U.S. Olympic Trials: Kate Douglass Tops 200 IM Prelims, Madisyn Cox Bounces Back for Second Seed

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Olympic Trials: Kate Douglass Tops 200 IM Prelims, Madisyn Cox Bounces Back for Second Seed

Competing in her first Olympic Trials final, incoming University of Virginia sophomore Kate Douglass put up the swim of a lifetime, her time of 56.56 almost a second quicker than her pre-meet lifetime best of 57.43. However, Douglass fell just short of earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, finishing 13 hundredths behind Claire Curzan for second. However, Douglass was back in the pool Tuesday morning and impressing again as she claimed the top seed for the women’s 200 IM semifinals. On the breaststroke and freestyle legs, Douglass pulled away from 2018 national champion Kathleen Baker in heat six and swam a time of 2:10.53 to improve upon her best time of 2:10.72.

Meanwhile, Madisyn Cox won the seventh and final heat and claimed the second seed in 2:10.64. Cox was the fastest swimmer in the world this year entering the week at 2:10.51 (Australia’s Kaylee McKeown swam quicker Monday with a 2:08.19), but Cox was coming off a very disappointing 400 IM, where she missed the final after entering as the favorite.

This event will be Cox’s best chance to make an Olympic team and probably her last, with Cox slated to begin medical school in the fall. Cox will be hoping to overcome a string of Olympic Trials disappointments, including at the 2016 Trials when she faded on the last 50 and placed fourth in the 200 IM. Cox also took fourth in the 400 IM at the 2016 Trials.

Melanie Margalis, the fourth-place finisher in the 200 IM at the Rio Olympics, qualified third in 2:11.33 after winning her heat. Margalis has also dealt with a setback this week, placing third in a remarkably close 400 IM after entering as the favorite for first. Margalis was also an Olympian in the 800 free relay in 2016, but she scratched the 200 free earlier Tuesday, so this is likely her last real chance to qualify for Tokyo.

The fourth overall qualifier was Tennessee’s Meghan Small, one of just three 2016 finalists (along with Margalis and Cox) to qualify for the semis. Virginia’s Alex Walsh, the NCAA champion in the 200-yard IM and Douglass’ teammate in Charlottesville, took fifth in 2:11.88, while Wisconsin grad Beata Nelson will be looking to make her first Olympic Trials final after qualifying sixth in 2:12.09.

Former South Carolina Gamecock Emma Barksdale was seventh in prelims at 2:12.38, and qualifying eighth was Torri Huske, who won the 100 fly in American-record time on Monday. Huske qualified for her second semifinal of the day after previously making it back in the 200 free, but her best chances of adding to her Olympic schedule will likely come in the sprint freestyles later this week.

Baker, meanwhile, finished 11th in 2:13.89. Baker is the 10th-fastest performer in history at 2:08.32 (and the second-quickest American ever), but she is still battling the after-effects of a foot injury suffered just weeks ago. Baker missed qualifying for the final in the 100 back, where she is the third-fastest performer in history, and she was noticeably limping as she walked off the pool deck Tuesday morning. She will need a substantially quicker performance if she hopes to return for Wednesday’s final.

Results

Kate Douglass 2:10.53
Madisyn Cox 2:10.64
Melanie Margalis 2:11.33
Meghan Small 2:11.48
Alex Walsh 2:11.88
Beata Nelson 2:12.09
Emma Barksdale 2:12.38
Torri Huske 2:12.51
Evie Pfeifer 2:13.31
Julia Poole 2:3.32
Leah Hayes 2:13.38
Alexis Yeager 2:14.38
Kathleen Baker 2:13.89
Charlotte Hook 2:14.50
Abby Hay 2:14.68
Caroline Theil 2:14.72

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