2016 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES AT SANTA CLARA
- Friday, June 3 – Sunday, June 5, 2016
- George F. Haines International Aquatic Center / Santa Clara, CA
- Prelims 9AM / Finals 5PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
- Meet Website
- Live Stream
- Psych Sheet
- Friday AM Heat Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Results also on Meet Mobile (‘2016 Arena Pro Swim Series’)
It’s the first night of the Arena Pro Swim Series finale in Santa Clara – or at least one half of it, with a sister meet taking place across the country in Indianapolis.
It was Australian domination in the women’s 200 free this morning, with Emma McKeon and Bronte Barratt holding the top two qualifying spots. In the men’s race, it’s World Champs silver medalist Sun Yang of China atop the field.
Sarah Haase had a huge 100 breast this morning, but will have to fend off Olympians Jessica Hardy (USA) and Georgia Bohl (Australia) for the win. Cal’s Josh Prenot leads the men’s event.
Cal teammates Noemie Thomas (Canada) and Seth Stubblefield (USA) are the top butterfly seeds, and Cal grad Caitlin Leverenz leads the women’s 400 IM.
The men’s race saw Abrahm DeVine out of Stanford take the top morning swim.
Keep refreshing this page for live, event-by-event updates of all the action from Santa Clara.
Women’s 200 Free – Finals
Top 3:
- Emma McKeon, AUS – 1:56.36
- Bronte Barratt, AUS – 1:56.65
- Maya DiRado, Stanford – 1:57.70
Australia’s top two entrants held their seeds in the night’s opening event, putting up twin 1:56s. Emma McKeon was 1:56.36 for the win – that’s a bit off her 1:54.8 from Australian Olympic Trials in April, but is a nice in-season time, considering she’s likely back into full training mode between Trials and the Olympics.
Bronte Barratt was second in 1:56.65, a great swim that’s only seven tenths off her season best.
American Maya DiRado broke up the Australian sweep, though, going 1:57.70 for third place. That’s a new lifetime-best for DiRado by seven tenths of a second, and could have some interesting ramifications for the U.S. Olympic relay picture.
DiRado will have some tough choices with her event lineup at U.S. Olympic Trials, and as she continues to improve in the 200 free, the choice between the 200 IM and 200 free on day 3 gets even more difficult. DiRado is likely the favorite in the IM, but making the top 6 in the 4×200 free relay would very likely net her an Olympic gold medal, as the U.S. is heavily favored to win the relay in Rio.
Australia’s Madison Wilson (1:58.45) and Jessica Ashwood (1:58.65) swept the next two spots in a huge event for the Aussies.
Men’s 200 Free – Finals
Top 3:
- Sun Yang, CHI – 1:44.82
- Conor Dwyer, Trojan – 1:45.41
- Kyle Chalmers, AUS – 1:47.64
China’s Sun Yang provided the swim of the meet so far, blasting a 1:44.82 to win the 200 free and rise to #1 in the world ranks for the year.
That’s faster than Sun went in winning the silver medal at last summer’s World Championships, and would have earned him gold in Kazan.
Behind Sun was American Conor Dwyer, who had a great swim of his own, finishing at 1:45.41. That now sits #3 worldwide, with only World Champs gold medalist James Guy of Great Britain between him and Sun. Dwyer is another versatile American with some lineup decisions to make before Olympic Trials, but tonight’s swim suggests the 200 free should definitely be his marquee event in Omaha.
2015-2016 LCM Men 200 Free
YANG
1.44.63
| 2 | James GUY | GBR | 1.45.19 | 04/17 |
| 3 | Chad LE CLOS | RSA | 1.45.20 | 08/08 |
| 4 | Conor DWYER | USA | 1.45.23 | 08/08 |
| 5 | Paul BIEDERMANN | GER | 1.45.45 | 05/08 |
Australian 17-year-old Kyle Chalmers rattled the junior world record, going 1:47.65 for third place. Chalmers has been trending more towards pure sprint freestyle lately, but this swim shows great potential for Australia’s 4×200 free relays down the road.
The current junior world record-holder, American Maxime Rooney, was fifth in 1:48.85. Between the two was Zhi Yong Qian at 1:48.08.
Women’s 100 Breast – Finals
Top 3:
- Sarah Haase, Stanford – 1:07.05
- Jessica Hardy, Golden West – 1:08.01
- Georgia Bohl, AUS – 1:08.07
Stanford’s Sarah Haase couldn’t quite match her lifetime-best from this morning, but still won the women’s 100 breast easily over a solid international field. Haase was 1:07.05, seven tenths off her morning swim but almost a full second ahead of the runner-up.
