School Swimmer of the Year this year after she broke the national high school record in the 100 butterfly.
There were a couple notable A-Final misses from Natalie Hinds (59.52, 10th) and Beata Nelson (1:00.01, 21st).
Results:
- 58.41, Farida Osman, EGY
- 58.56, Kelsi Dahlia, USA
- 59.07, Lillie Nordmann, USA
- 59.16, Aly Tetzloff, USA
- 59.18, Amanda Kendall, USA
- 59.31, Torri Huske, USA
- 59.31, Kate Douglass, USA
- 59.40, Dakota Luther, USA
Men’s 100 Fly
Meet Record: 51.65, Tom Shields, 2013
Taking advantage of a late scratch from world record holder Caeleb Dressel, Guatemalan national record holder Luis Martinez swam a 51.89 in leading the 100 fly heats on Friday morning at the 2019 US Open in Atlanta. Martinez was the only swimmer to break 52 as 200 butterfly national champ Luca Urlando (52.63) is tied for second with Kazakh Adilbek Mussin (52.63) of Trojan Swim Club.
Martinez was the silver medalist at this summer’s Pan American Games with a 51.6 and is right at where he was fully tapered this summer.
USC grad Dylan Carter (52.64) is seeded fourth as it is a crowded field behind Martinez in tonight’s A-Final. Jack Conger (52.67) and Iago Amaral (52.67) are tied for fifth while Cody Bybee (52.73) and 2018 200 fly national champ Justin Wright (52.78) got into the final at seventh and eighth.
There were a couple notable A-Final misses from Giles Smith (52.79, 9th), Jack Saunderson (53.05, 11th), John Shebat (53.07, 12th), Matthew Josa (53.63, 22nd) and Coleman Stewart (54.39, 38th).
Results:
- 51.89, Luis Martinez, GUA
- 52.63, Luca Urlando, USA
- 52.63, Adilbek Mussin, KAZ
- 52.64, Dylan Carter, TTO
- 52.67, Jack Conger, USA
- 52.67, Iago Amaral, BRA
- 52.73, Cody Bybee, USA
- 52.78, Justin Wright, USA
Women’s 200 Free
Meet Record: 1:57.54, Megan Romano, 2012
Simone Manuel broke her second meet record of the 2019 US Open with a 1:57.41 in the 200 free heats on Friday morning in Atlanta. She took down the 1:57.54 from Megan Romano set in 2012 as Manuel leads a stacked field that will not include reigning Olympic champion Katie Ledecky, who fell off pace in placing 11th at 2:00.12. She earlier had the 400 IM in the session.
Manuel is seeded ahead of Allison Schmitt (1:57.76) and Siobhan Haughey (1:57.81) with a pair of 1:57s in the heats. That time for Schmitt here was faster than what she swam at the World Championships when she was a 1:58.2 in the semi finals, missing the final. Haughey was fourth at those World Championships with a 1:54. It could take around a sub-1:57 to get on the podium in tonight’s final.
Virginia’s Paige Madden (1:58.73) also qualified for the final ahead of Virginia alum Leah Smith (1:59.15). Erika Brown (1:59.52) and Madisyn Cox (1:59.61), who scratched out of the 100 fly and 400 IM earlier, qualified for the final in sixth and seventh while World University Games gold medalist Gabby DeLoof (1:59.73) got into eighth.
There were some notable A-Final misses from Mallory Comerford (2:00.08, 9th) and Regan Smith (2:00.10, 10th).
Results:
- 1:57.41, Simone Manuel, USA, MR
- 1:57.76, Allison Schmitt, USA
- 1:57.81, Siobhan Haughey, HKG
- 1:58.73, Paige Madden, USA
- 1:59.15, Leah Smith, USA
- 1:59.52, Erika Brown, USA
- 1:59.61, Madisyn Cox, USA
- 1:59.73, Gabby DeLoof, USA
Men’s 200 Free
Meet Record: 1:46.23, Pieter van den Hoogenband, 2005
Dean Farris took his 200 free heat out fast on Friday morning in Atlanta as he was out in 51.1 on his first 100 before coming back to the field with a 1:47.53. If Farris is on like that again tonight, then he has a chance to take a crack at the 2005 US Open meet record of 1:46.23 by one of the legends of this sport in 2000 Olympic champ Pieter van den Hoogenband.
