Fort Lauderdale Open, Day 3 Prelims: Katie Ledecky, Summer McIntosh to Joust Again in 200 Free
The first full night session of the Fort Lauderdale Open on Thursday night hosted the latest dual between Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh. Friday night, we’ll get a battle over a distance that is becoming increasingly rare.
Ledecky finished first in the 200 free in prelims Friday morning, with McIntosh second. It’s one of many big-name finals on tap for the evening session.
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- Fort Lauderdale Open Preview
- Fort Lauderdale Open Night 1 Recap
- Fort Lauderdale Open Day 2 Prelims Recap
- Fort Lauderdale Open Night 2 Men’s Recap
- Fort Lauderdale Open Night 2 Women’s Recap
Women’s 200 freestyle
The 200 free is an interesting battleground between Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh. As Ledecky gets deeper into her career, it’s been on the chopping block, the distance specialist not contesting the 200 at either the 2025 World Championships or the 2024 Olympics. The event hasn’t fit into the schedule of McIntosh, either, though there’s no doubt she’s a medal contender.
Friday, they’ll measure against one another. Ledecky led the way in prelims at 1:56.57. McIntosh was second in 1:56.85, .03 up on Texas training partner Erin Gemmell.
There’s a second back to the next finisher, though it’s an interesting one, in Regan Smith in 1:57.97, just a second off her lifetime best. Rylee Erisman was fifth in 1:58.01, followed by Nikolett Padar, Simone Manuel and Anna Moesch in the A final.
Gretchen Walsh took a flier on the 200 free and set a best time of 1:59.11, more than two seconds ahead of her previous best, for ninth. Cavan Gormsen was 10th, the last swimmer to break two minutes. Alex Walsh was 11th.
Men’s 200 freestyle
Fresh off his win in the 100 free, Chris Guiliano led the way in the 200 free in 1:47.96, his time .08 up on Ohio State’s Tomas Navikonis. Patrick Sammon was third in 1:48.39, the same three that comprised the 100 free podium.
In fourth was Hubert Kos in 1:48.40, a best time in a rare event for him. Luke Hobson went 1:49.13 for fifth, with Mitchell Schott sixth. Canadian Ruslan Gaziev went 1:50.44 for sixth, two tenths up on Grant Sanders.
Women’s 50 breaststroke
Eneli Jefimova set the pace in the 50 breast, the Estonian by way of NC State going 30.64 to lead by three tenths. Emma Weber was second in 30.98. Kate Douglass, the winner of the 100 breast, is looming in third in 31.04, while 100 breast runner-up Mona McSharry was fourth in 31.29.
Hannah Bach joined them under 32 seconds in fifth at 31.83. Gabby Rose makes another A final in seventh at 32.42.
Men’s 50 breaststroke
Jack Kelly is hunting a breaststroke double with a leading time of 27.21. He is just ahead of 100 breast runner-up Ian Call, who went 27.37. Russian veteran Pavel Romanov was third in 27.75, .05 up on Uros Zivanovic. It’s a gap of nearly eight tenths back to Keian Lam in fifth.
Women’s 50 butterfly
None the worse for the 200 free wear, Gretchen Walsh bested the field in the 50 fly in 25.16 to grab the center lane. Kate Douglass was third in 25.50. Venezuelan international Lismar Lyon was third in 26.59, just .29 off the national record she set at Worlds last year.
Auburn’s Elizaveta Klevanovich finished fourth in 26.65, .09 up on Phoebe Bacon. Emma Harvey of Bermuda was sixth, followed by Kennedi Southern and Hanne Peeters in the A final.
Men’s 50 butterfly
Ilya Kharun led a star-studded 50 fly with a time of 23.06, the now-American-again Sun Devil beating an international field. Dylan Carter of Trinidad and Tobago was second in 23.49. Josh Liendo followed in 23.50. The Estonian duo of Ralf Tribuntsov and Daniel Zaitsev were fourth and fifth, respectively.
It was a while back to the big-named Americans, but Caeleb Dressel and Shaine Casas tied for seventh in 24.13. They’re into the A final in outside lanes. Also in the A final is 18-year-old Albert Smelzer.
Women’s 200 backstroke
Isabelle Stadden is swimming well off the 50 backstroke win on Thursday and led the way by nearly a second in prelims in 2:08.81. She was well clear of the 2:09.75 set by Rylee Erisman for second.
Two of the favorites eased into the final. Regan Smith was fifth in 2:10.96. Phoebe Bacon was sixth in 2:11.92. Both had swum earlier in the session. In third and fourth were a pair of teens: Sadie Buckley of NCAP in 2:09.95 and Audrey Derivaux of Jersey Wahoos in 2:10.89. It’s best times for both Erisman and Buckley.
Erika Pelaez and Catie Choate rounded out the A final with 2:12. That left Katie Grimes, facing a second straight day of doubles in the last two events of the session, in ninth in 2:13.16 and Claire Curzan 10th in 2:13.16.
Men’s 200 backstroke
Hubert Kos is hunting a double. The 50 back winner went 1:58.05 to pace the field by a massive margin. Kieran Smith went 2:01.67 to lead the chase for second place behind the reigning Olympic champ, it would seem. Jack Aikins is another second-plus back in third in 2:03.04, .02 up on Joey Eaddy.
Ethan Bathala, Canadian Aiden Norman, Brayden Capen and Caleb Maldari round out the top eight.
Women’s 400 IM
Emma Weyant led the way in prelims with a time of 4:40.47. She was more than a second ahead of Sadie Buckley, the NCAP teen dropping another best time in 4:41.79. Emerson Callis, 17, was third.
Katie Grimes found her way into the A final in 4:44.59. She was well ahead of the 4:47.70 of Alex Walsh in fifth. Sydney Hardy, Eleanor Sun and Sophia Umstead rounded out the A final with plenty of time padding in there, Umstead setting a best time in 4:52.05 for eighth.
Men’s 400 IM
Leon Marchand stretched out the legs with a winning time of 4:13.50 in the morning. He was more than five seconds clear of Carson Foster’s 4:18.62 in a pretty clear statement of intent for the French Olympic champion.
The time gaps are massive. Five seconds from Marchand to Foster, then 2.5 back to Bobby Finke’s 4:21.16, then more than four seconds to Grant Sanders in fourth.