U.S. International Team Trials: Jake Foster Breaks 2:10 for First Time in 200 Breast Prelims; Nic Fink Third
Less than an hour after Carson Foster swam a lifetime best to top the men’s 200 freestyle at the U.S. International Team Trials, older brother Jake Foster pulled off the same feat in the 200 breaststroke. Foster, the sixth-place finisher in the event at Olympic Trials last year, blasted a time of 2:09.79 to erase his previous best of 2:10.13, and he will swim in lane four in the final.
Second place went to another Texas-trained swimmer, Charlie Swanson, who posted a time of 2:10.07, while pre-race favorite Nic Fink touched third in 2:10.25. Fink was the winner of this event at Olympic Trials last year, an Olympic finalist in Tokyo and the Short Course World Champion in the event in December, so he will be aiming to return to the 2:07 or 2:08 range at night.
There was a gap of more than a second behind the top-three swimmers, and the fourth through sixth spots went to AJ Pouch (2:11.42), Tommy Cope (2:11.43) and Will Licon (2:11.50). Licon has finished third by miniscule margins at the last two Olympic Trials, and he took bronze in the 200 breast at Short Course Worlds. Following the retirement of Trials runnerup Andrew Wilson, Licon entered the meet favored to capture a spot on his first World Championships. He will race for a spot in Budapest from lane seven in the final.
A pair of Indiana swimmers earned the last two spots in the final with Maxwell Reich finishing seventh (2:12.88) and Josh Matheny (2:14.41) grabbing eighth.
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