2024 Speedo Grand Challenge: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2024 NOVA SPEEDO GRAND CHALLENGE

• May 24-26, 2024
• William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center Pool, Irvine, California
• Long Course Meters (50 meters)
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 CA NOVA-Speedo Grand Challenge”
• Psych Sheets
• Preview
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap
• Live Stream

The second night of the 2024 Speedo Grand Challenge promises to be another fast session as Paige Madden (women’s 200 free) and Regan Smith (women’s 100 fly) broke more meet records in prelims this morning.

Saturday’s finals session will also feature other big names such as Leon Marchand in the men’s 100 fly and 2023 world champion Hubert Kos in the 200 back.

Stay tuned for live updates below:

Day 2 Schedule:

• Women’s 200 free
• Men’s 400 IM
• Girls’ 7-12 100 breast
• Boys’ 7-12 100 breast
• Women’s 400 IM
• Men’s 100 fly
• Girls’ 7-12 50 back
• Boys’ 7-12 50 back
• Women’s 100 fly
• Men’s 200 back
• Girls’ 7-12 100 fly
• Boys’ 7-12 100 fly
• Women’s 200 back
• Men’s 400 free
• Women’s 800 free

Women’s 200 Free – Final

• Meet record: 1:57.53 – Paige Madden, 2024
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 2:00.89

Top 4:

1. Paige Madden (NYAC) – 1:57.00
2. Simone Manuel (TXLA) – 1:57.03
3. Regan Smith (TXLA) – 1:57.23
4. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 1:59.14

Paige Madden lowered her own meet record from prelims (1:57.53) with her winning time of 1:57.00, just barely out-touching Longhorn Aquatics stars Simone Manuel (1:57.03) and Regan Smith (1:57.23).

Madden remains the third-fastest American this season behind Anna Peplowski (1:56.99) and Katie Ledecky (1:54.97). The 25-year-old University of Virginia graduate has been as fast as 1:56.44 back in 2021.

Manuel reached the wall within a second of her personal-best 1:56.09 from 2019, marking her fastest swim in more than four years since March of 2020 — right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Smith knocked almost a second off her previous-best 1:58.14 from last March. She’ll return to the pool as the top seed (and meet record holder) in the 100 fly later in the session.

Sandpipers of Nevada 17-year-old Claire Weinstein placed 4th in the super final (1:59.14), well off her personal-best 1:55.26 from last June.

Men’s 400 IM – Final

• Meet record: 4:14.06 – Thiago Pereira, 2010
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 4:25.19

Top 4:

1. Luke Ellis (SAND) – 4:24.28
2. Kyle Brill (UCSB) – 4:25.53
3. Anthony Dornoff (RMDA) – 4:26.10
4. Noah Sech (MVN) – 4:28.46

Sandpipers 17-year-old Luke Ellis took the 400 IM title in 4:24.28, a couple seconds off his personal-best 4:22.66 from last June.

Rising UCSB senior Kyle Brill earned the runner-up finish in 4:25.53, not far off his personal-best 4:24.66 from 2022.

Girls’ 7-12 100 Breast – Final

• Meet record: 1:16.96 – Haylee Pramono, 2023

Top 4:

1. Anna Heumann (NOVA) – 1:16.46 *Meet record
2. Amelia Avetisyan (RORA) – 1:18.04
3. Audrey Nguyen (NOVA) – 1:20.62
4. Olivia Pollack (NCA) – 1:21.55

Irvine Novaquatics 12-year-old Anna Heumann erased Haylee Pramono‘s meet record from last year (1:16.96). Heumann had never been under 1:20 before blasting a 1:18.57 in prelims, dropping almost four seconds over the course of the day.

Rosemead Rapids 12-year-old Amelia Avetisyan placed 2nd in 1:18.04, slightly off her personal-best 1:17.62 from prelims.

