US Olympic Trials: Sally Tafuto Uses Stellar Back Half, Kurakin Takes Wire to Wire 400 Freestyle Win at Wave I

Photo Courtesy: NCAA Media

US Olympic Trials: Sally Tafuto Uses Stellar Back Half, Kurakin Takes Wire to Wire 400 Freestyle Win at Wave I

The current and future Ohio State Buckeyes made their voices heard on Sunday night at the US Olympic Trials Wave I as Sally Tafuto unleashed a 1:03.0 on the final 100 to win the 400 freestyle with a 4:13.98. Ohio State commit Malia Rausch added her second event for Wave II with a 4:15.04 after winning the 200 freestyle last night.

Tafuto was sitting in third place on the front half of the race as 15-year-old top seed Addie Sauickie of Sarasota Sharks set the pace, flipping at 2:04.30 with Rausch in second at 2:04.55. Tafuto flipped at 2:06.62 but stayed patient, closing the gap on the third 100 with Sauickie leading at 3:09.19, Rausch at 3:09.66 and Tafuto at 3:10.90.

Tafuto was the only one under 33 seconds on the penultimate 50 as she passed Rausch and had her eyes set on Sauickie who didn’t have much left on the final 50, splitting a 33.72, which was the slowest split of the field on the last 50. She was third place at 4:16.19 after coming in with a 4:15.5 best time.

South Florida’s Mary Smutny was fourth at 4:18.04 with Georgia commit Abigail McCulloh (4:18.36) in fifth and Georgia’s Jillian Barczyk (4:18.75) in sixth.

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Results:

Sally Tafuto, 4:13.98
Malia Rausch, 4:15.04
Addie Sauickie, 4:16.19
Mary Smutny, 4:18.04
Abigail McCulloh, 4:18.36
Jillian Barczyk, 4:18.75
Aurora Roghair, 4:18.76
Sarah DiMeco, 4:20.17

UC San Diego’s Ivan Kurakin swam a controlled race in the 400 freestyle to lead from the outset as he held off the battle for second place with a 3:56.17. Kurakin swam a best time as he will be joined in the Wave II Olympic Trials in Omaha by Sandpipers’ Brice Barrieault (3:56.61) as the Army commit also swam a best time in getting second.

NC State’s Curtis Wiltsey even split his race, turning at 1:58.26 and coming back in 1:58.46 but his late charge was not enough as he was third at 3:56.72. Barrieault, who swam in lane eight, out split Wiltsey on the last 50 with a 28.56 to Wiltsey’s 28.90. The fastest last 50 came from Tennessee commit Griffin Hadley (28.41), who ended up finishing fourth overall at 3:57.79. Hadley came into the meet as the last seed and advanced all the way to the A-Final.

Interestingly enough, B-Final champ Eli Shoyat’s time of 3:55.75 was quicker than the winner but he will not advance to Wave II Olympic Trials, bringing up shades of Thomas Fahrner’s similar feat in the 400 free at the 1984 Olympics where he swam a faster time than the gold medal winner in the B-Final.

Liam Hutchinson placed fifth at 3:58.03 with Rex Maurer in sixth at 3:58.92.

Results:

Ivan Kurakin, 3:56.17
Brice Barrieault, 3:56.61
Curtis Wiltsey, 3:56.72
Griffin Hadley, 3:57.79
Liam Hutchinson, 3:58.03
Rex Maurer, 3:58.92
Clark Wakeland, 3:59.68
Jack Dubois, 4:00.60

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Roric Fink

3 years ago

Andy,

Love the coverage but its not all about the universities they will be attending. For the athletes who still haven’t attended day 1 of college, perhaps listing the club they are currently representing would be a great idea.

Thanks

(this doesn’t need to be posted – just a comment to the editor/writers covering swimming)