24-year-old Olivia Smoliga is the swimmer of the night at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series in Richmond as she swam a 58.73, a new personal best time, in the 100 back on Friday night in Virginia. Just about 14 minutes after winning the 50 free, Smoliga returned with a huge 100 back, lowering her best time of 58.75 from the 2017 World Championships where she finished fourth.
Smoliga now sits third in the world rankings for 2019 and is looking as a big favorite moving forward to the World Championships in July. Smoliga said in her post race interview this will be her last Pro Swim Series as she will swim a couple more meets in the state of Georgia before Worlds at the end of the summer.
Smoliga won over an impressive showing from high school senior Katharine Berkoff, who is going to NC State in the fall. Berkoff swam a 59.83, which was slightly off her 59.59 best time from Junior Pan Pacs in 2018. She was a 59.78 this morning to sit eighth in the world rankings.
Ali DeLoof (1:00.80) finished in third while World Short Course Champion Lisa Bratton (1:01.02) was fourth. 200 fly champ from earlier in the night, Hali Flickinger, placed sixth at 1:01.31.
Kylee Alons (1:01.14), Claire Curzan (1:01.76) and Elise Haan (1:03.61) also swam in the A-Final.
Results:
- Olivia Smoliga, USA, 58.73
- Katharine Berkoff, USA, 59.83
- Ali DeLoof, USA, 1:00.80
- Lisa Bratton, USA, 1:01.02
- Kylee Alons, USA, 1:01.14
- Hali Flickinger, USA, 1:01.31
- Claire Curzan, USA, 1:01.76
- Elise Haan, USA, 1:03.61
2019 World Rankings:
- Kylie Masse, CAN, 58.16
- Taylor Ruck, CAN, 58.55
- Olivia Smoliga, USA, 58.73
- Margherita Panziera, ITA, 58.92
- Kathleen Baker, USA, 59.05
- Regan Smith, USA, 59.37
- Minna Atherton, AUS, 59.71
- Katharine Berkoff, USA, 59.78
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