Smith on the USA Men’s 4×200 Free: “I Think We’ll Be All Set” | SwimSwam

By Robert Gibbs on SwimSwam

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

• When:
  • Wave I Dates: June 4-7, 2021
  • Wave II Dates: June 13-20, 2021
• Prelims: 10am CDT | Finals: 7pm CDT
• Where: CHI Health Center / Omaha, Nebraska
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Cuts
• Wave I & II Event Order
• LCM (50m)
• Day 3 Finals Live Stream
• Psych Sheets
• Wave II Live Results

Tonight’s 100 back champion Ryan Murphy, along with the top four men in the 200 free – Kieran Smith, Townley Haas, Drew Kibler, and Andrew Seliskar, spoke with the press after the conclusion of the session.

Murphy described the ups and downs he’s had since 2016, and how things like focusing on academics during the 2016-2017 school year, and an (assistant) coaching change at Cal disrupted his training a bit.

Haas, Seliskar, and Kibler talked about how it feels goes from NCAA rivals to now being teammates on swimming’s biggest stage.

Additionally, the 200 free quartet expressed optimism about their 4×200 gold medal chances next month, with Kieran Smith running down everyone’s times and saying that the USA should be “all set” to contend. Of note, it will be an almost entirely new-look relay, with Haas the sole returner from last year’s 200 free final.

Reported by James Sutherland 

 

MEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

1. Kieran Smith (FLOR), 1:45.29
2. Townley Haas (NOVA), 1:45.66
3. Drew Kibler (TXLA), 1:45.92
4. Andrew Seliskar (CAL), 1:46.34
5. Zach Apple (MVN), 1:46.45
6. Patrick Callan (UN-MI), 1:46.49

It looked like a three-man race at the 100, with Kieran Smith, Townley Haas and Zach Apple taking early command of the men’s 200 free final. On the third 50, however, Smith and Haas created some separation from the field, and then the stage was set for a wild battle on the last 50.

Smith edged in front down the stretch, getting his hand on the wall first in a time of 1:45.29, dropping almost a half-second from semi-final PB (1:45.74) to add a second individual event to his Olympic program after winning the 400 free on opening night.

The 21-year-old now ranks eighth all-time among Americans.

Haas, who won this event at the 2016 Trials, came through in a big way after an up-and-down quad, touching in 1:45.66 for second—which actually ties his winning time from the 2016 final.

In the mad scramble for relay spots, Haas’ former Texas Longhorn teammate Drew Kibler held steady on the back-half, splitting a pair of 27.1s, to grab third place in a best time of 1:45.92. Kibler entered the meet having never broken 1:47.

Andrew Seliskar made a big rally on the third 50, putting himself into the mix with a 26.92 split, and then managed to hold Apple at bay to pick up fourth in 1:46.34.

The third and fourth-place finishers are assured an Olympic relay spot, while fifth and sixth will likely be added later. Those spots went to Apple (1:46.34) and Patrick Callan (1:46.49), with Blake Pieroni(1:46.57) and Carson Foster (1:46.67) on the outside looking in.

MEN’S 100 BACK FINAL

1. Ryan Murphy (CAL), 52.33
2. Hunter Armstrong (OSU), 52.48
3. Shaine Casas (TAMU), 52.76

Ryan Murphy held off an unbelievable late push from the upstart Hunter Armstrong to win his second straight Olympic Trials 100 backstroke title in a time of 52.33, adding just over a tenth to his season-best (52.22) from last night.

That swim from the semi-finals ranks Murphy second in the 2020-21 world rankings.

Armstrong, a 20-year-old out of Ohio State, surprised many when he popped off with a 52.67 swim in the semi-finals, and he went almost a full two-tenths quicker tonight to make the team (most likely) in the second spot.

Turning seventh at the 50 in 25.73, Armstrong turned on the jets coming back, marking the only swimmer in the field to close sub-27 in 26.78. That moved him past early leader Shaine Casas to snag the runner-up spot in 52.48, making him the fifth-fastest American of all-time.

Casas, who owns a PB of 52.72, blasted out in 25.18 but faded a bit coming home, taking third in 52.76, while Bryce Mefford went sub-53 for the third time in two days for fourth in 52.91.

Two of the men expected to challenge for the second spot coming into the meet, Justin Ress and 2012 Olympic champ Matt Grevers, finished fifth and sixth in 53.00 and 53.27, respectively.

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