Katie Grimes Swims World’s Fastest 400 IM Among Four Wins at Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions
While most top American swimmers travelled to San Antonio this weekend for the final stop of the TYR Pro Swim Series, a handful of west-coast-based Olympic contenders swam in Mission Viejo, Calif., at the annual Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions. The standout performer at that meet was 18-year-old American Katie Grimes, who claimed four individual wins while swimming the fastest time in the world in the 400 IM.
Grimes clocked 4:32.45 for that win, coming in just over a half-second off her best time of 4:31.81 that earned her silver behind Canadian standout Summer McIntosh at last year’s World Championships. McIntosh has yet to record a long course 400 IM time since the calendar flipped, but there is other swimmer in the world capable of beating the young American in the event, and Grimes will be the big favorite in the 400 IM when she heads to Indianapolis for the Olympic Trials.
Grimes also clocked 15:57.31 for the win in the 1500 freestyle, good for No. 4 in the world behind the established trio of Katie Ledecky, Simona Quadarella and Li Bingjie. Her 800-meter time of 8:21.51 ranks sixth globally, and Grimes also won the 200 butterfly in 2:09.22. Grimes is already a two-time Olympian, having finished fourth in the 800 free in Tokyo and already qualified for the Paris Games in the 10-kilometer open water swim by virtue of her bronze in that event at last year’s World Championships.
In other women’s events, Isabelle Stadden swept the three backstroke races, clocking times of 28.29 in the 50, 59.80 in the 100 and 2:08.84 in the 200. Claire Weinstein, a teammate of Grimes with the Sandpipers of Nevada, won the 400 free (4:09.88) and 200 free (1:58.51) while coming in second in the 100 free (56.03), 800 free (8:29.35) and 1500 free (16:39.19). Teagan O’Dell, Swimming World’s Female High School Swimmer of the Year for the 2022-23 academic year, won the 200 IM (2:14.37) while placing just behind Stadden in the 100 back (1:00.13) and 200 back (2:09.20).
A pair of veteran swimmers who have earned Olympic Trials cuts also topped fields in their respective events. Gabby Rose, an Olympian for both Brazil (1996) and the U.S. (2000), won the 50 breaststroke in 31.92, and the 46-year-old took second in the 100 breast in 1:09.68, finishing marginally behind Isabelle Odgers (1:09.65). Brooke Boak (née Bishop) won the 100 free (56.00) and 50 free (25.55) as the 37-year-old former Stanford swimmer continues her push toward her first Olympic Trials since 2008.
On the men’s side, Ryan Murphy clocked his best 100 backstroke of 2023 at 53.17, beating his previous season-best mark of 53.23 from the Westmont Pro Series meet last month. Murphy remains No. 7 in the world and the second-quickest American behind Hunter Armstrong, who went 52.68 at the Doha World Championships in February. In the 200 back, however, Murphy suffered a rare defeat to a fellow American as fellow Cal Bear Keaton Jones got the win in 1:57.06, a half-second clear of a charging Murphy (1:57.50). Notably, Murphy’s time was a big improvement on his 1:58.34 from Westmont.
In the sprint freestyle events, Brooks Curry won the 50 in 22.40 while Destin Lasco overhauled Curry to win the 100, 49.01 to 49.33. Lasco also won the 200 IM in 2:02.04. Stanford’s Rex Maurer placed first in the 200 free (1:49.98) and 400 IM (4:20.07) while Marwan Elkamash swept the 400 (3:50.21), 800 (7:56.44) and 1500 free (15:10.86).
I love that they swam in the Fran Crippen meet instead of San Antonio. Thanks for honoring his memory!
Great meet and thanks for the coverage
Great swim for KatieG