Looking like world-beaters
INDIANAPOLIS — America’s swimmers were on top of the world Thursday night.
Lilly King set an American record in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke, three other swimmers had the fastest times in the world this season and two more broke U.S. national championship records.
Each has even bigger plans for next month’s world championships in Hungary.
“I’m always happy to get an American record, but I was hoping to go a little faster,” King said after posting a time of 29.66 seconds. “I’ve think I’ve still got a little left in the tank for Budapest.”
She’ll have almost three weeks to prepare after breaking the record Jessica Hardy held for nearly eight years by 0.14. King also could be heading to Hungary with the No. 1 time in the event this year after passing her Russian rival Yulia Efimova, who started the day in the No. 1 spot with a time of 29.88.
King has qualified in two individual events, and the Indiana University star will chase her third win in three nights when she competes in her specialty, the 100 backstroke, Friday.
She was only part of the speedy equation in Indianapolis, though.
The U.S. men produced world-best times in three of the night’s four events and set a championship record in the other one.
Chase Kalisz started the impressive run in the men’s 400 individual medley, finishing in 4:06.99 — the first sub 4:07 in the world in 2017. Second-place finisher Jay Litherland, Kalisz’s teammate at Georgia, wound up second in 4:09.31, No. 4 in the world.
Event winners automatically qualify for the U.S. team. The runnerups must wait for the selection process to end before finding out if they make the team.
Caeleb Dressel followed suit in the men’s 100 butterfly, winning in 50.87 to become the first swimmer to crack the 51-second mark this year.
Kevin Cordes set a championship record by beating Andrew Wilson with a time of 26.88 in the men’s 50 breast, No. 3 in the world, and 19-year-old Justin Ress closed it out with another world-best performance (24.41) in the 50 backstroke. Cal’s Ryan Murphy (24.64) was second.
Leah Smith, second to Katie Ledecky in races the meet’s first two nights, won the women’s 400 IM. Her 4:33.86 is third best in the world this year.
Kelsi Worrell won the women’s 100 fly in 57.38, and Hannah Stevens set a championship record in the 50 back, 27.63 seconds.