U.S. Olympian Jessica Hardy was 1:08.01 with Australia’s Georgia Bohl third in 1:08.07. The matchup carries some intrigue based on how competitive the U.S. and Australian 4×100 medley relays could be in Rio, but it’s hard to make any firm judgements because both nations are at different stages of training. Bohl was 1:06.1 in qualifying for the Olympics in April, while the Americans are a few weeks away from peaking at U.S. Olympic Trials.
Canada’s Martha McCabe was 1:10.89 for fourth, with Cal’s Maija Roses (1:11.17) in fifth.
Men’s 100 Breast – Finals
Top 3:
- Josh Prenot, Cal – 1:01.15
- Azad al-Barazi, Trojan – 1:01.38
- Tales Cadeira, Brazil – 1:01.59
Cal’s Josh Prenot stayed hot this season, winning the 100 breast in 1:01.15. Prenot has showed remarkable consistency this season, and tonight was no exception: he was just four one-hundredths off his lifetime-best.
Syrian Olympian Azad al-Barazi pushed Prenot, going 1:01.38 for second. Barazi trains with the Trojan Swim Club in Southern California.
Brazilian duo Tales Cadeira (1:01.59) and Thiago Pereira (1:02.02) were third and fifth, with Stanford pro BJ Johnson (1:01.93) in between.
Women’s 100 Fly – Finals
Top 3:
- Noemie Thomas, CAN – 57.72
- Emma McKeon, AUS – 58.31
- Farida Osman, Cal – 59.13
Canada’s Noemie Thomas held her top seed, winning the women’s 100 fly in 57.72. The Cal Golden Bear beat out Australia’s Emma McKeon, who earned her second top-3 finish in just 3 events so far this weekend.
McKeon was 58.31.
Another Cal swimmer, Farida Osman, was 59.13 for third-place honors. Osman is one of Egypt’s top international threats this summer.
Also coming off the 200 free, Maya DiRado was 59.16 for Stanford, showing off her incredible versatility. Australia’s Madeline Groves was fifth in 59.22, and she, too, was swimming a tough double with the 200 free.
Men’s 100 Fly – Finals
Top 3:
- Seth Stubblefield, Cal – 52.31
- Tom Shields, Cal – 52.33
- Giles Smith, Phoenix Swim Club – 52.91
After multiple events dominated by foreign athletes, the men’s 100 fly was an All-American affair. One of the U.S.’s stronger events worldwide, the 100 fly contenders are split this weekend between multiple meets, with Michael Phelps and Jack Conger both in Austin swimming at roughly the same time tonight.
It was Cal’s Seth Stubblefield who won in Santa Clara. He’s a relative newcomer to the top tier in this event, putting up great swims this spring after being known more as a sprint freestyler in college. Stubblefield was 52.31 here, a new lifetime-best, to nip former national champ Tom Shields by .02.
Shields was 52.33, and Pan American Games champ Giles Smith was 52.91 for third place, representing the Phoenix Swim Club of Arizona.
Cal’s Justin Lynch was fourth in 53.16, giving California three of the top four finishers. Marcos Macedo of the Bolles School took fifth in 53.43.
Women’s 400 IM – Finals
Top 3:
- Keryn McMaster, AUS – 4:38.83
- Caitlin Leverenz, Cal – 4:41.70
- Sarah Darcel, CAN – 4:47.23
Australia jumped back on top in the women’s 400 IM, though, with Keryn McMaster going 4:38.83 to pick up the ruanway win. That’s only about a second off of McMaster’s season-best of 4:37.94.
American Caitlin Leverenz was 4:41.70 for silver, showing a bit of fatigue compared to her 4:36.54 season-best, which ranks #9 in the world.
Canadian 17-year-old Sarah Darcel had a big swim to go 4:47.23 for bronze, cutting almost 5 seconds from her morning swim. Cal’s Celina Li rounded out the top 4 in 4:49.70.
Men’s 400 IM – Finals
Top 3:
- Mitch Larkin, AUS – 4:17.35
- Abrahm DeVine, Stanford – 4:19.22
- Max Williamson, Stanford – 4:19.45
Mitch Larkin completed an Aussie sweep of the 400 IMs, going 4:17.35 for the win. Larkin is mostly known as the world’s fastest backstroker this season, but showed off enough endurance and versatility to pick up the win and a $1000 paycheck here.
Stanford’s duo of Abrahm DeVine and Max Williamson were second and third. The 19-year-old DeVine was 4:19.22, and Williamson (21) was 4:19.45.
Australia’s Jared Gilliland was 4:21.65 for fourth, with Pleasanton 16-year-old Christopher Jhong going 4:25.12 to take fifth.
