2022 U.S. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS
- April 26-30, 2022
- Greensboro, NC
- Greensboro Aquatic Center
- LCM (50m)
- Start Times: Prelims – 9 am ET / Finals – 6 pm ET
- Worlds Qualifying Criteria
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- SwimSwam Pick ‘Em Contest
- How To Watch
- Meet Central
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The final morning of racing at the 2022 U.S. Trials is upon us. This will be a quick session, with heats of just the 200 IM and the 50 free, while timed finals of the women’s 1500 and the men’s 800 freestyles will come later in the day.
WOMEN’S 200 IM – Prelims
- World Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu (2015)
- American Record: 2:06.15
- US Open Record: 2:08.32
- FINA “A” Cut: 2:12.98
- SwimSwam Preview – 200 IM
Top 8:
- Alex Walsh (UVA) – 2:10.51
- Leah Hayes (TIDEIL) – 2:11.12
- Beata Nelson (WA) – 2:12.89
- Abby Hay (UOFL) – 2:15.08
- Mackenzie Looze (IU) – 2:15.10
- Isabelle Odgers (UN-CA) – 2:15.99
- Sara Stotler (TENN) – 2:16.04
- Teagen O’Dell (NOVACA) – 2:16.75
This field is going to look a lot different than most people anticipated, as big names like Kate Douglass and Melanie Margalis opting not to compete.
Still, it wasn’t too surprising to see Olympic medalist Alex Walsh top this morning’s prelims with a 2:10.51. Leah Hayes swam right next to Walsh in the final heat, and stuck with her for most of the race, touching 2nd in 2:11.12. Immediately after the race, it was announced that Hayes had DQ’d due to a false start, but that was quickly withdrawn.
Beata Nelson was the only other woman under 2:15 this morning, winning heat 4 with a 2:12.89, and it looks like this could be a three-woman race heading into tonight.
Men’s 200 IM – Prelims
- World Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte (2011)
- American Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte (2011)
- US Open Record: 1:54.56 – Ryan Lochte (2009)
- FINA “A” Cut: 1:59.76
- SwimSwam Preview – 200 IM
Top 8:
- Chase Kalisz (ABSC) – 1:58.15
- Trenton Julian (UN) – 1:58.30
- Carson Foster (TEX) – 1:58.39
- Sam Stewart (UN) – 1:58.78
- Jake Foster (TEX) – 1:59.11
- Destin Lasco (UN) – 1:59.15
- Kieran Smith (FLOR) – 1:59.69
- Grant House (UN) – 2:00.17
Similar to the women’s side, a couple of the bigger names (Michael Andrew and Shaine Casas) opted not to swim this today, but it looks like there could be more of a dogfight tonight.
Chase Kalisz, who had won Worlds gold in this event, won the final heat with a 1:58.15 to put up the top time of the morning. Trenton Julian split 27.92 on the freestyle leg to nearly pass Kalisz, and he qualified 2nd overall with a 1:5.30. That time was just faster than the 1:58.39 that 400 IM champ Carson Foster posted one heat earlier.
Women’s 50 Free – Prelims
- World Record: 23.67 – Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
- American Record: 23.97 – Simone Manuel (2017)
- US Open Record: 24.08 – Pernille Blume (2019)
- FINA “A” Cut: 25.04
- SwimSwam Preview – 50 Free
Top 8:
- Erika Brown (TNAQ) – 24.48
- Kate Douglass (UVA) – 24.59
- Claire Curzan (TAC) – 24.64
- Abbey Weitzeil (CAL) – 24.74
- Torri Huske (UN) – 24.76
- Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 24.88
- Natalie Hinds (UN-FL) – 25.16
- Gabi Albiero (UOFL) – 25.31
This will be a much more stacked A-final tonight, as five of the eight swimmers are already on the team. Erika Brown, who is already on the team as part of the 400 free relay, led the way this morning with a 24.48. Kate Douglass, who scratched the 200 IM despite being an Olympic medalist in that event, qualified 2nd with a 24.59. Douglass is also qualified in the 200 breast, and she stands a chance of qualifying in a pretty rare event combo.
Claire Curzan and Torri Huske have finished together in the top two in the 100 free, 100 fly, and 50 fly so far this week, and they’ll attempt to do so again tonight after qualifying 3rd (24.64) and 5th (24.76) this morning. Abbey Weitzeil (24.74) and Gretchen Walsh (24.88) were also under 25 this morning, and this could be a wide-open event tonight.
