2023 PRO SWIM SERIES – FORT LAUDERDALE
- March 1-4, 2023
- Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
- Prelims/Finals
- Prelims: 9:00 AM (EST)
- Finals: 5:00 PM Wednesday, 6:00 PM (EST) Thursday-Saturday
- Meet Central
- Live Results
- Psych Sheets
- Ways to Watch
- Storylines to Follow
- Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap
Saturday Finals Heat Sheets
It’s the final day of racing in Fort Lauderdale at the 2023 Pro Swim Series. The session features the 800 free, 100 back, 200 breast, 100 fly, 200 IM, and 50 free.
Katie Ledecky and Claire Weinstein are the top seeds in the 800 free. Notably, Leah Smith scratched this event and the 200 IM, both of which she was ranked second in. On the men’s side it’s Guilherme Costa and Michael Brinegar leading the pack. This is Costa’s big distance race of the meet after he was seeded third in the 1500 free and scratched. Today, top seed, Bobby Finke scratched the 800 free after winning the 400 IM last night.
In the women’s 100 back, we’ll see American record holder Regan Smith hit the water. She has been on fire at this meet, posting a best 200 free time last night and following that up with a Pro Swim Series record in the 200 back. She is also the top seed in the 100 fly tonight by a margin of 1.7 seconds. In the men’s final, 50 back champion Justin Ress and American Record holder Ryan Murphy are the top seeds. The men’s 100 fly was one of the fastest races in prelims, led by Shaine Casas and Zach Harting with Michael Andrew close behind.
Lilly King leads the women’s 200 breast after sweeping both the 50 and 100 breast earlier in the meet, but watch out for third seed Annie Lazor, the Pro Swim Series record holder. Iceland’s Anton McKee had the top time of the morning in the men’s 200 breast, followed by Will Licon of Longhorn Aquatics who had the fastest opening speed. World junior record holder Summer McIntosh leads the women’s 200 IM while Finlay Knox of Canada got his hand to the wall first in the men’s event.
Tonight’s session will conclude with the 50 free featuring a tight race between top seeds on the women’s side Abbey Weitzeil, Kasia Wasick, and Siobhan Haughey. Michael Andrew led the men’s race this morning by a margin of .18 ahead of Hong Kong’s Ian Ho who swam a personal best time.
Women’s 800 Free – Final
- World Record: 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (2016)
- World Junior Record: 8:11.00, Katie Ledecky (2014)
- American Record: 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (2016)
- U.S. Open Record: 8:06.68, Katie Ledecky (2016)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 8:06.68 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2016)
Top 8:
- Katie Ledecky – 8:14.70
- Claire Weinstein – 8:33.16
- Michaela Mattes – 8:39.61
- Leah Crisp – 8:42.37
- Agostina Hein – 8:43.55
- Caroline Pennington – 8:44.68
- Tamila Holub – 8:49.66
- Abby Dunford – 8:57.13
That’s a strong performance by Katie Ledecky, the 40th fastest 800 free time in history and within about 10 seconds of her own world record. She had a 17-second lead going into the final length and then she blasted a 30.03 on the final 50 to win the event handily.
Claire Weinstein, who turned 16 on Wednesday, secured second place with a time within four seconds of her personal best time from the International Team Trials in April 2022 which ranked her #12 out of the all-time fastest 15-16-year-olds in the event. Michaela Mattes of the Sarasota Sharks came within four seconds of her entry time to snag 3rd place.
14-year-old Agostina Hein of Argentina was the youngest swimmer in the final and she was right on her entry time of 8:42.24. She actually had one of the fastest finishing speeds in the field (behind Ledecky, Crisp, and Weinstein), splitting a 31.68 on the final 50 to fend off Pennington.
