Alabama’s Rhyan White swam a very impressive 2:07.24 in the finals of the 200 backstroke on Sunday at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo as she is now leading the national rankings thus far in 2021. White just wrapped up her junior year at the University of Alabama where she was runner-up at the 2021 NCAAs in the 200 back. With her swim this weekend, White adds her name to an already crowded 200 back field at the US Olympic Trials in June that includes a number of medal favorites for Tokyo.
White finished ahead of Cal freshman Isabelle Stadden, who was third at NCAAs, with a season best of 2:08.12. Stadden has been steadily rising as an Olympic contender the last few years, having won the silver in this event at the 2019 Pan Ams and swimming for one of the best backstroke coaches in Teri McKeever at Cal Berkeley.
Lisa Bratton finished in third at 2:10.08 ahead of Arizona State’s Hali Flickinger (2:10.86) as only seven swimmers swam in the final.
In the men’s race, Ryan Murphy won from the start with a 1:56.27 as he was a little off his best of 1:56.0 from earlier this year. Murphy is the reigning Olympic champ in both the 100 and 200 backstroke and has been the face of US backstroke since Rio. A few days removed from Russia’s Evgeny Rylov throwing down a 1:53 in Kazan, Murphy will have his hands full if he will keep the US streak going in the backstroke events come Tokyo.
Murphy won ahead of a near Cal Bears sweep as Hugo Gonzalez (1:57.51), Bryce Mefford (1:59.61) and Daniel Carr (1:59.67) finished 2-3-4 as all three of them train with Murphy at Cal Berkeley. Mefford and Carr were third and fourth at NCAAs this year while Gonzalez did the 200 breast. The other Cal Bear in the field was freshman Destin Lasco, who was second at NCAAs but sixth here in Mission Viejo at 2:00.91.
Chase Kalisz, who has been better known as an IM’er, was fifth at 2:00.36 to break up Cal’s sweep, while Andy Song was eighth for Cal at 2:01.58.
Event 25 Women 200 LC Meter Backstroke
=========================================================================
World: W 2:03.35 7/26/2019 Regan Smith, USA
American: A 2:03.35 7/26/2019 Regan Smith, USA
U.S. Open: O 2:05.68 6/25/2013 Missy Franklin, Colorado STARS-C
Jr World: J 2:03.35 7/26/2019 Regan Smith, USA
Pro Swim: P 2:05.94 1/19/2020 Regan Smith, Riptide-MN
2:12.94 W-II Oly Trials Wave II
2:14.69 W-I Oly Trials Wave I
Name Age Team Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Rhyan White 21 Univ Alabama Swi 2:08.71 2:07.24
r:+0.78 30.10 1:02.27 (32.17)
1:34.98 (32.71) 2:07.24 (32.26)
2 Isabelle Stadde 18 Unattached-PC 2:11.23 2:08.12
r:+0.71 30.35 1:03.20 (32.85)
1:35.67 (32.47) 2:08.12 (32.45)
3 Lisa Bratton 24 Aggie Swim Club- 2:11.66 2:10.08
r:+0.82 30.64 1:03.10 (32.46)
1:36.45 (33.35) 2:10.08 (33.63)
4 Hali Flickinger 26 Sun Devil Swimmi 2:13.86 2:10.86
r:+0.92 31.86 1:05.21 (33.35)
1:38.64 (33.43) 2:10.86 (32.22)
5 Emma Karam 16 Reno Aquatic Clu 2:12.43 2:12.58
31.38 1:04.09 (32.71)
1:38.25 (34.16) 2:12.58 (34.33)
6 Ayla Spitz 20 Unattached-PC 2:14.65 2:15.94
r:+0.77 31.55 1:05.84 (34.29)
1:40.73 (34.89) 2:15.94 (35.21)
7 Taylor McCoy 21 Cougar Aquatics- 2:17.40 2:16.10
r:+0.56 31.82 1:06.24 (34.42)
1:41.50 (35.26) 2:16.10 (34.60)
Event 26 Men 200 LC Meter Backstroke
=========================================================================
World: W 1:51.92 7/31/2009 Aaron Peirsol, USA
American: A 1:51.92 7/31/2009 Aaron Peirsol, USA
U.S. Open: O 1:53.08 7/11/2009 Aaron Peirsol, Longhorn
Jr World: J 1:55.14 6/28/2017 Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS
Pro Swim: P 1:55.04 2017 Xu Jiayu
2:00.81 W-II Oly Trials Wave II
2:02.99 W-I Oly Trials Wave I
Name Age Team Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Ryan Murphy 25 California Aquat 2:01.21 1:56.27
r:+0.96 27.39 56.56 (29.17)
1:26.28 (29.72) 1:56.27 (29.99)
2 *Hugo Gonzalez 22 Una CAL-PC 2:01.85 1:57.51
r:+0.59 28.20 57.85 (29.65)
1:28.12 (30.27) 1:57.51 (29.39)
3 Bryce Mefford 22 Unattached-PC 2:00.23 1:59.61
r:+0.75 28.41 58.09 (29.68)
1:28.60 (30.51) 1:59.61 (31.01)
4 Daniel Carr 22 Unattached-PC 1:58.44 1:59.67
r:+0.77 28.09 57.98 (29.89)
1:28.67 (30.69) 1:59.67 (31.00)
5 Chase Kalisz 27 Athens Bulldog S 2:02.44 2:00.36
r:+0.99 28.06 58.17 (30.11)
1:29.50 (31.33) 2:00.36 (30.86)
6 Destin Lasco 19 Unattached-PC 2:01.79 2:00.91
r:+0.64 28.13 58.13 (30.00)
1:29.64 (31.51) 2:00.91 (31.27)
7 Jack Aikins 18 SwimAtlanta-GA 2:00.77 2:01.12
r:+0.51 27.33 57.15 (29.82)
1:28.81 (31.66) 2:01.12 (32.31)
8 *Andy Xianyang 22 California Aquat 2:01.65 2:01.58
r:+0.91 28.23 58.37 (30.14)
1:29.25 (30.88) 2:01.58 (32.33)
