Olivia Smoliga is Swimming’s Ice Queen (Video)

2018 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, July 25 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
• William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
• Prelims 9 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
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^{Reported by Jared Anderson.}

WOMEN’S 50 BACK:

• World Record: Jing Zhao, 27.06, 2009
• American Record: Olivia Smoliga, 27.43, 2018
• Championship Record: Hannah Stevens, 27.63, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: Olivia Smoliga, 27.43, 2018

1. GOLD: Olivia Smoliga– 27.70
2. SILVER: Ali Deloof– 27.88
3. BRONZE: Elise Haan– 27.90
4. FOURTH: Keaton Blovad- 28.05

Ali Deloof charged hard late, but it was American record-holder Olivia Smoliga who held on for the win in the women’s 50 back, booking a return trip to the World Championships. Her 27.70 wasn’t quite as fast as the 27.43 she blasted a few months ago in Mesa, but it was plenty enough to beat the field, with Deloof going 27.88 for runner-up honors.

NC State’s Elise Haan also cracked 28, closing in on Deloof for second in 27.90. It was a run of youngsters after that. 19-year-old Keaton Blovad of Cal took fourth in 28.05, with 16-year-old Isabelle Stadden and 17-year-old Katharine Berkoff tying for fifth in 28.13 and 16-year-old Alex Walsh going 28.25 for seventh.

Caroline Baldwin was just a tick behind in eighth, going 28.26 to round out the heat. In the B final, 15-year-old Phoebe Bacon continued the Americans strong run of youth in this event, going 28.44 to win the consolation heat.