U.S. International Team Trials: Carson Foster Wins 400 IM; Chase Kalisz Holds off Bobby Finke (VIDEO)

Carson Foster; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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U.S. International Team Trials: Carson Foster Wins 400 IM; Chase Kalisz Holds of Bobby Finke

Wednesday night was “an exhale” for Carson Foster, finishing third in the 200 freestyle at U.S. International Team Trials to earn a spot at on the national team for his first major senior event.

Thursday, as Foster glided into the wall, with relative safety and demons duly exorcised, the audible exhale came from a lane over, in an eerie replay of U.S. Olympic Trials.

Foster got the job done in Greensboro, locking up the Worlds berth and the win in 4:09.33. But it was the race for second that dazzled, with Chase Kalisz holding off a furious (and by now trademarked) Bobby Finke charge to grab the other spot by .07 seconds.

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The race echoed last year’s Olympic Trials in Omaha. Then, Kalisz was first, on the way to a gold medal in Tokyo. Foster looked a safe bet to secure the second spot, in second for the first 350 meters, until Jay Litherland zoomed past him to get to the wall in second place, .53 seconds up on the stunned Foster.

Foster is too self-aware of a swimmer to hide that that was on his mind when the field turned for the final 100 meters.

“I got a little bit of a flashback heading into the last 100, except this time instead of Jay, it was Bobby,” Foster said. “I was a little bit behind Chase, and I knew I had a really good freestyler not too far behind us. So just trying to channel positive energy instead of freaking out and staying calm that final 50, which is something else that Chase has taught me.”

Thursday night, Kalisz played the Foster role, though he was able to hold off Finke. It means Foster and Kalisz, a pair that has grown close in the last year as they exchange trade secrets about one of the sport’s most daunting races, will head to Budapest together. Foster credited Kalisz with helping him dial in his mentality in what can be a grueling event, both physically and mentally.

“Tonight, I wanted to come in, I wanted to relax the first 200,” Foster said. “Chase has helped me a lot with game-planning for this race, and kind of went over a couple of weeks ago how to swim it and how to use my strengths and make my weaknesses a strength.”

The final lived up to the billing the comes with the top six qualifiers from Olympic Trials returning. Kalisz set the top time in the morning, but Foster shut it down late to coast home in second.

At night, Foster was out fast in the front half, knowing Kalisz would surge on breaststroke. Foster flipped first at 200 meters by 1.8 seconds, but Kalisz was ahead at the 300-meter wall by .76 ticks. Foster turned in a 29.76 to retake the lead in the seventh 50 and brought it home.

Foster’s time is the second-fastest in the world this year, trailing only the 4:09.18 from Duncan Scott. Foster finished with the fastest time in the world last year despite not qualifying for Tokyo, what he calls “an asterisk” that he’s allowed himself to grow from.

“I think I’ve just matured a lot since last year,” Foster said. “I remember last year, when I got passed in Trials, I freaked out. I knew I had a good shot, I was way ahead of Jay. But I think it’s just maturity, knowing that the race is 400 meters and not 300 meters, and if I get passed, it’s OK and I have time, I’m a good freestyler and I’m going to be able to come home and race and embrace that.”

All the was left was for Kalisz to survive. As Finke did in securing gold medals in the 800 and 1,500 free in Tokyo last year, the Florida swimmer hauled it home, going 29.06-27.42 over the final 100 meters. Kalisz did just enough, in 30.50 and 29.66, to get to the wall first. His time of 4:10.50 if fourth-fastest in the world, with France’s Leon Marchand in third. At 4:10.57, Finke is fifth in the world. He’s already set for the 1,500 free in Budapest.

David Johnston finished fourth in 4:13.24, followed by fellow Texas Longhorn Jake Foster in 4:13.76. Litherland was never a factor, finishing sixth in 4:14.44.

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