2018 Atlanta Pro Swim Series: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2018 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – ATLANTA

• March 1-4, 2018
• McAuley Aquatic Center
• Atlanta, GA
• LCM
• Psych Sheet
• SwimSquad Projections
• Thursday prelims heat sheet
• Live results

Sarah Sjostrom is set to make her 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series debut in Atlanta this morning, swimming her signature 100 fly as well as the 100 free. She’ll take on American star Kelsi Worrell in both races.

In the men’s fly, Tom Shields looks to bounce back from a rough Austin outing, but he’ll have to beat Jack Conger. Controversial Russian Yulia Efimova headlines the women’s 200 breast, while a field of top talents including Josh Prenot, Kevin Cordes, Cody Miller, Will Licon, Andrew Wilson and Nic Fink will lead the men’s event. And in the men’s 100 free, Nathan Adrian looks to continue his sprint dominance from Austin.

The session will also include early heats of the 800 frees, with the top 8 to swim with tonight’s finals.

Keep refreshing this page for live, event-by-event updates of all the action from Atlanta.

Women’s 100 Fly – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Sarah Sjostrom – 57.49
2. Kelsi Dahlia Worrell – 57.75
3. Rebecca Smith – 58.62
4. Penny Oleksiak – 59.12
5. Amanda Kendall – 59.25
6. Lillie Nordmann – 59.63
7. Olivia Carter – 59.73
8. Liliana Szilagyi – 59.81

Sarah Sjostrom was the top qualifier without having to go anywhere near her world record 55.4 this morning. She’s three tenths up on American Kelsi Worrell, sneaking under Worrell’s own Georgia Tech pool record by .01.

It’s an international-heavy field, with Canadian teens Rebecca Smith (58.62) and Penny Oleksiak (59.12) sitting third and fourth. The two 17-year-olds will get to face American teens Lillie Nordmann (who went a lifetime-best 59.63 at age 15) and Olivia Carter (59.73). Also in the final are veteran Amanda Kendall and Hungary’s Liliana Szilagyi, who appeared set to swim for the Florida Gators this year but ultimately did not stay in the country.

Men’s 100 Fly – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Jack Conger – 52.12
2. Marius Kusch – 52.33
3. Tripp Cooper – 52.98
4. Michael Andrew – 53.14
5. Pace Clark – 53.76
6. Tom Shields – 53.79
7. Paul Le – 53.89
8. Josiah Binnema – 53.95

After winning the 100 fly at his home training base in Austin, Jack Conger is set up to add another win tonight after going 52.12. That’s four tenths faster than he went in prelims in Austin, and there he had a finals drop to 51.8 to win by a wide margin.

His closest follower is Marius Kusch of Queens University, who went 52.33 this morning. Tripp Cooper, second in Austin, is third at 52.98.

In contrast to the women’s field, the men’s race will be much more dominated by domestic swimmers. Michael Andrew, Pace Clark, Tom Shields and Paul Le are all American talents, led by Andrew of the Race Pace Club. Shields’ swim is encouraging after he struggled to a 1:00 in Austin and then scratched the remainder of the meet. Canada’s Josiah Binnema is the final man into the A final.

The B heat will feature some huge names, including Swedish star Simon Sjodin, Ukrainian standout Andrii Govorov and American national teamer Tim Phillips.

Women’s 200 Breast – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Shi Jinglin – 2:25.26
2. Kierra Smith – 2:26.66
3. Madisyn Cox – 2:27.86
4. Molly Hannis – 2:27.94
5. Micah Sumrall – 2:28.07
6. Yulia Efimova – 2:28.73
7. Melanie Margalis – 2:29.69
8. Breeja Larson – 2:29.96

It’s a pretty star-studded 200 breaststroke field, with 6 of the top 8 competing in at least one Olympic Games for their nation. China’s Shi Jinglin, the Rio bronze medalist, leads the way in 2:25.26. Canada’s Kierra Smith was 2:26.66 with a big back half to sit second.

American national teamers Madisyn Cox and Molly Hannis are separated by just a tenth, with 2012 Olympian Micah Sumrall (formerly Micah Lawrence) a tenth behind. Russian Olympian and world champ Yulia Efimova is sixth, ahead of U.S. Olympians Melanie Margalis (who was actually an Olympian in the 800 free relay) and Breeja Larson.

Men’s 200 Breast – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Andrew Wilson – 2:08.52
2. Josh Prenot – 2:10.21
3. Will Licon – 2:11.07
4. Chase Kalisz – 2:12.49
5. Erik Persson – 2:13.12
6. Nic Fink – 2:13.36
7. Kevin Cordes – 2:13.58
8. Cody Miller – 2:13.68

Andrew Wilson blasted a huge prelims swim, going 2:08.52 to lead the field by almost two seconds and smash the pool record set by #2 Josh Prenot back in 2016. Wilson was almost seven seconds faster than the 2:15 he went in this event at Austin, and he actually took out his 100 here faster than he went in his open 100 breast in Austin (1:00.73 to 1:00.90).

Prenot is second at 2:10.21, just topping his former NCAA rival Will Licon. Chase Kalisz, third in this event in Austin, was 2:12 for fourth. Swedish Olympian Erik Persson is the lone foreign swimmer in the top 8. He’s followed closely by Nic Fink.

Meanwhile the pair of Olympians absent in Austin both barely snuck into the final, with Kevin Cordes 7th and Cody Miller 8th.

Women’s 100 Free – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Sarah Sjostrom – 54.00
2. Margo Geer – 54.14
3. Taylor Ruck – 54.36
4. Mallory Comerford – 54.40
5. Kayla Sanchez – 54.70
6. Rebecca Smith – 54.74
7. Federica Pellegrini – 54.76
8. Lia Neal – 54.97

Sarah Sjostrom leads her second event of the morning, cruising an easy 54.00 for the top spot. That’s just ahead of Austin champ Taylor Ruck of Canada and Austin runner-up Margo Geer of the U.S.

College standout Mallory Comerford is indeed competing in Atlanta just two weeks out from her NCAA meet, and she qualified fourth at 54.40.

It’s a strong event for Canada, with three in the A final (Ruck, Kayla Sanchez and Rebecca Smith) and Olympic co-champion Penny Oleksiak barely missing the final in 9th. She’ll battle American Olivia Smoliga in that heat tonight.

Italy’s longtime superstar Federica Pellegrini is also in the final, as is American Lia Neal.

Men’s 100 Free – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Jack Conger – 48.80
2. Bruno Fratus – 49.39
3. Ryan Murphy – 49.62
4. Marcelo Chierighini – 49.67
5. Nathan Adrian – 49.75
6. Vladimir Morozov – 49.86
7. Yuri Kisil – 49.96
8. Guido Buscaglia – 50.03

Outside of the top qualifier, it’s a tightly-packed 100 free field into tonight. Jack Conger blasted a lifetime-best 48.80 to take the top spot, his first time ever under 49 without a relay start. Behind him, though, just .64 seconds separate 2nd from 8th.

The final will have representatives from Brazil (Bruno Fratus, Marcelo Chierighini), Russia (Vladimir Morozov), Canada (Yuri Kisil) and Argentina (Guido Buscaglia) to go with Americans Conger, Ryan Murphy and Nathan Adrian. 

The showdown between Adrian and Conger could be a fun one – Adrian won the Austin meet with a 48.75, just a tick faster than Conger was this morning. For his part, Murphy was a second and a half faster than he was in Austin, which could bode very well for his backstrokes later this week.