Did nbc/Universal broadcast the race of the day, 200 men’s free? I recorded 2 days in Santa Clara, it wasn’t there.
Quick thoughts
Women’s 200 free
Australian domination as expected. Good performance by DiRado. However I doubt she will be in the US relay. 200 IM/200 IM/200 back is well enough.
Men’s 200 free. The performance of the day. We don’t see many sub 1.45 for 2 or 3 years. Looks like the Californian sun is a good thing for Sun Yang. I believe he trains there for a few months. Dwyer impressive too. We have heard of great training sessions between MP and Dwyer in Colorado in the last few weeks. Dwyer will be in 1.44 high at trials. That’s a very good news for the US relay. Chalmers shows he’s not just a sprinter. I expected a better… Read more »
Interesting that cal breaststrokers marina Garcia and Maija roses appears to be much better in LCM than scy. If they could translate their lc success to yards cal might have a much stronger medly relay…
I knew that this would happen, this guy will win at least 2 golds in Rio, now we only need Efimova back and then we all can be happy.
What a joke! Thanks FINA!
not
china is no challenging the US in the women,s 4×200 free relay. They need at least one 1:54 swimmer. Not happening at the moment.
Is china competing in the men’s 4×200 free relay?
They have some good young 200 free swimmers.
China is out..
Although I believe they’ll provide the race with a very strong team, I wouldn’t have necessarily said that the Americans are ‘heavily favoured’ in the 4x200m freestyle relay until Leah Smith’s double-record in Indianapolis. Whereas Ledecky is likely the favourite for the individual victory, the Australians boast McKeon, who is improving at a hasty rate and is capable of a medal at the Olympics. Their ‘second swimmer’, Barratt, is currently a safer prospect than Schmitt or Franklin, with the former still returning to her old times and the latter experiencing a torrid era. Not to say either or both of the aforementioned will falter at the US trials or in Brazil. I would only suggest that if one aims to… Read more »
you do know this is a predominantly US website? Go back to sleep and keep dreaming.
I am overtly aware of this being a predominantly American website. That’s why I feel a need to disrupt the discourse. In terms of being asleep, I fear you don’t understand time zones.
Finn – while I myself am an American, as are many of our staff, please don’t feel alienated by one reader calling it “an American website.” Most of the world’s elite swimming happens in America, but we strive to cater to readers around the world. We have staff in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, Canada, Brazil, Central America, and additionally those from other places who live in the US. We have writers who write in German and Spanish, and are getting close to launching a French site too. Our most famous commenter lives in France as well, and I’m currently writing this comment from the London Aquatics Centre, about to get in for a morning swim. So I’m practically British, at… Read more »
“Our most famous commenter”
Haha! 😆 😆 😆 😆
I’m blushing! 😳 😳 😳 😳
Perhaps not the most interesting but at least the most famous. That’s a start! 😆
Damn dude, take the compliment with some class.
Its fine….I withdraw comment I just didnt feel like writing a real response and I was tired from all the activity yesterday.
Taa, you don’t give a very good image of USA with that kind of comments.
Don’t try to look like another sadly famous American who also gives a dramatic image of USA to the world.
That website is international and the more people from different countries there will be, the more interesting it will be.
I don’t know who the Aussies have as their 3rd and 4th swimmers who can go sub-1:56. USA has 4 swimmers at or under 1:56 BEFORE their Trials.
If anyone will challenge the American 4×200, I expect it will be the Chinese – you never know with them. They keep their cards close to the vest, we can just speculate why.
No they don’t . At of NOW the USA has KL out in front & ranked 14-16 Schmitt Smith & Franklin all 1 .56.5 – 1-56.7. Check the SWSW rankings .
I agree Australia is in a bit of a pit this year . I wish I had such confidence in Neale but I think she goes way slower than 1.58 in the heats like Schlanger in 2008. They were so lucky that Alan Thompson put Felicity Galvez onto the team as she dragged them back into finals so that they could get the gold.
but I guess woth the new rulez every team will hsve one.
‘I’m afraid that I’ll have to join the chorus of those questioning Finn’s grounds for such confidence. The AUS W4X200, prior to 2015 Worlds, had been the only real competition for the US but unfortunate fact is that this is no longer the case. Once you get past McKeon & Barratt (who may or may not swim to their best); they then fall away to essentially 1.58 swimmers (Groves, Neale, Cook, Ashwood). They may split 1.57s, maybe 1.56high at best.
In all reality, they MAY medal but realistically they’re going to be amongst the rugby scrum of teams scrapping for the bronze.
I’m English and for that reason have little reason to wish for Australian success. I didn’t know that suggesting something other than the deafening assumption would produce such reactions.