Men’s 800 Free – Final
- World Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang (2009)
- World Junior Record: 7:43.37, Lorenzo Galossi (2022)
- American Record: 7:39.36, Bobby Finke (2022)
- U.S. Open Record: 7:43.32, Bobby Finke (2022)
Pro Swim Series Record: 7:49.96 — Michael McBroom, USA (2014)
Top 8:
- Ahmed Hafnaoui – 7:48.50 (PSS RECORD)
- Marwan El Kamash – 7:50.38
- Daniel Jervis – 7:51.93
- Michael Brinegar – 7:54.52
- Charlie Clark – 7:55.36
- Luke Turley – 7:59.48
- Guilherme Costa – 7:59.61
- Gabriel Azevedo – 8:08.74
1500 freestyle winner Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia had a tight battle with Egypt’s Marwan El Kamash throughout the entire race. They flipped at 6:51.93 / 6:52.80, respectively, going into the final 100 meters and then Hafnaoui turned on the jets and blasted a 27.24 on the final 50 to secure the win. Hafnaoui crushed his entry time by five seconds and simultaneously took down a nine-year-old Pro Swim Series record set by Michael Broom in 2014.
El Kamash, who placed second in the 1500 free earlier, took two seconds off his entry time. It was Daniel Jervis of Wales close behind. Jervis was able to match El Kamash’s finishing speed, splitting a 28.00 on the final length, as Brinegar tried to chase him down with a 27.36 final 50 split.
WOMEN’S 100 BACK – Final
- World Record: 57.45, Kaylee McKeown (2021)
- World Junior Record: 57.57, Regan Smith (2019)
- American Record: 57.57, Regan Smith (2019)
- U.S. Open Record: 57.76, Regan Smith (2022)
Pro Swim Series Record: 58.18, Regan Smith (2020)
Top 8:
- Regan Smith – 57.92 (PSS RECORD)
- Olivia Smoliga – 59.71
- Medi Harris – 1:00.05
- Erika Pelaez – 1:00.12
- Lauren Cox – 1:00.88
- Bella Sims – 1:01.63
- Gabby Deloof – 1:01.79
- Andrea Berrino – 1:02.61
That’s a new Pro Swim Series record for Regan Smith, her second one in two days. Smith was out fast in 27.82 on the first length, the only swimmer under 28.00. She was just as dominant in the last half of the race, coming home in 30.10.
Smith is one of two swimmers who has cracked 59.00 this season (alongside Kaylee McKeown who swam a 57.93 in February) and Smith has hit 57’s twice now.
Her training partner Olivia Smoliga battled Medi Harris of Wales who was second at the halfway point. But, Smoliga blasted a 30.73 compared to Harris’s 31.16 on the last 50 to claim second.
MEN’S 100 BACK – Final
- World Record: 51.60, Thomas Ceccon (2022)
- World Junior Record: 52.53, Kliment Kolesnikov (2018)
- American Record: 51.85, Ryan Murphy (2016)
- U.S. Open Record: 51.94, Aaron Peirsol (2009)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 52.40, David Plummer (2016)
Top 8:
- Hunter Armstrong – 52.95
- Ryan Murphy – 53.33
- Justin Ress – 53.63
- Nicolas Albiero – 54.48
- Joao Noguiera Costa – 54.79
- Javier Acevedo – 54.81
- Jonny Marshall – 55.05
- Chris Thames – 55.48
It was Justin Ress in first place at the 50-meter mark in the middle of the pool, but he didn’t see Hunter “Magic Man” Armstrong out in lane one. Armstrong blasted a 27.09 on the final 50 to touch the wall first and come within one second of his lifetime best time which won bronze at the recent World Championships.
This was a strong swim for Murphy who took more than one second off his prelims time. His lifetime best time still stands at the 51.85 he swam at the Rio Olympics.
WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – Final
- World Record: 2:18.95, Tatjana Schoenmaker (2021)
- World Junior Record: 2:19.64, Viktoria Gunes (2015)
- American Record: 2:19.59, Rebecca Soni (2012)
- U.S. Open Record: 2:20.38, Rebecca Soni (2009)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 2:20.77, Annie Lazor (2019)
Top 8:
- Lilly King – 2:23.33
- Kelsey Wog – 2:25.49
- Annie Lazor – 2:26.96
- Kara Hanlon – 2:28.42
- Rachel Bernhardt – 2:29.23
- Sophie Angus – 2:31.62
- Alexis Yager – 2:32.00
- Tess Cieplucha – 2:32.13
Lilly King was untouchable in this race. She set an aggressive pace, in traditional King fashion, with a 31.95 split on the first 50. She maintained that early lead and crushed her prelims time by more than four seconds to win the race.