Boys’ 7-12 100 Breast – Final

• Meet record: 1:10.28 – Hank Rivers, 2016

Top 4:

1. Raymond Jew (AZOT) – 1:12.25
2. Sahiel Pai (NOVA) – 1:15.21
3. Ben Yang (MVN) – 1:15.64
4. Keyon Usita (RMDA) – 1:17.21

Aquazot Swim Club 12-year-old Raymond Jew kept dropping time with a 100 breast win in 1:12.25, almost three seconds clear of Irvine Novaquatics 11-year-old Sahiel Pai (1:15.21).

Jew’s best time before today was 1:16.10 from earlier this month, but he clocked a 1:13.33 in prelims.

Women’s 400 IM – Final

• Meet record: 4:38.01 – Katie Grimes, 2023
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 4:49.89

Top 4:

1. Justina Kozan (TROJ) – 4:49.67
2. Ella Flowers (TROJ) – 4:50.97
3. Lucy Flynn (GOLD) – 4:58.61
4. Eryn Arnold (CITI) – 5:00.50

Rising USC junior Justina Kozan matched her top qualifying mark from prelims with a winning time of 4:49.67, about a second ahead of Trojans teammate Ella Flowers (4:50.97). Kozan has been as fast as 4:40.57 back in 2021 while Flowers lowered her previous-best 4:51.91 from last week.

Beach Cities Swimming 14-year-old Eryn Arnold placed 4th in the super final with a personal-best 5:00.50, within a couple seconds of 3rd-place finisher Lucy Flynn (4:58.61). Arnold came into the day with a best time of 5:10.21 from last July before ripping a huge lifetime best of 5:01.82 in prelims.

Men’s 100 Fly – Final

• Meet record: 51.96 – Ilya Kharun, 2023
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 53.59

Top 4:

1. Leon Marchand (TXLA) – 52.56
2. Billy Picht (UCSB) – 53.71
3. Samuel Quarles (SDSA) – 54.00
4. Caleb Kattau (SAND) – 54.05

Leon Marchand narrowly missed his personal-best 52.42 from last October with his winning time of 52.56 tonight. The 22-year-old Frenchman touched more than a second ahead of rising UCSB junior Billy Picht (53.71).

Girls’ 7-12 50 Back – Final

• Meet record: 31.58 – Justina Kozan, 2016

Top 4:

1. Anna Heumann (NOVA) – 32.28
2. Joanna Liu (RORA) – 32.73
3. Lyric Radke (AZOT) – 33.04
4. Ada Hu (NOVA) – 33.55

Irvine Novaquatics 12-year-old Anna Heumann picked up her second victory of the night in the 50 back at 32.28, less than half a second ahead of Rosemead Rapids 12-year-old Joanna Liu (32.73). Heumann’s best time before today stood at 35.28 from last July before she blazed a 33.41 in prelims.

Boys’ 7-12 50 Back – Final

• Meet record: 28.91 – Ronald Dalmacio, 2016

Top 4:

1. Tyler Douglas (RSD) – 31.22
2. Liam Chung (MVN) – 31.25
3. Ben Yang (MVN) – 31.64
4. Kevin Zheng (RSD) – 32.28

The boys’ 7-12 50 back features a tight finish between Rancho San Dieguito 12-year-old Tyler Douglas (31.22) and Mission Viejo Nadadores 12-year-old Liam Chung (31.25). Douglas entered the day with a personal-best 33.71 from last July that he dropped down to 32.37 in prelims.

Women’s 100 Fly – Final

• Meet record: 57.50 – Regan Smith, 2024
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:00.19

Top 4:

1. Regan Smith (TXLA) – 56.26 *Meet record
2. Lindsay Looney (TXLA) – 1:00.07
3. Allison Mann (SCAL) – 1:00.84
4. Isabelle Odgers (TROJ) – 1:01.06

Regan Smith shattered her own meet record from prelims with a dominant 100 fly victory in 56.26, dropping a tenth off her previous-best 56.36 from March. The 22-year-old Longhorn Aquatics standout remains the fifth-fastest performer in the world so far this season behind Gretchen Walsh (56.14), Angelina Kohler (56.11), Zhang Yufei (55.86), and Torri Huske (55.68).

Recent Arizona State graduate Lindsay Looney earned the runner-up finish in 1:00.07, not far off her personal-best 59.88 from last June.

