Isabelle Stadden Swims 2:07 200 Back in Longhorn Elite Prelims
The 2021 Longhorn Elite Classic continued Friday morning from Austin as the countdown to US Olympic Trials in Omaha reaches 23 days. The intensity is ramping up and many swimmers are getting Trials fever as this is the last meet before everyone goes back home to taper and rest for Trials.
The top swim of the morning came from Cal’s Isabelle Stadden in the heats of the 200 back as the freshman swam a 2:07.93, which is a season best from her 2:08.1 last month in Mission Viejo. The time keeps her ninth in the world for 2021 and the fifth fastest American as it will be a dog fight in Omaha on the seventh night at the meet to try and get on the team in the 200 back. Stadden just finished her freshman year at Cal Berkeley where she was third in the 200 back final at NCAAs in 2021.
Stadden has been lurking in the shadows in the 200 back for the Olympic team over the years as she was third at the 2018 Nationals and won silver at the 2019 Pan American Games. With four weeks until the 200 back final, she is still in the hunt and may sneak in under the radar with a lot of attention on the likes of Regan Smith, Phoebe Bacon and Kathleen Baker.
2021 World Rankings Women’s 200 Back
- 2:04.31, Kaylee McKeown, AUS
- 2:05.56, Margherita Panziera, ITA
- 2:06.84, Phoebe Bacon, USA
- 2:06.90, Regan Smith, USA
- 2:07.24, Rhyan White, USA
- 2:07.46, Emily Seebohm, AUS
- 2:07.54, Kathleen Baker, USA
- 2:07.93, Isabelle Stadden, USA
- 2:08.14, Kathleen Dawson, GBR
- 2:08.20, Katalin Burian, HUN
Olympic gold medal favorites Katie Ledecky (200 free) and Simone Manuel (50 free) were also in action on Friday morning as Ledecky cruised to a 1:56.19 in the 200 free heats ahead of Madisyn Cox (1:58.06) and Brooke Forde (1:59.24). Ledecky was a 1:54 last month in Mission Viejo as she has the top time in the world in that event and will be the favorite in the 200 free final come Tokyo pending her qualification, which is anything but guaranteed.
Manuel swam to a 24.91 in the 50 free heats as she is ahead of Stanford teammates Anya Goeders (25.06) and Emma Wheal (25.66) for tonight’s final. Manuel won silver in Rio in the 50 and also won gold at the 2019 Worlds in this event. She has been as fast as a 24.7 this season which puts her fifth in the nation for 2021.
Texas freshman Anna Elendt is aiming for Olympic qualification in the 200 breaststroke for her native Germany as she was a 2:27.96 in the heats and will be chasing a 2:25.52 FINA A standard to grab a spot on the Tokyo heat sheets. Elendt should be pushed in the final tonight by Allie Raab (2:28.78) and Bethany Galat (2:30.29).
Daniel Roy had the quickest time in the men’s 200 breast heats with a 2:10.81 as he is the fastest American this season, being the only one under 2:09. He will be racing alongside Longhorns Jake Foster (2:14.38) and Will Licon (2:14.94) in the final.
Fresh off the fastest 400 IM time in the nation last night, Carson Foster followed that up with a 1:48.51 in the 200 free heats as he is ahead of Stanford’s Preston Forst (1:49.15) and Jonathan Rutter (1:49.82). Olympic hopefuls Townley Haas (1:50.16) and Maxime Rooney (1:50.19) should also factor into the race tonight but Foster may have added himself to the names to watch for in the 200 free at Trials if he puts up a legitimate time in tonight’s final.
Texas senior Austin Katz dipped under 2:00 in the 200 back with a 1:59.54 as Shaine Casas (2:01.68) should be much quicker in finals. Texas A&M’s Koko Bratanov had the top 50 free heat time with a 22.34 as he is chasing the 22.01 FINA A standard to try and represent Bulgaria in Tokyo.