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The fourth night of finals from the 2019 Phillips 66 USA Swimming Nationals from Palo Alto, California will have three total finals with the 400 free, 100 breast and 100 back as well as the men’s 4×200 free relay to close out the night. Austin Katz was the only notable A-Final scratch as the 200 back champion pulled out of the 100 back A-Final.
Finals will begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Ally McHugh and Cierra Runge are the top seeds in the women’s 400 free as they were the only ones to break 4:10 in the heats. The final will also feature a 15-year-old Claire Tuggle and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Allison Schmitt. It should be a fantastic race and not necessarily be about the time.
NC State’s Eric Knowles is the top seed in the men’s 400 free ahead of Australia’s Elijah Winnington, who was a 3:44 earlier this year. Winnington did not make Australia’s World Championships team but he did win the 200 free on Thursday night in Palo Alto. Winnington is the second seed.
2012 Olympian Breeja Larson is the top seed in the women’s 100 breaststroke as she will have four high school students swimming alongside her in the final. Emily Weiss, Zoie Hartman, Kaitlyn Dobler and Ellie Andrews are also in the A-Final of the 100 breaststroke. Weiss and Hartman will be headed to Indiana and Georgia this fall.
The men’s 100 breast will be a very tight race as the top eight are all separated by seven tenths of a second. Great Britain’s Craig Benson is the top seed for the final. He did not make Great Britain’s World Championships team but is still going to be a force in the A-Final. He will line up alongside 200 breast champion Reece Whitley and Devon Nowicki.
Amy Bilquist, despite being injured earlier this summer, is the top seed in the women’s 100 back. She will have her hands full with Claire Curzan and Annabel Crush, who will look to move up the 15-16 national age group rankings list.
Shaine Casas has had a very good meet this week in Palo Alto, moving up to third fastest American this year in the 200 back. He is the top seed in the 100 back ahead of France’s Yohann Ndoye Brouard, who won the silver medal at the World University Games in this event.
I am confused about how foreign swimmers are able to swim in our national tournament. They do not appear to have dual citizenship as far as I can tell.
Since it is not a selection meet they are allowed to swim in the championships.
Why did Katz Scratch? Was his prelim time good enough to make national team for 100back?