2023 CA FRAN CRIPPEN SWIM MEET OF CHAMPIONS
- April 13-16, 2023
- Marguerite Aquatic Center, Mission Viejo, CA
- Hosted by Mission Viejo Nadadores
- LCM (50 meters)
- Psych Sheet
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap
- Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap
Sandpipers of Nevada 17-year-old Katie Grimes clocked a new personal-best 4:31.81 to win the women’s 400 IM final at the 2023 Fran Crippen SMOC meet on Saturday night.
The time makes Grimes the second-fastest swimmer ever in the U.S. girls’ 17-18 national age group (NAG) rankings, just .03 seconds behind Elizabeth Beisel‘s 4:31.78 from the 2011 World Championships.
Top 400 IMers, U.S. Girls’ 17-18 NAG Rankings
- Elizabeth Beisel – 4:31.78
- Katie Grimes – 4:31.81
- Katie Hoff – 4:32.89
- Emma Weyant – 4:35.47
- Dagny Knutson – 4:36.02
Now Grimes is less than a second away from breaking the American record of 4:31.12 that Katie Hoff set back at the 2008 Olympic Trials.
The craziest part about Grimes’ swim is that she posted such a fast overall time despite splitting 1:22.72 on the breaststroke leg, nearly five seconds slower than Beisel.
Splits Comparison
| Elizabeth Beisel, 2011 | Katie Grimes, April 2023 | |
| 100 Fly | 1:03.32 | 1:00.66 |
| 100 Back | 1:08.64 | 1:08.22 |
| 100 Breast | 1:17.84 | 1:22.72 |
| 100 Free | 1:01.98 | 1:00.21 |
| 400 IM | 4:31.78 | 4:31.81 |
Grimes also now ranks as the second-fastest in the world this season behind Summer McIntosh‘s world-record 4:25.87 from earlier this month. Grimes shaved over four seconds off her season-best 4:35.92 from January’s Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville.
2022-2023 LCM Women 400 IM
McIntosh
WR 4:25.87
| 2 | Katie Grimes | USA | 4:31.41 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Kaylee McKeown | AUS | 4:31.68 | 05/13 |
| 4 | Jenna Forrester | AUS | 4:32.30 | 07/30 |
| 5 | Alex Walsh | USA | 4:34.46 | 07/30 |
Grimes also now ranks as the 15-fastest swimmer in the history of the event.
Impressively, Grimes hit her new lifetime best on the back end of a tough 200 free/400 IM double. Less than an hour before her 400 IM victory, she placed second behind Bella Sims (1:57.63) with a personal-best 1:57.85. Grimes remains the ninth-fastest 200 freestyler in the U.S. girls’ 17-18 NAG rankings after her .19-second drop.
Which events do you think Grimes will compete in at the Olympics?
I’m thinking 800, 1500, and 400 IM? Probably has the capability of making the team in other events but medal chances in those are gonna be slim so no point going for them.
And the 800 free relay she ,has a great chance to make
Wow no one thinks she’ll take part of the 800 free relay?
I love KatieG. and I know she has grit so I will back her in any race she swims.
Silver Medal on its way
It’s puzzling that a female teenager rips a 4:31 LCM 400 IM and most of the comments here are along the lines of “Yeah… that’s okay, and good, but not great.”
Seriously?
After racing a 200 free yet.
16.04 in 1500 free – PB 15.44.
4.31 in 400 IM – 4.26 at the top.
Her improvement over the year is not that big considering the time she posted at worlds last year, summer is dropping time at a much faster rate, anyway it won’t be close at the olympics summer will blow her away like katinka blew away dorado
Katie Grimes workload has been insane at the domestic meets in calendar year 2023.
As for the women’s 400 meter individual medley, Katie Grimes needs to secure a grip on the silver medal at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
One of my fondest memories of Rio is Maya out-touching Katinka
Haha nice one who is coaching grimes in Nevada, because Brent arckey is already improving summer’s breaststroke grimes no real improvement really.
Video of the race anywhere? I couldn’t find it on YouTube
mission viejo nadadores live streamed it on yt so try there
Will coaches use grimes on the 800 free relay if she don’t make it in the 200 but still her other events this summer? The 200 don’t look to promising on the international scene when you take out ledecky on the U.S. women’s side
Let’s wait for the results of the women’s 200 meter freestyle at the 2023 Phillips 66 National Championships before drawing any conclusions on the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay.
Some of the comments go by the notion that Summer Mcintosh won’t improve? even if she stays at 4:25 and matches that swim at Worlds and in Paris next year it still won’t be enough For Grimes to overtake her.
Yeah I can’t imagine the times summer is gonna post at 17 times that probably won’t be broken in the next 20 years