U.S. Nationals, Men’s Prelims: Showdown Set in 200 Fly
The first men’s event of the 2026 Toyota U.S. National Championships in Irvine, Calif., left plenty in reserve. But the way that the swimmers queuing up sets the stage for a tense final.
Just 0.79 seconds separated the eight A finalists on Tuesday morning at the Woollett Aquatic Center. Jack Dahlgren led the way in 1:55.16, but he’ll have some serious chasers.
Among them is Ilya Kharun, back in the American fold. The reigning Olympic bronze medalist for Canada finished second in 1:55.37. The reigning world champion Luca Urlando is hovering in fifth at 1:55.75.
Those are the main contenders, but they have company. Enzo Solitario set a best time by 1.7 seconds to finish third in 1:55.45. Tyler Ray was fourth in 1:55.75. Behind Urlando were Mitchell Schott, Andrew Shackell and Logan Robinson, all in 1:55s.
Among the notable B finalists is Gabriel Jett in 1:56.53.
100 freestyle
Brooks Curry continued a strong season with the leading time in prelims, his 47.56 setting the pace. It’s just .05 off his season-best time, which ranks sixth in the world in 2026.
Second was Patrick Sammon, another emerging contender in the U.S. sprint mix. He went 47.83. Maximus Williamson and Caeleb Dressel each joined them under 48 seconds, Dressel breaking 48 for the first time since 2024 Olympic Trials.
The A final also includes Grant House, who went 48.09. Jerry Fox’s 48.25 also gets him in, followed by Henry McFadden and a surprisingly sluggish Jack Alexy in 48.61.
Jonny Kulow (48.70), Drew Kibler (48.71) and Kieran Smith (48.92) are among the B finalists. Luka Mijatovic is in the youth C final after going 49.19, at the bottom end of his distance range.
