U.S. Nationals: Lilly King Clocks Top Time in 50 Breaststroke Heats; Miranda Tucker Wins Swim-Off for Eighth
The morning after winning the 200 breaststroke in an exciting race with Kate Douglass, Lilly King took on the 50 breast, an event in which she won world titles in 2017 and 2019 and where she once held the world record. King will go for the win at night after beating Lydia Jacoby by 14 hundredths for the top spot in the morning. King clocked 30.26, well off her 2017 American record of 29.40 and her 2018 U.S. Open record of 29.62.
Jacoby, who swam as fast as 30.08 earlier this year, was second in 30.42. It has been a resurgent year for Jacoby, having completed a successful freshman year at the University of Texas. She was a surprise scratch from the 200 breast Wednesday, but she looks good to go for this race and for Friday’s 100-meter event, the race where Jacoby was a shock winner of Olympic gold in 2021.
Team Charlotte’s Rachel Bernhardt qualified third in 30.65, and Trojan’s Kaitlyn Dobler, second to King in the event at last year’s International Team Trials, took fourth in 30.67. Ohio State’s Hannah Bach (30.90), Cavalier’s Emma Weber (30.92) and North Carolina’s Skyler Smith (31.06) all secured A-final lanes.
Eighth place, however, had yet to be decided after. Elmbrook’s Lucy Thomas and Texas Ford’s Miranda Tucker tied for eighth at 31.17, setting up a swim-off to sort out the A and B-finals. In that swim-off, Tucker gained a slight edge on the start and held off Thomas at the finish, 31.20 to 31.27.