Men’s 50 Free – Prelims
- World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo (2009)
- American Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel (2019)
- US Open Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel (2021)
- FINA “A” Cut: 22.18
- SwimSwam Preview – 50 Free
Top 8:
- Michael Andrew (MASA) – 21.68
- Caeleb Dressel (GSC) – 21.71
- Brooks Curry (TAQ) – 21.91
- Ryan Held (NYAC) – 21.92
- David Curtiss (NCS) – 21.99
- Hunter Armstrong (OSU) – 22.12
- Jack Alexy (UN) – 22.14
- Justin Ress (MVN) – 22.19
Just as on the women’s side, six of the eight men who are slated to swim the A-final are already on the team.
Michael Andrew will be aiming for his second individual victory of the week after after posting a 21.68 to lead this morning’s prelims. Of course, he’ll have to get through American Record holder Caeleb Dressel, who coasted into a 21.71 in the final heat.
Brooks Curry (21.91), Ryan Held (21.92), Hunter Armstrong (21.99), and Justin Ress (22.19) are all already on the team as well. ACC 50 free champion David Curtiss (21.99) and Jack Alexy (22.14), both of whom are only 19, will be swimming for a shot on the team.
Of note further down the rankings, 15 year-old Thomas Heilman didn’t swim a persona best, but since he’s newer to the age group, his time of 23.18 moves him to #4 US 15 year-old ever in the event.
The article says the 6 of the 8 finalist in 50 free are already on the team. I thought Abbey Weitzeil, Gretchen Walsh, and Gabi Albiero are not yet on the team?
Question? Since Michael Andrew did not win the 100 breast and Ryan Murphy did not win the 100 back, will they swim on the 400 medley relay final?
Relay lineups are up to the US coaches. It’ll most likely depend on how they perform in the individual event at Worlds, since those occur before the men’s medley relay. Usually the swimmers who are the fastest at Worlds will swim the finals relay.
Historically, barring anything like a double or the Regan Smith situation where she was clearly a runaway train about to do something special, the faster swimmer in the individual event gets the final. With the 400 medleys usually being the last day of big meets, that works out, unlike the 400 free (where we’ve had trouble with lineups before) that comes earlier in the meet.
I was trying to think what someone could do in a 200 to get the Regan Smith treatment and get on one of the medleys. Let’s see!
Flickinger in fly – breaking the craziest WR on the books would do it. Douglass in breast – a WR might not even be enough, given idk when the last time she swam a 100 breast was. Bacon or White – basically just do what Regan did and set a WR? Though they’re both sort of the backup legs here already b/c Curzan’s most likely already on another leg.
Urlando or Trenton in fly – lol absolutely not, that’s Dressel’s leg. They could go 1:49s and it’d still prolly make sense to… Read more »
21.3 winning time tonite…my guess..wish it was 20.9..
Just wait for worlds. Dressel will come through with it
21.3? Over under
It’s amazing how good Beata Nelson is in the SCY pool. Her American record 100 IM, her 49/1:47 backstroke, and her amazing ability to swim SCM. Right now, I feel as if the 200 IM is her best shot at making the team. With 4 50’s of each stroke gives her the best chance at having great underwaters
Worlds always >>Jr Pan Pacs. So Hayes is likely to qualify for Worlds. The rivalry between the US and Australia arises in freestyle relays with her absence from Jr Pan Pacs.
Well if a junior qualifies for the senior championships, they’ll always go unless they opt out. Even if she doesn’t qualify for senior worlds, Jr pan pacs will be a great experience anyway. Since she is competing against juniors, she most likely has more chances to swim at jr pan pacs than at senior worlds which may mean it is more beneficial for her than senior worlds in terms of international experience
Maggie MacNeil opted for Jr Pan Pacs over worlds a few years ago just before starting at Michigan. She won the 100 fly there and then shone at NCAAs, worlds and Olympics following her return. It seemed to be a good move for her.
She opted for Pan Pacs, not Worlds in 2018.
I’m sure this has been answered a million times but are there semi-finals at worlds?
Yes, there are, for 50/100/200m events.
nice to see that Carson Foster is realizing he does not need to go PB in every prelim race