U.S. International Team Trials: Phoebe Bacon Swims 2:06.78 in 200 Back Prelims; Rhyan White, Regan Smith 2-3

Phoebe Bacon -- U.S. International Team Trials: Phoebe Bacon Swims 2:06.78 in 200 Back Prelims; Rhyan White, Regan Smith 2-3

U.S. International Team Trials: Phoebe Bacon Swims 2:06.78 in 200 Back Prelims; Rhyan White, Regan Smith 2-3

At last year’s Olympic Trials, Rhyan White and Phoebe Bacon pulled off an upset in the women’s 200 backstroke as they earned the two spots on the U.S. Olympic team ahead of world-record holder and reigning world champion Regan Smith. Those three swimmers will go head-to-head once again for spots on the World Championships team after they posted the three fastest times in prelims.

Bacon showed the most speed as she went out in a quick 100-meter split of 1:02.19, and she held onto that strong pace. Bacon finished in 2:06.78, less than four tenths off her best time of 2:06.40, which she swam while finishing fifth in this event at the Tokyo Games. White, who finished fourth in Tokyo, took second in 2:08.11, while Smith grabbed the third seed in 2:08.74.

Smith led for the entire race at Trials last year before White and Bacon swam past her on the final length, but when the three women raced in the 200-yard back at last month’s NCAA Championships, Smith turned the tables as she overtook White on the last 75 yards before pulling away to win by more than a second. Smith is the only swimmer to qualify for the World Championships team already as she placed second to Hali Flickinger in the 200 butterfly final Tuesday evening.

Virginia’s Reilly Tiltmann placed fourth in 2:10.07, while Cal’s Isabelle Stadden, who was fourth behind White, Bacon and Smith at Olympic Trials, qualified fifth here in 2:10.57. Natalie Mannion (2:10.88), Jo Jo Ramey (2:11.29) and Sandpipers’ Katie Grimes (2:11.31) also finished among the top-eight. Grimes beat Kennedy Noble (2:11.31) by five hundredths for eighth place.

However, Grimes will scratch the 200 back final to focus on the 200 freestyle at night after she also placed eighth in that event in the morning. That will put Noble into the A-final.

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