Manaudou Edges Fratus, Wasick Tops Blume To Win 2022 JAX50 Sprint Challenge

2022 JAX50 Sprint Dual Challenge

• April 30, 2022
• Planet Swim and Tennis Center, Ponte Vedra, FL
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Website
• Results on Meet Mobile: “9th Annual JAX50 Sprint Dual Challenge”

Kasia Wasick and Florent Manaudou came out on top last Saturday at the 2022 JAX50 Sprint Dual Challenge in Ponte Vedra, Fla., a shootout style 50 freestyle event that helps support the Planet Swim Foundation’s mission of making Northeast Florida drowning free.

The 2022 edition was the first time the event had been held since 2017 and the ninth overall, with the inaugural event being held back in 2010.

In addition to Wasick and Manaudou, the event featured Olympic champion Pernille Blume, Olympic medalist Bruno Fratus, short course world champion Kira Toussaint, and Hong Kong Olympian Ian Ho.

Each of the pro swimmers swam three rounds of 50 frees in a bracket-style format before the two fastest would meet in the final.

Women’s Event

After cruising through their opening rounds, Wasick put up a blistering time of 24.87 in the second round, handily defeating Toussaint (26.49) to advance to the final.

Blume reeled off times of 25.67 and 25.89 in the opening two rounds, and then went head-to-head with Wasick for the title.

In the final it was all Wasick, as the 30-year-old blasted a time of 24.49, which ranks fifth in the world this year and is just over three-tenths shy of her Polish National Record (24.17).

Blume, who has said she won’t be competing at the World Championships this year, was a respectable 25.01 in the final round for second.

Toussaint topped the consolation final in 27.05 over Planet Swim Aquatics’ Kathryn Sauborn (28.34).

You can watch the second round matchups between Wasick and Toussaint and Blume and Sauborn below (the men’s second round follows in the same video):

 

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ROUND-BY-ROUND SWIMS

Kasia Wasick

• Round 1 – 26.73
• Round 2 – 24.87
• Round 3 – 24.49

Pernille Blume

• Round 1 – 25.67
• Round 2 – 25.89
• Round 3 – 25.01

Kira Toussaint

• Round 1 – 26.94
• Round 2 – 26.49
• Round 3 – 27.05

Men’s Event

The men’s event saw Fratus and Ho go head-to-head in the second round, with the Brazilian Fratus clocking in at 22.24 to edge out Ho’s 22.59.

Manaudou, who was 23.20 in the second round, then unleashed a time of 22.08 to take the victory over Fratus (22.30). That swim falls just shy of Manauodu’s season-best of 22.04, set in Marseille back in March.

You can watch the final below:

Ho managed to go even faster than he did in round 2 in the final, putting up a time of 22.52 to top Planet Swim’s Dominic Miller (24.52).

ROUND-BY-ROUND SWIMS

Florent Manaudou

• Round 1 – 24.85
• Round 2 – 23.20
• Round 3 – 22.08

Bruno Fratus

• Round 1 – 23.75
• Round 2 – 22.24
• Round 3 – 22.30

Ian Ho

• Round 1 – 23.66
• Round 2 – 22.59
• Round 3 – 22.52