SWIMMING: Two wins for Michael Andrew and four world leaders at Des Moines Tyr Pro Swim

Double winner in Des Moines: American sprinter Michael Andrew

There are still two full days to go in the second Tyr Pro Swim Series meet, but the first visit to Des Moines, Iowa has already been a success.

The meet has produced four world-leading marks so far, but it was 19-year-old Michael Andrew was the most impressive with two wins in 13 minutes! He came from behind to take the 100 m Breaststroke in 59.70 (no. 4 on the world list for 2019) and led from wire-to-wire in the 50 m Back, winning in 24.94.

The world leaders included:

Men’s 1,500 m Free: 15:05.39, Anton Ipsen (DEN)

Women’s 50 m Back: 27.76, Kathleen Baker (USA)
Women’s 100 m Breast: 1:06.66, Annie Lazor (USA)
Women’s 200 m Fly: 2:07.10, Hali Flickinger (USA)

Both Lazor and Flickinger were already the world leaders in these events from the first Tyr Pro Swim meet in Knoxville in January.

There were five more marks that ranked second on the world list, starting with American distance ace Jordan Wilimovsky, who finished just 0.05 behind Ipsen. In the men’s 100 m Free, Caeleb Dressel – the reigning World Champion in the event – stunningly missed the A Final, but swam the no. 2 time in the world in the B Final, winning in 48.71 (Blake Pieroni won the A Final in 48.91). In the 400 m Free, Zane Grothe finished in 3:49.29, ahead of Ipsen by 0.05; Ipsen’s mark moves him to no. 3.

China’s teenage distance stars shone brightly, with Jianjiahe Wang (age 16) winning the women’s 1,500 m Free in 15:46.01 to move to no. 2 on the world list. Bingjie Li (age 17) won the 400 m Free, ahead of Wang, as the two moved to nos. 2-3 in the world at 4:03.29 and 4:05.28.

NBCSN will have a reply of today’s finals at midnight Eastern time. Summaries so far:

Tyr Pro Swim Series
Des Moines, Iowa (USA) ~ 6-9 March 2019
(Full results here; all U.S. unless indicated)

Men

100 m Freestyle: 1. Blake Pieroni, 48.91; 2. Breno Correia (BRA), 48.99; 3. tie, Marcelo Chierigini (BRA) and Marius Kusch (GER), 49.19. (B final: 1. Caeleb Dressel, 48.71).

400 m Free: 1. Zane Grothe, 3:49.29; 2. Anton Ipsen (DEN), 3:49.83; 3. Mitch D’Arrigo, 3:53.46.

1,500 m Free: 1. Ipsen (DEN), 15:05.39; 2. Jordan Wilimovsky, 15:05.44; 3. Zane Grothe, 15:13.29.

50 m Backstroke: 1. Michael Andrew, 24.94; 2. Grigory Tarasevich (RUS), 25.16; 3. Jacob Pebley, 25.30.

100 m Breaststroke: 1. Andrew, 59.70; 2. James Wilby (GBR), 59.91; 3. Cody Miller, 1:00.22.

200 m Butterfly: 1. Alex Kunert (GER), 1:57.80; 2. Mack Darragh (CAN), 1:58.64; 43. Luiz
Melo (BRA), 1:58.98.

Women

100 m Freestyle: 1. Margo Geer, 54.59; 2. Olivia Smoliga, 55.05; 3. Natalie Hinds, 5526.

400 m Free: 1. Bingjie Li (CHN), 4:03.290; 2. Jianjiahe Wang (CHN), 4:05.28; 3. Leah Smith, 4:08.41.

1,500 m Free: 1. J. Wang (CHN), 15:46.01; 2. Kristel Kobrich (CHI), 16:17.92; 3. B. Li (CHN), 16:19.71.

50 m Backstroke: 1. Kathleen Baker, 27.76; 2. Smoliga, 28.25; 3. Ali DeLoof, 28.51.

100 m Breaststroke: 1. Annie Lazor, 1:06.66; 2. Bethany Galat, 1:07.13; 3. Melanie Margalis, 1:07.20.

200 m Butterfly: 1. Hali Flickinger, 2:07.10; 2. Megan Kingsley, 2:10.91; 3. Charlotte Atkinson (GBR), 2:11.34.