You are perfectly free to do so, indeed there is a small quota whose US jingoism can grate however most folk here (from whatever country) are pretty much “reality based. if you going to be a successful provocateur/contrarian,its generally easier preferable to have a reasonably defensible case. Here you even have Aussies saying “fat chance”.
I never said fat chance -I said Australia was in a pit in this event . A lot of injury , personal health scares & WADA going after Palmer took out the 1.55-56s & 1.57 flat swimmers. The younger girls are the World junior champs – so it may be an event for the future .
It is of interest to an English fan because Adam Peatty’s coach was an excellent (1.57) 200 freestyler who just never ‘peaked ‘at the big meet’. I remember she said she overtrained . The 200 is a tricky event with lots of competition from 100 & 400 swimmers.
I haven’t seen the schedule but I’d like Throssell to get a berth in the heats.
Gina, fair points with regards to injury/age having its effects which has been the case w Schlanger & Palmer (who to be honest got off on a legal technicality rather than innocence).
With regards to World Juniors; lets take a gulp of reality and accept the times swum were not in the ballpark when it comes to seniors. Only one of that squad (Cook) has made the Olympic squad in a year when the opportunities were open given the shallow depth.
Throssell COULD be co-opted for this relay but is she any material boost given she’s just another 1.58swimmer amongst a ruck of other 1.58 women ?They could also co-opt Coutts but she hasn’t been swimming the 200free in recent… Read more »
The smookies for Australia would be Elmslie, who I’m sure has been tapped, she was a very strong 200 free swimmer prior to illness, Coutts & Wilson, who swam a very nice race today, to go with McKeon, who is progressing nicely & Barrett. But…. & this is huge, the US has Ledecky, who is untapped in the 200, she could go the 1.53s or even…. do I dare… & in Franklin & Schmitt, at worse are 1.55 swimmers, in form 1.54 low. It’s the US first & the race will be behind them, I do rate silver to be between Australia & China.
Rob, I’ll agree that Elmslie will most likely be “tapped” for this relay and IF she can swim to near her best; that should clearly strengthen that relay. Whether McKeon will swim to her Trials level or better remains to be seen but one would have to think she’s be a sub 1.56.leg or worse. Barratt ……. has always been an enigma; you just don’t know whether she’ll be “good Bronte” or “sod awful Bronte”. Wilson COULD also be co-opted but does she really add anything apart from another 1.58 ? Think she’s more likely to be co-opted for the 4×100 heats.
Re USA W4X200, we’re singing from the same hymn book. This looks to be a historically strong team… Read more »
As of now -June 4 they have a 1.54.5 & 3 x 1.56 mids. Collectively over Australia based on times they are ahead just 1.8 but these times have been swum under their terms not a 3 round high pressure Olympic schedule comp.
You have to factor in Schmitts long term depression . You cannot expect the same Allison to be on the blocks as 2012. Ditto MF – this is not Miss @012 . But yes KL is KL .
I have to be honest GINA, that’s sounds like a lot of rationalizing, especially the “on their terms” bit. You’re right in the sense that’s it is a bit apples and oranges to compare Aussie times from trials to the current 2016 American bests. But these were largely, we should really assume, unrested swims. Of course, occasionally with some swimmers, they at times might clock a faster time outside the big summer meets. Fewer people in the US train that way than globally it seems, but they are some (Katie Hoff springs to mind). But that historically certainly has not been the case for Ledecky, Franklin, or Schmitt. The current 2016 swims might not have been under pressure but they… Read more »
Keith . Only US Japan & Aust have the full trial system with no outside consideration . Tbey are extremely hallenging mentally .
I did state the US team.is stronger but why give out unearnt relay glory yet?
Yo you got 2 other ladies swimming 52s. U cant tell me they’ll come back slower than 1.01 after going 55. Thats 1.56 at worst. Both probably under 1.55 with rolling starts and the adrenaline of being a part of the fastest 4×200 relays ever. If AUS puts the 1.54 girl. The 1.56 girl, and the sisters. USA vs AUS will be race of the meet.
The Queen is the same 🙂
This is America. The only queens are men
Finn, the problem with an analysis on the fly like this is that you’re comparing times on paper that mostly consist of Aussie Trials times vs. US in season times or swims from last year. Of course the Aussies are going to have an inherent leg up on that score. Until will see what occurs in Omaha the picture is too murky (as you implicitly acknowledge). Missy was 1:55 for bronze in Kazan last year. Pretty sharp swim for a “torrid era.” In fact during her lull in form starting from her back issues in 2014 her 200 free has held up better than her other events. Now she’s got a full year under her belt training back with Schmitz… Read more »