U.S. Open: Marwan El Kamash Grabs Victory in 800 Free in Indy; Bobby Finke Impresses in Sarasota
Eight months have passed since major competition was witnessed in the United States, so it was a positive to see U.S. Open action get underway on Thursday at nine sites across the country. The first day of competition featured only the 800-meter freestyle for men and women, with full-schedule racing due to take place on Friday and Saturday.
At the Indianapolis site, which is unfolding at the IU Natatorium, Egypt’s Marwan El Kamash wasted little time producing a noteworthy performance, as the Indiana University product recorded a time of 7:52.19 to secure victory by more than 10 seconds. The 26-year-old El Kamash, who was 16th in the 400 freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games, went through the 400-meter mark in 3:55.00 and came back in 3:57.19. Second place went to Michael Brinegar (8:03.00), with Jake Mitchell finishing third in 8:03.11.
On the women’s side, Ally McHugh prevailed in 8:29.36, the only performance under 8:30. McHugh is a contender to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in multiple events, with the 400 individual medley likely her best opportunity. While McHugh bested the competition in Indy, Ashley Twichell went 8:33.58 to win in Greensboro. She was joined as a winner by Ross Dant, who won the men’s event at that site in 8:07.13.
In Sarasota, Bobby Finke was less than a second slower than El Kamash, as the University of Florida standout clocked in at 7:53.05, with Kieran Smith following in 8:00.05 and Alfonso Mestre touching in 8:00.49. In the women’s race, Emma Weyant was an easy winner, as she covered her 16 laps in 8:34.93. In Richmond, Paige McKenna (8:45.69) and Joshua Parent (8:13.67) posted first-place finishes.
