TYR Pro Swim Series Westmont: Kate Douglass Navigates 50 Stroke Double
Kate Douglass had a busy morning Friday at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Westmont, with the back-to-back 50 breaststroke and butterfly.
As has come to be expected from the former University of Virginia star and five-time Olympic medalist, Douglass navigated it with aplomb, finishing third in the 50 breast and first in the 50 fly. What happens with her program on Friday night remains to be scene.
Both events featured plenty of international flavor at the first PSS meet of the year, both from the Americas and beyond. The Friday prelims action:
Women’s 200 freestyle
The battle between youth and veterans has played out in several events already, and the 200 free is another stage. The top seed in Friday prelims went to teenager Rylee Erisman, who went 1:58.86. That’s a best time, trimming the 1:59.63 she had set last summer at USA Swimming Futures.
The veterans followed. Canadian stalwart Mary-Sophie Harvey was just .06 behind Erisman. Simone Manuel was the only other swimmer to break two minutes in third in 1:59.71. Isabel Ivey was fourth.
Other notables in the top eight include Regan Smith in eighth, plus the Brazilian duo of Maria Fernanda Costa and Gabrielle Roncatto. Madi Mintenko finished sixth.
Canadian Penny Oleksiak was 15th.
Men’s 200 freestyle
Cue the internationals, with Sam Short leading the way in the 200 free. The Australian World Champion in the 400 free went 1:48.29 to set the pace. His countryman Max Giuliani was seventh.
American teen Luka Mijatovic finished second in 1:48.73, with fellow teen Ryan Erisman in fourth. In between was Brazilian international Guilherme Costa. Grant House was fifth, a spot ahead of Shaine Casas.
The B final includes Aaron Shackell, Jack Dahlgren and Trenton Julian, while 1,500 winner Aiden Hammer was 18th.
Women’s 50 breaststroke
Lilly King led the way in the 50 breast by going 31.24. She defeated a familiar cast that she’ll meet again in finals. Texas swimmer and German Olympian Anna Elendt was second in 31.30. Kate Douglass followed in 31.32, and Florida’s Italian international Anita Bottazzo was fourth in 31.44. Canadian international Sophie Angus was the only other swimmer to break 32 seconds.
Men’s 50 breaststroke
Mikel Schreuders led the way in prelims, the Aruban international and Sun Devils swimmer going 27.41 to edge Tennessee’s Michael Houlie by .01 seconds. Michael Andrew finished third in 27.61. The net finisher was Uros Zivanovic in 28.03.
American AJ Pouch snuck into the A final in eighth in 28.83. That was at the expense of Canadian international Apollo Hess.
Women’s 50 butterfly
Back at it, Kate Douglass went 26.12 to take the top speed and another A final. She was .16 seconds ahead of Lilly Price, and Douglass and the Aussie were more than a half-second up on anyone else.
The next finishers were, perhaps, familiar: A tie, between Penny Oleksiak and Simone Manuel in 26.82, slightly less consequential than their tie for Olympic gold in the 100 free in Rio nine years ago. Beata Nelson was .01 back in fifth.
The A final will include Canadian Kylie Masse in seventh and American Olympian Erika Connolly in eighth. Ingrid Wilm was ninth.
Men’s 50 butterfly
Singapore international Mikkel Lee went 23.58 to edge Mikel Schreuders by .25 seconds. Argentina’s Ulises Cazau finished third in 23.88, and Michael Andrew was fourth in 23.96.
The B final will feature Jonathan Tan of Singapore and Trenton Julian.
Women’s 200 backstroke
Tokyo Olympian Rhyan White led the way in her signature event, going 2:11.65. That’s the top seed by three tenths, ahead of Canadian teen Madison Kryger, who went 2:11.96. (Fellow Canadian Kylie Masse didn’t swim the event, and Ingrid Wilm was eighth).
Another second back of Kryger was Teagan O’Dell in 2:12.96, while Regan Smith coasted into the fourth seed in 2:13.19, .11 ahead of fellow Paris Olympian Katharine Berkoff.
Men’s 200 backstroke
Tommy Janton went 2:00.23 to lead the way, a second up on Arizona State’s Jack Dolan. Yeziel Moralez was third. Shaine Casas finished sixth, while Canadian Cole Pratt reached the A final in eighth.
Women’s 400 individual medley
In the event where she’s a world record holder, Summer McIntosh led the way with a time of 4:43.48 to secure the top seed. Fellow Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey followed her 4.5 seconds back in 4:48.06. Hungarian international Vivien Jackl was third.
Four others broke five minutes, including teens Kamila Blanchard and Rylee Hutchinson.
Men’s 400 individual medley
Carson Foster led the way by a wide margin in a sedate men’s 400 IM, the Olympian going 4:18.25 to claim the top seed by a clear nine seconds. Misha Lyubavskiy was second in 4:27.28, and only two others broke 4:30. That included Jon Joentvedt and Charlie Mayr.