Farris is ahead of fellow Longhorn training partner Townley Haas (1:47.86) and Florida senior Khader Baqlah (1:47.97) in this tight field that had a couple notable A-Final misses.
World Championships team member Zach Apple (1:48.01) got through to the final in fourth as did Caeleb Dressel (1:48.14), who scratched out of his pet event, the 100 fly to focus on this event. Dressel has shied away from his better events this weekend, thus far scratching out of the 100 fly and 50 free in favor of the 200 IM and 200 free. If Dressel seriously pursues the 200 free for the summer, he could have a chance at getting on the 4×200 free relay team. At the Olympic Games, it falls on day four which would only conflict with the 100 free semi-final for him.
There were some notable A-Final misses from Kieran Smith (1:48.74, 10th), Luca Urlando (1:49.98, 15th) and Jack LeVant (1:50.34, 16th).
Results:
- 1:47.53, Dean Farris, USA
- 1:47.86, Townley Haas, USA
- 1:47.97, Khader Baqlah, JOR
- 1:48.01, Zach Apple, USA
- 1:48.07, Jorge Iga, MEX
- 1:48.14, Caeleb Dressel, USA
- 1:48.54, Zhang Ziyang, CHN
- 1:48.61, Fernando Scheffer, BRA
Women’s 100 Breast
Meet Record: 1:04.45, Jessica Hardy, 2009
Molly Hannis is leading the women’s 100 breast field ahead of fellow 2016 Olympian Lilly King as Hannis was a 1:06.98 on Friday morning ahead of the two-time reigning World champ and world record holder King (1:07.24). This is a world class field with five swimmers having represented the United States at either the Worlds or Olympics in the past, setting it up for what could be a fast, fast final, although the meet record of 1:04.45 by Jessica Hardy set in 2009 is expected to be safe. That swim was a world record at the time and it would be shocking if someone would break that in the final.
Emily Escobedo (1:07.58) and Annie Lazor (1:07.73) are two swimmers who have not swum at Worlds or Olympics but seem to be peaking at the right time as they aim to make their first Olympic teams in June. Lazor in particular has had an incredible 2019, having risen to second in the world rankings in the 200 breast this year as well as winning the Pan American Games gold medal in this event this year.
2017 Worlds team member Bethany Galat (1:07.96) is seeded fifth as 2019 Worlds team member Micah Sumrall (1:08.18) is seventh ahead of 2012 Olympic finalist Breeja Larson (1:08.49). Only Rachel Bernhardt (1:07.98) has no international experience as she is the sixth fastest qualifier for the final.
Results:
- 1:06.98, Molly Hannis, USA
- 1:07.24, Lilly King, USA
- 1:07.58, Emily Escobedo, USA
- 1:07.73, Annie Lazor, USA
- 1:07.96, Bethany Galat, USA
- 1:07.98, Rachel Bernhardt, USA
- 1:08.18, Micah Sumrall, USA
- 1:08.49, Breeja Larson, USA
Men’s 100 Breast
Meet Record: 59.40, Kevin Swander, 2009
Andrew Wilson broke the second US Open meet record of the morning with a 59.28 in the 100 breast to erase Kevin Swander’s 59.40 meet record from 2009. Wilson has been on fire this year as the best breaststroker in the United States even though he didn’t win any individual medals at the World Championships. He was sixth in Gwangju with a 59.1 so his 59.28 this morning shows he is in a very good place as we inch closer to the 2020 Olympic Trials.
