U.S. International Team Trials: Justin Ress Touches Out Ryan Murphy for 100 Backstroke Top Seed
In Friday night’s final of the men’s 50 backstroke at the U.S. International Team Trials, Hunter Armstrong took down the world record with an incredible time of 23.71, while Justin Ress and Shaine Casas became the third and fourth-fastest performers in history, respectively. That trio will now race in the 100 back final and attempt to challenge the supremacy of Ryan Murphy, the world-record holder in the event as well as the 2016 Olympic gold medalist and 2021 Olympic bronze medalist.
None of the four headliners showed all their cards in prelims. In the final heat, Ress was out quick and then held off Murphy to touch first, 53.10 to 53.17. Those two times were the fastest of the morning. Casas won his heat in 53.31, while Armstrong finished atop his in a time of 53.55. All four swimmers have been under 53 in their careers, with Murphy’s 2016 world record standing at 51.85.
Murphy qualified for Worlds with a win in the 200 back earlier in the meet, while Casas qualified for a senior-level international team in long course for the first time with his runnerup performance in the four-lap race. Armstrong will get onto the team by virtue of a tie for fourth place in the 100 free and his win in the 50 back, while Ress is likely to be added as a relay alternate since he placed sixth in the 100 free.
There was a tie for fifth place in prelims between Virginia’s Jack Aikins and 16-year-old Daniel Diehl in 53.86, with Diehl just off his National Age Group record of 53.59. Daniel Carr (54.00) and Sam Stewart (54.35) qualified seventh and eighth, respectively, with Stewart edging Destin Lasco by just one hundredth for the last spot in the A-final.
Links:
