Ledecky, King, Murphy, Finke Lead Field of Professionals Racing at TYR Pro Swim Series Fort Lauderdale
While most of the focus in U.S. swimming right now has surrounded the college scene and the impending NCAA Championships, a host of non-collegians will compete in long course this week at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, the second stop on USA Swimming’s circuit of meets following a January meet in Knoxville, Tenn., but the first racing opportunity of 2023 for several professionals. The meet will showcase the newly-renovated Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center located at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the first major meet to be held at the venue since the pool reopened.
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The women’s field is headlined by Katie Ledecky, who is skipping two of her signature races this week (400 free and 1500 free) but taking on a program that includes the 100, 200 and 800 freestyle (the event in which she won her fifth consecutive world title last year) along with the 400 IM and 200 butterfly. Summer McIntosh, the Canadian teenager who has quickly become one of Ledecky’s chief international rivals, will also be in town, and the two will meet in the 100 and 200 free along with the 200 fly (but not the 400 free, where they are two of the three fastest performers in history, with neither entered in that race).
World-record-holding breaststroker Lilly King will race in her main events alongside training partner Annie Lazor, while Hong Kong-native Siobhan Haughey is scheduled to race a long course meet for the first time since withdrawing from the 2022 World Championships with injury. The sprint freestyle fields include American veterans Simone Manuel, Erika Brown, Abbey Weitzeil, Natalie Hinds and Olivia Smoliga along with 50 free World Championships silver medalist Kasia Wasick of Poland. Regan Smith will highlight the backstroke events, and veteran freestyler Leah Smith will race alongside teenagers Katie Grimes, Bella Sims and Claire Weinstein.
Meanwhile, all of the principles in U.S. men’s backstroke will be racing this week with Ryan Murphy joined by new training partner Hunter Armstrong plus 50 back world champion Justin Ress and 200 back World Championships bronze medalist Shaine Casas (although Casas will be racing mostly butterfly and freestyle this week). Breaststrokers Michael Andrew and Nic Fink will highlight those events, while Trenton Julian and Zach Harting join Casas in the butterfly races.
Olympic gold medalist Bobby Finke will make the drive down from Gainesville to race in the distance races and the 400 IM, and his training partner Kieran Smith will be in the middle-distance races, joined by fellow international veteran Drew Kibler, Brazilian Olympic bronze medalist Fernando Scheffer and Britain’s Matt Richards in the 200 free. 400 IM specialists Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland are entered in all five 200-meter races this week but not their signature eight-lap medley race, and another member of the Arizona State pro group, Ryan Held, highlights the sprints.
The meet will include the women’s and men’s 1500 free Wednesday evening before a full program of events Thursday through Saturday, with prelims at 9 a.m. ET and finals at 6 p.m. ET. Full meet details from USA Swimming are posted here.