Men’s 200 Back – Final

• Meet record: 1:55.70 – Ryan Murphy, 2018
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 2:01.69

Top 4:

1. Hubert Kos (TXLA) – 1:56.46
2. Chase Kalisz (TXLA) – 1:59.69
3. Jay Litherland (TXLA) – 1:59.95
4. Humberto Najera (EVO) – 2:01.05

Top qualifier Hubert Kos took the 200 back win in 1:56.46, a few seconds ahead of Longhorn Aquatics teammates Chase Kalisz (1:59.69) and Jay Litherland (1:59.95).

Kos has been as fast as 1:54.14 en route to the world title last July. Kalisz swam the event for the first time since last March, when he broke two minutes for the first time in his career.

Girls’ 7-12 100 Fly – Final

• Meet record: 1:04.15 – Asia Kozan, 2018

Top 4:

1. Chloe Yoon (RSD) – 1:06.26
2. Sammy Walseth (RSD) – 1:08.38
3. Taylor Jones (AZOT) – 1:08.91
4. Olivia Chi (CITI) – 1:09.79

Rancho San Dieguito 12-year-old Chloe Yoon cruised to victory in the 100 fly with a personal-best 1:06.26, her first time under 1:07. She had gone 1:07.04 in prelims to clinch the top qualifying spot, dropping a couple seconds off her previous-best 1:09.23 from last May.

Boys’ 7-12 100 Fly – Final

• Meet record: 1:01.54 – Joel Hernandez, 2017

Top 4:

1. Jonathan Li (NOVA) – 1:04.70
2. Tyler Douglas (RSD) – 1:05.03
3. Noah Im (NOVA) – 1:07.59
4. Kellen Pizarro (AZOT) – 1:08.01

Rancho San Dieguito 12-year-old Tyler Douglas couldn’t quite pull off the double as Irvine Novaquatics 12-year-old Jonathan Li held him off for the 100 fly crown in 1:04.70. Li’s best time before today was 1:07.20 from last July before posting a 1:06.39 in prelims this morning.

Douglas was close behind in 1:05.03, dropping more than half a second off his previous-best 1:05.69 from prelims.

Women’s 200 Back – Final

• Meet record: 2:10.32 – Kathleen Baker, 2018
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 2:13.59

Top 4:

1. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 2:10.51
2. Teagan O’Dell (MVN) – 2:11.58
3. Rowyn Wilber (CLOV) – 2:14.11
4. Macky Hodges (TST) – 2:17.47

Sandpipers 18-year-old Katie Grimes threw down a 2:10.51 to take the 200 back title about a second ahead of top prelims qualifier Teagan O’Dell (2:11.58). Grimes touched within a couple tenths of Kathleen Baker‘s meet record (2:10.32) from 2018. The distance specialist has been as fast as 2:08.01 last October.

O’Dell, a Cal commit (’25), owns a personal-best 2:08.09 from last September’s world junior title.

At 15 years old, Clovis Swim Club’s Rowyn Wilber placed 3rd in 2:14.11, dropping more than a second off her previous-best 2:15.52 from prelims. Before today, her best time stood at 2:15.78 from last July.

Men’s 400 Free – Final

• Meet record: 3:49.74 – Ous Mellouli, 2009
• U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 3:55.59

Top 4:

1. David Johnston (TST) – 3:48.06 *Meet record
2. Marwan Elkamash (TST) – 3:48.21
3. Drew Kibler (NYAC) – 3:51.47
4. Jackson Huckabay (CLOV) – 4:32.80

David Johnston threw down a meet record of 3:48.06 to eke past The Swim Team training partner Marwan Elkamash (3:48.21), who also finished under Ous Mellouli‘s previous meet standard from 2009 (3:49.74).

Johnston, 22, has been as fast as 3:45.75 last June while the 30-year-old Elkamash owns a lifetime best of 3:46.36 from 2017.

Drew Kibler, 24, placed 3rd in 3:51.47, a few seconds shy of his personal-best 3:47.58 from last November.