Jay Litherland Speaks Mostly Japanese at Home (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 Lauren Neidigh.}

MEN’S 400 IM:

• World Record: Michael Phelps, 4:03.84, 2008
• American Record: Michael Phelps, 4:03.84, 2008
• Championship Record: Michael Phelps, 4:05.25, 2008
• U.S. Open Record: Michael Phelps, 4:05.25, 2008

1. GOLD: Chase Kalisz– 4:08.25
2. SILVER: Jay Litherland– 4:10.21
3. BRONZE: Sean Grieshop– 4:12.72
4. FOURTH: Sam Stewart– 4:13.65

It was all Chase Kalisz again tonight. Though Stanford’s Abrahm DeVine, the 2018 NCAA champ in the 400 IM, took it out hard, Kalisz broke away on the back half to win by body lengths in 4:08.25. That’s the fastest time in the world and his season best by about 7 tenths. The Georgia duo will represent the U.S. again this summer as teammate Jay Litherland was about a second shy of his best to take a comfortable 2nd in 4:10.21. The 3rd Bulldog in the heat, Gunnar Bentz, finished 7th in 4:15.48.

Cal’s Sean Grieshop had a breakthrough swim. He hadn’t swum a best time since setting the World Junior Record at 4:14.00 at 2016 Trials. Tonight, he hammered home on the freestyle leg to take 3rd in 4:12.72. Texas’ Sam Stewart made a huge 6-second drop in prelims. He shave a couple more tenths off tonight for 4th in 4:13.65.

DeVine, who took it out with the lead, faded to 5th in 4:13.77. He dropped a second off his best tonight. DeVine has a good shot at qualifying in the 200 IM later on. He swam that event for the U.S. at Worlds last summer.

Robert Finke made a big drop of almost 3 seconds, turning in a 4:15.79 in the B final to become the 7th fastest American ever in the 17-18 age group. Finke is likely on the Pan Pacs squad after taking 2nd in the mile and represented the U.S. in that event in Budapest.