★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ TYR PRO SWIM INDIANAPOLIS ≡
No fluke whatsoever. Anyone who doubted the rise of former Indiana swimmer Van Mathias – now the IU swimming Director of Operations after his 50 m Breaststroke American Record of 26.39 at the Bergen Swim Festival in April can forget it.
He did it again.
Mathias led the qualifying in the Tyr Pro Swim Series Indianapolis men’s 50 Breast in 26.53, then rolled in the final to a win in another American Record of 26.30, ahead of fellow American Michael Andrew (26.87).
That replaced Andrew’s U.S. Open record of 26.52 from 2022 and moves him to no. 5 on the all-time list. He is the fastest in the world in 2026.
Also at the top of the 2026 world rankings from Wednesday swims were China’s Yu Yuting, the two-time World Championships bronze winner in the 200 m Medley, and American star Kate Douglass, the 2023 and 2024 World Champion in that event.
Swimming at the Chinese nationals in Shenzhen, Yuting, 20, won the 200 Medley in a world-leading 2:06.82, an Asian record and now no. 6 all-time. In Indianapolis, it was Douglass with a dominant win in 2:07.04, now no. 2 in 2026. That was more than two seconds up on sprint star Torri Huske, in 2:09.59.
Elsewhere on the first of four nights of finals, Freestyle superstar Katie Ledecky won the women’s 1,500 m Freestyle in 15:34.66, the no. 17 performance all-time. American Katie Grimes, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, was second, but well back 16:04.20.
Rio 2016 double Olympic champion Ryan Murphy, 30, trying to gauge whether to continue and chase a home Olympics in 2028, won the men’s 100 m Backstroke in 52.80, over German Kaii Winkler, in 53.22.
American Isabelle Stadden, the 2021 World Short-Course bronze winner in the 200 m Back, won the women’s 100 Back in 51.80 over Paris 2024 bronzer Katharine Berkoff, in 58.20.
In the 200 m Free finals, Anna Peplowski took the women’s win in a lifetime best of 1:55.67 and Patrick Sammon won the men’s final in 1:46.24.
Owen McDonald of the U.S. won the men’s 200 m Medley in 1:58.35, beating Tokyo 2020 men’s 400 m Free bronze winner Kieran Smith (1:58.49). Estonia’s Eneli Jefimova won the women’s 50 Breast in 30.26
The meet continues through Saturday.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 681-event International Sports Calendar for 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