Canada’s Kelsey Wog was neck-and-neck with Annie Lazor, turning just half a second before her at the 100 meter mark. But, ultimately Wog’s finishing speed earned her that second place finish.
MEN’S 200 BREAST – Final
- World Record: 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook (2022)
- World Junior Record: 2:09.39, Haiyang Qin (2017)
- American Record: 2:07.17, Josh Prenot (2016)
- U.S. Open Record: 2:07.17, Josh Prenot (2016)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 2:08.95, Andrew Wilson (2018)
Top 8:
- Will Licon – 2:10.77
- Anton McKee – 2:10.86
- Chase Kalisz – 2:12.26
- Nic Fink – 2:12.65
- Tommy Cope – 2:13.73
- Brayden Taivassalo – 2:14.54
- Gregory Butler – 2:14.66
- Maximillian Pilger –2:18.37
McKee, Fink, and Licon were the early leaders of the race but Chase Kalisz made his move on the final 100 to pass Fink and place third. Licon dropped the fastest final 50 split in the field, a 33.65, to overtake McKee who lead the race up until the final 25 meters.
This was a strong swim for both Licon and McKee, who each took more than three seconds off their prelims swims, but they have both broken 2:10.00 before.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY – Final
- World Record: 55.48, Sarah Sjostrom (2016)
- World Junior Record: 56.43, Claire Curzan (2021)
- American Record: 55.64, Torri Huske (2022)
- U.S. Open Record: 55.66, Torri Huske (2022)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 56.43, Claire Curzan (2021)
Top 8:
- Regan Smith – 56.60
- Katerine Savard – 58.63
- Ella Jansen – 58.93
- Natalie Hinds – 59.16
- Kamryn Cannings – 59.62
- Harriet Jones – 59.63
- Leah Gingrich – 1:00.3
- Kiley Wilhelm – 1:00.49
Smith came back less than half an hour after her 100 back win and destroyed her lifetime best 100 fly time from 2020 by .7 to win this race and scare the Pro Swim Series record mark. She split the race dominantly in 27.00/29.60.
It was Gator Swim Club’s Natalie Hinds in second place at the halfway point, closely followed by Ella Jansen who ultimately ran her down with a final 50 split of 31.56. In lane six, Jansen’s Candian teammate Katerine Savard blasted a 31.14 to pass both of them and secure second place.
MEN’S 100 FLY – Final
- World Record: 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (2021)
- World Junior Record: 50.52, Kristof Milak (2017)
- American Record: 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (2021)
- U.S. Open Record: 49.76, Caeleb Dressel (2021)
Pro Swim Series Record: 50.92, Caeleb Dressel (2020)
Top 8:
- Shaine Casas – 50.80 (PSS RECORD)
- Ilya Kharun – 51.54
- Michael Andrew – 51.80
- Trenton Julian – 52.15
- Zach Harting – 52.19
- Kaii Winkler – 52.64
- Diogo Ribeiro – 52.85
- Jamie Ingram – 53.00
Shaine Casas set out for blood, blasting a 23.54 on the first length to create an early lead of half a second on Michael Andrew. He finished the race in 27.26 to take down Caeleb Dressel’s Pro Swim Series record from 2020 and come within .4 of his own lifetime best time.
Ilya Kharun chased Andrew down with a final 50 split of 26.94, the only sub-27 final split in the field, to snag second place.
16-year-old Kaii Winkler crushed his lifetime best time, from prelims, by half a second to rank himself #5 out of the all-time fastest 15-16-year-olds in this event. He’s now ranked right behind #4 Michael Andrew.
WOMEN’S 200 IM – Final
- World Record: 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszú (2015)
World Junior Record: 2:08.80, Summer McIntosh (2022)- American Record: 2:06.15, Ariana Kukors (2009)
- U.S. Open Record: 2:07.84, Alex Walsh (2022)
Pro Swim Series Record: 2:08.66, Katinka Hosszú (2015)
Top 8:
- Summer McIntosh – 2:08.08 (WJR, PSS RECORD)
- Maria Sophie Harvey – 2:11.94
- Katie Grimes – 2:12.66
- Isabel Ivey – 2:13.70
- Kelsey Wog –2:15.38
- Bailey Andison – 2:16.01
- McKenna Debever – 2:16.65
- Tess Cieplucha – 2:17.91
Summer McIntosh has been unstoppable this weekend, cracking yet another World Junior record (after breaking the 200 free mark last night.) She broke her own record from last year, alongside five-time Olympian Katinka Hosszu‘s Pro Swim Series record which has stood since 2015.
