U.S. Olympic Trials: Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh Set Up for Epic Final in 200 IM

U.S. Olympic Trials: Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh Set Up for Epic Final in 200 IM

The Virginia sabers will be out Saturday night for the final heat of the women’s 200 IM between Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh. The two Virginians took no prisoners in their respective heats in the semifinal heats, however seemed to have saved some energy for the main showdown until the final heat.

Douglas shot off in the first heat, and maintained easy sped in the first half of the race with a slower stroke rate and split than Torri Husk and Beata Nelson. The three women remained neck and neck, before Douglas took the reins back under her control in the breaststroke, to no one’s surprise.

Huske and Nelson still had solid swims in the semifinal, both improving from their morning swims by a decent amount. Huske registered a 2:09.43 for the third seed while Nelson touched at a 2:10.83 for the fourth seed.

Lucy Bell also earned a spot in the final from Lane Seven of her heat. She swam a time of 2:12.23 to be seeded seventh in the final.

Alex Walsh is facing a little bit of pressure every time she dives in as she gets closer and closer to knowing if she has swum fast enough for a spot on the team, but that pressure was nowhere visible tonight. Walsh was out first and stayed there confidently in her semifinal, until her hand hit the wall first at a time of 2:08.74.

Leah Hayes, Isabel Ivey and Zoe Dixon were all about a second behind Walsh, but close enough to maintain visibility of each other as they charged down the pool attempting to advance to the Saturday night final.

In the end, it was Hayes who topped her competition with a time that was about a half second ahead of the rest. That time was a 2:10.93 which will place her with the fifth seed. Dixon and Ivey swam a 2:11.64 and 2:12.26. Their swims will place them in the sixth and eighth spots.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use