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USA World Trials Finals Day 2 Recap
Ledecky, Dressel win again. Swanson, Weinstein make the team.
SWIM NERD
April 28, 2022
🏊♀️ WORLD CHAMP TRIALS 🌎
Finals Day 2 Recap
Introducing Claire Weinstein, the newest Sandpiper of Nevada repping Team USA on the World's largest stage. She came home in 29.34 - 3 tenths faster than Katie Ledecky.
Leah Smith & Hali Flickinger continue to add events to their World Champ lineups.
Alex Walsh was 2nd at the 150 but came home in 30.8 and got eaten up by the field.
How'd we do on our Predictions?Ledecky, Walsh 1-2. Ledecky goes 1:54.2.
Kieran Smith was out first at the 100 (50.75) and managed to keep his composure coming home. He looked up and breathed a huge sigh of relief after the race. For him and Carson Foster, the pressure is now off. Look for both of them to continue to swim well the remainder of the week.
Carson with almost an identical swim from this morning. Drew Kibler swims fast at night and I like that. He's got big big energy - I'd probably let him lead off the relay.
How'd we do on our Predictions?Texas goes 1-2 tonight.
Coming home like a freight train, Kate Douglass punched her individual ticket to Budapest over taking Olympic bronze medalist Annie Lazor for the 2nd spot. Her training partner, Anna Keating, dropped more time from this morning breaking 2:25 for the first time.
Lilly King said in a post race interview with The Social Kick that she still hasn't fully executed her race plan in the 200 Breast.
How'd we do on our Predictions?I'll stick with the IU tandem that won Silver & Bronze in Tokyo.
Charlie Swanson with the shock of the night - shocking even himself - as he said in the interview, "I think of myself more of a 400 IMer".
Jake Foster gets the dreaded 3rd place finish but can keep his head high with his continued improvement and getting under 2:10 a couple of times now. It's hard to rate up at the end when you've perhaps gone out a tad too hard. Love his stroke.
How'd we do on our Predictions?I never bet against Nic Fink & Jake Foster looked outstanding this morning.
Here's what we opined this morning after watching Prelims:
"Phoebe Bacon is going to be tough to beat tonight. I don't think anyone is going to do it. Regan Smith has no pop. Her 50's are consistent she just seems to be missing that pop, that bounce."
Another surprised winner, Phoebe Bacon swam the fastest 200 Back ever on American soil.
How'd we do on our Predictions?Phoebe Bacon, Rhyan White go 1-2 just like in Prelims.
Shaine Casas showing how green he still is with that swim. If you watched him swim Prelims, you know what I'm talking about. Completely different swimmer tonight - absolutely no consistency in anything he did. He almost went passed 15 meters on the first kickout, turned too far away on almost all of his turns, and just didn't have the rhythm he had this morning. Nevertheless, he's on the World Champs team and he is learning.
Jack Aikins with a breakout meet. He didn't make the team but 1:56.2 is a big drop from his 1:57.5 PB swim from OT's. He was just a freshman this year at UVA. Another 200 stroker coming out of UVA...
Ryan Murphy shows everyone once again what it means to be a professional.
How'd we do on our Predictions?Shaine is hitting his stride. Murph gets 2nd.
"Claire can you take us through the race tonight?"
"Yeah, I mean, I don't really know if there's much to take you through, it's only like 25 seconds but I was super pumped..." - Claire Curzan on The Social Kick
The teenagers that went 1-2 in the 100 Free also go 1-2 in the 50 Fly. Curzan is looking to make the team in 6 individual events and right now is 2 for 2.
How'd we do on our Predictions?Claire Curzan opted out of the 200 Back today to focus on the 50 Fly. American Record incoming. Assuming Torri Huske scratches the 2 Free, she should be better tonight. She came on hard the last 5 meters which is where she will catch Dahlia.
Why the H-E-double hockey sticks aren't the 50's of stroke in the Olympics? This is fast racing at its finest!
Plus, I love when Michael Andrew swims fast because it gets so many people fired up.
Rooney with a 23.25 - that's a great swim for Maxime - a new PB.
How'd we do on our Predictions?Dressel tops MA but both break 23.
Watch Prelims every day right here at 9 AM EST.
Finals are live on the Olympic Channel Tues / Weds / Thurs / Fri 6 PM EST. On Saturday are on CNBC at 6. Refer back here for the links.
We will be live on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook watching Finals LIVE. Watch along with us as we see who makes Team USA.
