Walsh Sisters Check Into Lane 4 For U.S. Champs Curtain-Closer
The slowest reaction - 0.77 - of all A & B final qualifiers, 50 free on last day at Nationals, Gretchen Walsh was home in 24.30, the fastest heats time in the world so far this year; other heats topped by her sister Alex (200IM), Jack Alexy (50 free) & Shaine Casas (200IM)
First Alex Walsh and then her sister Gretchen checked into lane 4 for their respective finals on curtain-closing day at U.S. Championships, the American team for World titles in Singapore almost complete after 5 days of racing in Indianapolis.
This evening, Gretchen Walsh may well be last off her blocks as she enters fast fray in the 50m freestyle: as it was in her pioneer-pace butterfly finals this week, her reaction time this morning was the slowest of any qualifier, extending to all the B finalists in this case - 0.77sec.
Whatever balance of blast and momentum she finds relative to her physical make-up, mindset and technical style, it certainly works for G. Walsh: in 24.30, she swept from marginally slowest to fastest in the swiftest heats time clocked anywhere in the world so far.
The global ranks are led by Wu Qingfeng, of China at 24.18, so far this year. With Kate Douglass on 24.38 and Torri Huske on 24.42 and all other finalists under 25 this morning in Indy, there'll be a shuffling of the ranks before the lights go out in Indy this day.
Alex W held sway in the 200IM heats, her 2:10.92 stamping her ticket to the centre lane. This evening, she'll have four swimmers closest to her, two on either side of her, who raced 2:11s this morning: Leah Hayes (2:11.22); shock 200 'fly winner Caroline Bricker (2:11.63); Phoebe Bacon (2:11.68); and Andrey Derivaux (2:11.90)
In the men's 50m free heats, the four sprinters under 22 were led by Jack Alexy, his 21.59 0.16 shy of the top-ranked time around the worlds so far this year and just shy of the fastest heats time of the season, a 21.53 from Australian Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy as he warmed up at the Sydney Open last month in preparation for his own national trials this coming week.
Jonny Kulow (21.75), Santo Condorelli (21.87), and Chris Guiliano (21.93) were the others under 22 this morning, the door to the final slammed in 22.14, going those the wrong side of it today Michael Andrew.
In the men's 200IM, 11 men raced inside 2mins, topped by a 1:57.70 from Shaine Casas, and five 1:58s: Carson Foster (1:58.15); Owen McDonald (1:58.43); Kieran Smith (1:58.50); Grant House (1:58.57) and Trenton Julian (1:58.71).
50m freestyle
200m medley
The last session will also feature the fastest heats of the women's 1500m freestyle, and the men's 800m freestyle and in which Olympic 1500m champions Katie Ledecky and Bobby Finke will bring their trials campaigns to a close as favourites for the win.