What set McIntosh apart most was her 32.39 backstroke split and her incredible finishing speed (she split a 29.98 on the freestyle.) Only she and Katie Grimes (who split 29.77) cracked 30 on that final length.
Maria Sophie Harvey of Canada closed in on McIntosh slightly on the breaststroke and had enough left in the tank to fend off Grimes, despite the 17-year-old’s intimidating endurance.
MEN’S 200 IM – Final
- World Record: 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (2010)
- World Junior Record: 1:56.99, Hubert Kos (2021)
- American Record: 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (2010)
- U.S. Open Record: 1:54.56, Ryan Lochte (2009)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 1:56.32, Michael Phelps (2012)
Top 8:
- Chase Kalisz – 1:58.32
- Kieran Smith – 2:00.13
- Finlay Knox – 2:01.02
- Tom Peribonio – 2:01.34
- Jay Litherland – 2:02.05
- Will Licon – 2:03.00
- Mark Szaranek – 2:03.69
- Grant Sanders – 2:05.40
Kalisz seemed unfazed by his tough 200 breast / 200 IM double tonight, following up his podium finish in the 200 breast with a dominant victory here. He wasn’t in first place at the 50 or the 100, but he pulled ahead on the breaststroke and then his lead just kept growing. This was a strong swim for Kalisz, nearing the 1:56.52 he posted at the U.S. Open Championships in December.
Canada’s Finlay Knox had the early lead, closely followed by Kieran Smith whose backstroke and freestyle helped push him into second place.
WOMEN’S 50 FREE – Final
- World Record: 23.67, Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
- World Junior Record: 24.17, Claire Curzan (2021)
- American Record: 23.97, Simone Manuel (2017)
- U.S. Open Record: 24.08, Pernille Blume (2019)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 24.17, Sarah Sjostrom (2016)
Top 8:
- Abbey Weitzeil – 24.40
- Kasia Wasick – 24.68
- Siobhan Haughey – 24.85
- Julie Kepp Jensen – 25.08
- Simone Manuel – 25.18
- Erika Brown – 25.23
- Olivia Smoliga – 25.32
- Erika Pelaez – 25.53
This was an incredible swim for Weitzeil, coming within .21 of the personal best time she posted at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Last summer, Wasick swam her lifetime best time in this event at the World Championships in Budapest, a 24.11. Haughey came within .26 of her Hong Kong national record to earn third place.
MEN’S 50 FREE – Final
- World Record: 20.91, Cesar Cielo (2009)
- World Junior Record: 21.75, Michael Andrew (2017)
- American Record: 21.04, Caeleb Dressel (2019/2021)
- U.S. Open Record: 21.04, Caeleb Dressel (2021)
- Pro Swim Series Record: 21.51, Caeleb Dressel (2020)
Top 8:
- Alberto Mestre – 22.04
- Michael Andrew – 22.06
- Ryan Held – 22.19
- Miguel Duarte Nascimento – 22.24
- Dylan Carter – 22.27
- Ian Ho – 22.30
- Victor Guimares Alcara – 22.38
- Matthew Richards – 22.48
Florida’s Alberto Mestre and Michael Andrew were stroke-for-stroke as they barreled down the pool, hitting the wall in a true photo finish. Mestre came within .11 of his lifetime best time to out touch Andrew who won silver in this event at the 2022 World Championships with his lifetime best time of 21.41. Held narrowly outdid his prelims time of 22.22 to secure third place.
