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≡ USA SWIMMING NATIONALS ≡
Day two of the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana saw more hot performances in the morning heats, with Luke Hobson moving to no. 2 in the world for 2025 in the men’s 200 m Freestyle (1:44.78) and Jack Aikins moving to no. 2 in the men’s 200 m Backstroke at 1:55.49.
So more was expected in the evening and more was delivered:
● Women/200 m Free:
Superstar Katie Ledecky was back in the pool after her 800 m Free triumph on day one, and leading the morning qualifying at 1:55.49, no. 3 in the world for 2025.
But 18-year-old Claire Weinstein, already the world leader this year and who beat Ledecky at the Tyr Pro Swim meet in Ft. Lauderdale, was having none of it. Neither was Torri Huske, already a winner in the 100 m Free on Tuesday, and leading at the 100 m mark, with Ledecky third.
At 150, it was still Huske in front, but Weinstein coming on and Ledecky third, but just by 0.02. On the final lap, Weinstein and Ledecky edged ahead of Huske and Weinstein had just enough in the final 10 m to touch first and shave another 1/100th off the world lead at 1:54.92.
Ledecky was second at 1:55.26, still no. 3 on the world list, followed by Huske in 1:55.71, equal-5th in 2025. Ledecky almost certainly won’t swim this race at the World Championships, but is now part of what will be a formidable 4×200 m Free relay in Singapore.
Erin Gemmell and Anna Peplowski tied for fourth in 1:55.82 and will also be in the relay pool.
● Men/200 m Free:
Hobson, the Paris 200 m Free bronze medalist, got a lifetime best with the 1:44.78 in the heats, and he took charge right away, leading at the first turn by 0.02 over Paris Olympian Chris Guiliano, and then pulling away by the 100 m mark in 50.05, up by 0.75 against Gabriel Jett.
Hobson was sensational through 150 m, but was paying for his fast start on the final lap, as Jett closed quickly. But Hobson got to the touch in a world-leading 1:43.73, the fastest ever on American soil. It moved him to no. 5 all-time and no. 2 all-time U.S. to Michael Phelps’ American Record of 1:42.96.
Jett, third at the NCAA 200-yard Free for Cal, got a lifetime best in second in 1:44.70, now no. 4 in U.S. history and no. 3 in the world for 2025. Rex Maurer was third in 1:45.13 and no. 7 in the world this year, and Henry McFadden in fourth was 1:45.22. Translation: an excellent 4×2 relay in Singapore.
● Women/200 m Breast:
Olympic champ Kate Douglass led the qualifying by almost three seconds, but Alex Walsh, the Tokyo 2020 200 m Medley runner-up – and Gretchen Walsh’s older sister – was close all the way. Douglass and Walsh were even after 50 and Douglas eked out a 0.9-second edge after two laps. But she opened a real lead on lap three (+0.34) and then held on.
Walsh increased her stroke rate in the middle of the final lap and moved up, but Douglas touched first in 2:21.45, still second in the world for 2025. Walsh was right behind in 2:22.45, remaining no. 4 on the 2025 world list.
Katie Christopherson was a distant third in 2:26.65.
● Men/200 m Breast:
Another event with a clear qualifying leader in A J Pouch – third at the 2024 Olympic Trials in this event – fastest by over a second.
But Josh Matheny, seventh in the Paris Olympic final, blasted out from the start and had an 0.63 lead after one lap, and was up 1.15 on Pouch at the 100 and 1.39 at 150. But he paid for it on the final lap and Pouch closed in, but ran out of pool as Matheny won in 2:08.87, no. 8 in the world for 2025.
Pouch’s fast close got him second in 2:09.31, slower than his 2:08.96 heat time. Gabe Nunziata got a lifetime best of 2:09.71 to finish third.
● Women/200 m Back:
The shocker in qualifying was Olympic silver medalist Regan Smith as the no. 4 qualifier, finishing second in her heat to qualifying leader, the 17-year-old Kentucky prep Charlotte Crush (huge lifetime best of 2:07.05, no. 7 in the world).
But out of sight in lane one was Claire Curzan, the 50-100-200 m World Champion in 2024 in Doha (QAT), who led from the start. In the middle of the pool, Crush and North Carolina State’s Leah Shackley led Smith. But Smith came into the picture at the final turn, behind Curzan and Shackley.
But Curzan would not be denied and held on as Smith charged into second with 30 m left, winning in a lifetime best of 2:05.09, now no. 2 in the world for 2025. Smith was a solid second in 2:05.84 – her best in 2025, now no. 3 – then Shackley in 2:06.66 (no. 5 this year) and Phoebe Bacon, the 2022 Worlds silver winner, in fourth at 2:06.79. Crush faded to seventh in 2:08.39.
● Men/200 m Back:
Qualifying star Aikins, the 2023 Pan American Games gold medalist in this event, backed up his morning swim with a dominant performance.
He had a small lead at the turn and lengthened it to 0.47 over Daniel Diehl by the 100 and then 1.12 seconds over Keaton Jones at the final turn. Aikins was consistent, strong and touch with a world-leading mark of 1:54.25, now no. 12 all-time! It was sweet redemption for Aikins, who was third at the 2024 Olympic Trials.
Jones was a clear second in 1:54.85, no. 3 in the world for 2025, followed by Diehl at 1:55.08.
● Women/50 m Fly:
Gretchen Walsh, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist in this event, led the qualifying with a national championships meet record of 24.98, while Huske decided to skip this event in favor of the 200 m Free earlier in the program.
This was no contest. Walsh came up brilliantly and blasted away from the field, winning in an American Record of 24.66, improving her mark of 24.93 from April in Ft. Lauderdale, and improving on her own world-leading time (the fourth of the evening).
Douglass, coming back from the 200 m Breast, equaled her lifetime best of 25.39, remaining no. 2 on the world list, and getting into another event at Worlds. Brady Kendall was third in 26.02.
● Men/50 m Fly:
Paris Olympian in the 200 m Medley, Shaine Casas, and 2023 Worlds 100 Fly bronzer Dare Rose were 1-2 in qualifying at 23.10 and 23.12.
The race was tight, with four across together in the middle of the pool, but Rose emerged in the final 5 m to touch first in 23.06. He was barely ahead of Michael Andrew, the 2024 Worlds runner-up, who got second in 23.21. Casas was third in 23.29 and P.J. Foy was fourth in 23.32.
A good feeling for Rose, who was third at the 2024 Olympic Trials in the 100 m Fly; he’s on the team for Singapore.
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Coming Thursday: men’s and women’s 400 m Medley, 100 m Butterfly, 50 m Breaststroke and the 50 m Backstrokes.
The meet is being shown on the USA Swimming Web site (both sessions) and NBC’s Peacock streaming service for the evening session at 7 p.m. Eastern.
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