Captured and edited by Mitch Bowmile
Reported by Loretta Race
WOMEN’S 400 IM
Knowing Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu was diving into the water made everyone get on record alert, as the #IronLady has had a string of impressive swims throughout the year. This included a SCM 400 IM World Record last week in Natanya, Israel competing at this year’s European Short Course Championships.
That newly-minted record was clocked at 4:19.46 and Hosszu was on pace with the mark through the first half of the breaststroke portion of tonight’s race. She fell off pace slightly during the latter half of breast, but still fired off a huge 4:21.21 for first place and a new U.S. Open Record. Her time tonight knocked off the previous U.S. Open Record of 4:24.37 that she set herself back in 2011. Splits will be detailed in the separate U.S. Open Record post.
Team USA earned 2nd and 3rd place in the race, with Caitlin Leverenz registering 4:26.74 for silver and Sarah Henryin 4:27.63 for bronze. As such, Euro All Stars earned 5 points, with Team USA with 4 (3 Leverenz, 1 Henry).
WOMEN’S 200 BACK
Yet another record fell to the ground tonight by Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, this time in the women’s 200 back. In a tightly-contested race with American rival, Missy Franklin, Hosszu’s strategy involved taking it out hard, splitting 58.14 for the first 100 to Franklin’s 58.86. The two were the only competitors to clock a sub-59 in the opening 50. Even with this opening speed at lightning pace, Hosszu held on, cracking off a splits of 30.72 and 30.89 on that back half to score a new U.S. Open mark of 1:59.75. The old U.S. Open Record was held by 2012 Olympic gold medalist Franklin at 2:00.14.
Out of lane 6, American Courtney Bartholomew scored a 2nd place finish with her time of 2:01.33, while Franklin went on to earn 1 point for Team USA with her 3rd place finish of 2:01.53.