Seeing Katie Ledecky going 4 straight in the 800 at the Paris Olympics would be a dream come true. Especially on August 3 ( exactly 12 years from London)
Katie Ledecky has unfinished business to fulfill at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. Let’s not put the cart in front of the horse.
worlds has nothing to do with going 4 for 4 at the olympics but I also don’t see who would possibly challenge her this summer
She’ll probably win her sixth world championship this summer
The two most interesting ex factor prospects in the 2IM from the US seemingly not focusing on it
USA Swimming
Women’s Ratings
Grimes, Katie – thumbs up (400 FR, 1500 FR)
King, Lilly – thumbs up (50 BR, 100 BR, 200 BR)
Ledecky, Katie – thumbs up (100 FR, 200 FR, 400 IM)
Smith, Regan – thumbs up (50 BK, 100 BK, 200 BK, 100 FL)
Weitzeil, Abbey – thumbs up (50 FR, 100 FR)
Unfortunately, I was expecting more from the Sandpipers of Nevada in the W 200 FR.
My thoughts for the meet:
Spectacular meet by McIntosh and Regan Smith. Weitzel had a great meet as well, unless something terrible happens to her she won’t miss the team this year.
Ledecky looked better in the sprints than she did the last three seasons and got another PB in the IM. Murphy was typical Murphy, magic man and Ress were a little slower than Knoxville but still solid. Casas had a great race in the fly and he has a tough decision to make between that event (100 fly) and the 200 IM. MA still can’t do a double to save his life and added time in two of his events in the finals. He is a… Read more »
I wonder why Leah Smith scratched 200IM final? Had a solid prelim in it and presumably gave up the 800 free for it.
I fear Ilya Khraun
Ilya Kraken?
That 100 FL by Regan is one of the best swims of the meet if not the best. Big breakthrough in that event for her. Wow.
Come at me I’ll defend this till my dying breath
Summer had multiple swims that were better. Great swim, but there’s levels to this
going by absolutes times, the best is still probably still Ledecky’s 800 free. A swim that would placed first at any meet except for the 2008 Olympics, 2020 Olympics and 2022 CW games (where she would’ve won silver instead) is some crazy stuff
There’s another swim only ever bettered at one big championship (Tokyo).
She dominated the race but her times is still slow by her standard and she’ll probably go even faster this summer at world championship
Based on Katie Ledecky’s standards, yesterday’s performance in the W 800 FR was rather pedestrian unlike the W 1500 FR at the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville.
The best swim of the year to date for Katie Ledecky was the W 1500 FR at the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series – Knoxville. Note the historical context:
https://www.fina.org/swimming/rankings?gender=F&distance=1500&stroke=FREESTYLE&poolConfiguration=LCM&year=all&startDate=&endDate=×Mode=ALL_TIMES®ionId=all&countryId=
As for the W 800 FR, the 41st All-Time Top Performance in the W 800 FR dated 04 Mar 2023 does not beat the 39th All-Time Top Performance in the W 400 FR dated 13 Jan 2023.
https://www.fina.org/swimming/rankings?gender=F&distance=400&stroke=FREESTYLE&poolConfiguration=LCM&year=all&startDate=&endDate=×Mode=ALL_TIMES®ionId=all&countryId=
I would agree, Regan did that after 100 back. I am impressed by both but Regan did doubles while Summer did not.
Sorry Summer did 1 double 100 free and 200fly my bad
It is going to be an absolute treat to watch this 400m women’s final in Paris. To me this is the biggest race between absolute superstars since the men’s 200m in Athens 2004 with Thorpe, PVDH, and Phelps. Hope mcIntosh, Titmus, and Ledecky can be at their absolute best for the competition.
100% agree; I think the single most apt comparison is indeed the legendary Thorpe/van den Hoogenband/Phelps 200FR. Can’t come soon enough!
Yea
This race and women’s 100 fly which could be five way battle will be interesting to watch .
I cannot wait!
Only semi-related, but at the time, I believe Phelps, Thorpe, PVDH, and Hackett held a combined 9 individual LCM WRs (or 1 fewer than the Earth’s 3 billion other men combined), which I believe is the most ever in a single race.
It’s kind of a shame we didn’t get a Pelligreni vs. Sjostrom vs. Ledecky battle in the 200 free in 2019 when they held 8 WRs which would have tied what Phelps, Thorpe and PVDH had in Athens.
Edit:
I just checked, and, actually, Ian Crocker held the 100 fly WR in 2004, so that means the men’s 200 free race “only” featured 8 WR, so Pelligreni, Sjostrom, and Ledecky would have tied what Phelps, Thorpe, PVDH, and… Read more »