Wilson is ahead of 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Cody Miller, who was a 59.81 in the heats with an impressive swim for himself. That time was not far off his silver medal winning performance at this year’s Pan American Games when he was a 59.5 in Lima in August.
Behind those two is reigning Olympic champion in the 200 breast, Dmitriy Balandin, who is training at Trojan Swim Club in Los Angeles. He was a 1:00.02 as he too was in the final at Worlds finishing a spot behind Wilson in seventh place. Joao Gomes (1:00.41) tied for fourth with Nic Fink (1:00.41) and 2016 Olympian Kevin Cordes was just a hundredth behind in sixth at 1:00.42.
There were some notable A-Final misses from Will Licon (1:01.09, 9th), Ian Finnerty (1:01.37, 12th) and Caio Pumputis (1:01.75, 17th).
Results:
- 59.28, Andrew Wilson, USA, MR
- 59.81, Cody Miller, USA
- 1:00.02, Dmitry Balandin, KAZ
- 1:00.41, Joao Gomes, BRA
- 1:00.41, Nic Fink, USA
- 1:00.42, Kevin Cordes, USA
- 1:00.62, Alex Evdokimov, USA
- 1:00.79, Carlos Claverie, VEN
Women’s 100 Back
Meet Record: 59.11, Hayley McGregory, 2008
The third meet record of the day fell by the way to Regan Smith in the 100 back with a 58.96 as she erased Hayley McGregory’s mark of 59.11 from 2008.
This is Smith’s first big meet since US Nationals this summer when she capped off the best summer of her career with two new world records in the 100 and 200 back.
Smith is leading a field with three other fellow high schoolers as the Stanford commit is seeded first ahead of Wisconsin commit Phoebe Bacon (59.55). Cal commit Isabelle Stadden (1:00.59) is seeded fourth while Virginia commit Alex Walsh is eighth (1:00.91).
National team veterans Ali DeLoof (1:00.27) and Olivia Smoliga (1:00.63) also advanced to the final ahead of Lisa Bratton (1:00.86) and summer national champion Amy Bilquist (1:00.89).
Results:
- 58.96, Regan Smith, USA, MR
- 59.55, Phoebe Bacon, USA
- 1:00.27, Ali DeLoof, USA
- 1:00.59, Isabelle Stadden, USA
- 1:00.63, Olivia Smoliga, USA
- 1:00.86, Lisa Bratton, USA
- 1:00.89, Amy Bilquist, USA
- 1:00.91, Alex Walsh, USA
Men’s 100 Back
Meet Record: 52.51, Nick Thoman, 2009
Canadian Markus Thormeyer is leading the 100 back heats with a 54.15 ahead of South African Christopher Reid (54.80). There were four non-Americans advancing to the final with Russian Mark Nikolaev (55.14) and Canadian Cole Pratt (55.35) advancing as well. World Championships team member Jacob Pebley was the top finishing American with a 54.85 for third as he is better known at the 200.
The 100 back field felt noticeably barren without the presence of the last two Olympic champions Ryan Murphy and Matt Grevers, who have been the top two 100 backstrokers in the US since 2017. Both of them will be racing at the ISL grand final in Las Vegas in a couple weeks so they presumably did not want to race in another meet this weekend in Atlanta.
There was only one notable A-Final miss from 2018 NCAA champion Coleman Stewart (56.23, 18th).
Results:
- 54.15, Markus Thormeyer, CAN
- 54.80, Christopher Reid, RSA
- 54.85, Jacob Pebley, USA
- 54.97, Joey Reilman, USA
- 55.14, Mark Nikolaev, RUS
- 55.16, Hunter Armstrong, USA
- 55.20, Griffin Alaniz, USA
- 55.35, Cole Pratt, CAN
Emma Weyant attends Riverview High School in Sarasota.
Any explanation fro Ledecky’s struggles?
She is fine. She was a 4:00 last night in the 400 and 8:14 two nights ago in the 8. Nothing to be concerned about.