2017 Arena PSS – Atlanta: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2017 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES – ATLANTA

• May 4-7, 2017
• McAuley Aquatic Center
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Long Course (50m)
• Prelims/Finals: 10 AM / 7 PM (EST)
• Psych Sheet
• Meet Central / Live Stream
• Live Results (Omega)
• Results Also on Meet Mobile (search Atlanta)
• Saturday Finals Heat Sheet

Day 3 finals should be another fun one with four events slated: the 400 IM, 200 free, 200 back and 50 free. One notable change on the schedule from the morning is the 400 IM moving from the end of the session to the beginning.

Another note is that usaswimming.org will not be streaming finals either tonight or Saturday. They will be on NBC Sports.

There were a few A-final scratches for finals tonight, most notably Katie Ledecky in the women’s 400 IM. Look at all A and B final scratches here.

One of the most intriguing storylines tonight comes in the men’s 400 IM, where Georgia teammates Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland and Gunnar Bentz will do battle. Kalisz and Litherland were the American representatives in the event at the Olympics last year, while Bentz was right there in 4th at the Olympic Trials. Litherland had the top time of the morning in 4:24.52 and will have lane 4, with Kalisz in 3 and Bentz in 2.

Ledecky will look to improve on her seasonal best of 1:56.31 in the women’s 200 free, and maybe take a stab at her 1:54.82 pool record set last year. She’ll be joined in the final by Stanford teammate Simone Manuel and co-NCAA champ Mallory Comerford.

Manuel will also take a stab at a 21-year-old pool record in the 50 free. Amy van Dyken‘s mark of 24.87 has stood since 1996, but Manuel has a decent shot at breaking it having gone 24.66 three weeks ago in Mesa.

Other swims to watch for tonight will be Park Tae Hwan looking for his 3rd ‘A’ standard of the weekend in the men’s 200 free. Given his performance in the 400 last night, the 1:47.73 cut shouldn’t be a problem for him.

The men’s 200 back will feature Olympic champ Ryan Murphy alongside his Cal teammate and Olympic Trials runner-up Jacob Pebley.

WOMEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• US Open Record: 4:31.07, Katinka Hosszu, 2015
• GT Pool Record: 4:33.55, Elizabeth Beisel, 2016

1. Brooke Forde, LAK, 4:43.64
2. Vien Nguyen, UN, 4:45.25
3. Bethany Galat, UN, 4:48.33

Brooke Forde and Vien Nguyen battled out front for the entire race, with Forde’s final 50 of 31.4 earning her the women’s 400 IM win in 4:43.64. Nguyen took 2nd in 4:45.25, and Bethany Galat touched 3rd in 4:48.33. 

In the B-final, Melissa Postoll took off over six seconds from the morning to win the heat in 4:50.46. That swim would’ve earned her 4th in the A-final.

MEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• US Open Record: 4:05.25, Michael Phelps, 2008
• GT Pool Record: 4:14.66, Jay Litherland, 2016

1. Chase Kalisz, NBAC, 4:09.43
2. Jay Litherland, DYNA, 4:15.84
3. Grant Sanders, SPA, 4:21.90

Chase Kalisz was ahead from the get-go, opening with a quick 56.74 in the fly and never looking back. He was solid throughout all four legs, including a sub-1:10 breast leg, destroying the field in 4:09.43. That is the fastest time in the world for the year and the first under 4:10. He moves past Hungary’s David Verraszto who was 4:10.01 in March. Kalisz was previously ranked 5th with his 4:11.01 from Mesa.

Jay Litherland was within two seconds of Kalisz at the halfway mark, but lost ground on the breast leg to find himself in no-mans land well behind Kalisz but well ahead of everyone else. He closed in a solid 58.6 to take 2nd in 4:15.84. 19-year-old Grant Sanders held off a hard charging Gunnar Bentz for 3rd in 4:21.90, with Bentz just five one-hundredths back.

Kalisz’s swim also smashed Litherland’s 2016 pool record of 4:14.66.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

• US Open Record: 1:54.40, Allison Schmitt, 2012
• GT Pool Record: 1:54.82, Katie Ledecky, 2016

1. Katie Ledecky, UN, 1:56.26
2. Melanie Margalis, SPA, 1:57.76
3. Simone Manuel, UN, 1:57.87

Katie Ledecky took a slight early lead and clung to it, opening up a gap on the final 50 to win in 1:56.26. Melanie Margalis wasn’t far behind her the entire race but fell off a bit on the last 50 and takes 2nd in 1:57.76.

Margalis had to hold off Simone Manuel, who dropped over a second and a half from prelims to take 3rd in 1:57.87, closing in 29.87 to run down Siobhan Haughey and nearly run down Margalis. Haughey took 4th in 1:58.21 and Easop Lee was 5th in 1:58.64. Mallory Comerford touched 6th in 2:00.46.

The B-final saw a great battle between four swimmers who all came in at 2:00, led by Amanda Weir in 2:00.20.

MEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

• US Open Record: 1:44.10, Michael Phelps, 2008
• GT Pool Record: 1:46.36, Yannick Angel, 2011

1. Park Tae Hwan, KOR, 1:46.71
2. Joao De Lucca, CARD, 1:47.83
3. Felix Auboeck, CW, 1:48.27

Park Tae Hwan won his second title of the meet with a solid 1:46.71 showing in the men’s 200 free. The swim gets Park under the FINA ‘A’ cut of 1:47.73, earning him a berth in the World Championships in this event. He already accomplished this feat yesterday in both the 100 and 400 free. His season best of 1:45.16 sits 2nd in the world for the year.

Joao De Lucca hung with Park for 150m, falling off by about a second on the last 50 but still recording a solid 1:47.83 for 2nd. That swim would’ve won De Lucca the Maria Lenk Trophy being held in Brazil right now, a meet he opted out of.

Felix Auboeck knocked exactly a second off his morning swim for 3rd. Zane Grothe (1:48.81) held off a hard charging Marcos Lavado (1:49.11) for 4th. Tom Shields (1:49.96) took 7th and Clark Smith (1:50.17) 8th.

Blake Pieroni won the B-final in 1:49.10, just ahead of fellow Hoosier Mohamed Samy (1:49.45).

WOMEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

• US Open Record: 2:05.68, Missy Franklin, 2013
• GT Pool Record: 2:07.14, Missy Franklin, 2011

1. Hali Flickinger, ABSC, 2:10.56
2. Erin Voss, UN, 2:10.94
3. Melissa Postoll, NU, 2:12.84

Hali Flickinger proved her scratch from the 200 free was worthwhile, jumping out to an early lead in the 200 back final and finishing strong in 2:10.56 for the win. That dips just below her old personal best of 2:10.60 set at the 2015 Nationals in San Antonio.

Erin Voss made up a few tenths on the last 50, but was about four short as she took 2nd in 2:10.94. Voss took off just over a second from the morning, while Flickinger took off nearly two. Melissa Postoll took 3rd in 2:12.84 after recording the top prelim time of 2:11.85.

MEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

• US Open Record: 1:53.08, Aaron Peirsol, 2009
• GT Pool Record: 1:55.82, Ryan Murphy, 2016 / 2017

1. Ryan Murphy, CAL, 1:55.82
2. Jacob Pebley, CAL, 1:56.43
3. Ryosuke Irie, MAC, 1:57.85

Cal teammates Ryan Murphy and Jacob Pebley duelled in the men’s 200 back, with Murphy pulling away on the last 50 to win in a time of 1:55.82, equalling his pool record set last year. That swim puts him 5th in the world for the 2016-17 season.

Pebley touched 2nd in 1:56.43, nine tenths off his 1:55.56 season best that has him 4th in the world. Both Murphy and Pebley were out in 27s and held solid at 29s the rest of the way.

Ryosuke Irie stormed home over the final 50 metres, the fastest in the field at 29.40, to run down Arkady Vyatchanin for 3rd in 1:57.85. Vyatchanin finished 4th in 1:58.33, followed by Sean Lehane in 1:59.57.

Fresh off a runner-up finish in the 400 IM, Jay Litherland had a solid 2:00.91 for 7th, dropping eight tenths from the morning.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE FINAL

• US Open Record: 24.13, Cate Campbell, 2008
• GT Pool Record: 24.87, Amy Van Dyken, 1996

1. Simone Manuel, UN, 24.73
2. Madison Kennedy, MAC, 25.22
3. Olivia Smoliga, ABSC, 25.24

Simone Manuel erased a 21-year-old pool record with a clocking of 24.73 in the women’s 50 free to win by nearly half a second. She knocked seven tenths off her morning swim, and just missed her season best 24.66 that ranks 7th in the world.

Madison Kennedy and Olivia Smoliga both dropped over three tenths from the morning to take 2nd and 3rd respectively, and Grace Ariola knocked off four tenths for 4th in 25.40. Mallory Comerford (25.44) and Sandrine Mainville (25.59) took 5th and 6th. Kelsi Worrell clocked 26.41 swimming butterfly, getting her 7th as Michelle Toro was DQed.

Amanda Weir won her second B-final of the night in 25.72.

MEN’S 50 FREE FINAL

• US Open Record: 21.14, Cesar Cielo, 2009
• GT Pool Record: 21.85, Nathan Adrian, 2011

1. Michael Andrew, RPC, 22.38
2. Michael Chadwick, UN, 22.43
3. Josh Schneider, NYAC, 22.60

It was Michael vs Michael in the 50 free as Michael Andrew and Michael Chadwick threw down. At the touch it was Andrew getting the win in 22.38, with Chadwick close behind in 22.43. Josh Schneider took 3rd in 22.60, and Blake Pieroni tied with Marcus Schlesinger for 4th in 22.70.

In the B-final Anthony Ervin dropped four tenths from the morning to take 9th overall in 22.81. Pavel Sankovich swam the entire race underwater touching first in 22.73, but was obviously disqualified.