U.S. Nationals: Lilly King Reverses Approach to Grab 100 Breaststroke Title and Complete Stroke Sweep

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Nationals: Lilly King Reverses Approach to Grab 100 Breaststroke Title and Complete Stroke Sweep

Three events. Three victories. And the last of the triumphs was supplied with an exclamation point.

Behind one of her best performances in recent years, Lilly King completed a sweep of the breaststroke events at the United States National Championships on Friday night at the Indiana University Natatorium. Already the winner of the 50 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke, King added the 100 breast title to her collection, a time of 1:04.75 getting the job done.

King’s time is the fastest in the world for 2023, and she needed every bit of that effort as Lydia Jacoby and Kaitlyn Dobler finished second and third with superb times. Jacoby earned the second berth to the World Championships with a swim of 1:05.16, which bettered the 1:05.48 of Dobler. Jacoby and Dobler are now ranked third and fourth in the world, the No. 2 position occupied by Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova, who is ineligible for the World Champs due to her country’s invasion of the Ukraine.

The matchup between King and Jacoby was one of the most-anticipated showdowns heading into the meet, and it certainly delivered on its promise. King went into the 100 breaststroke riding the momentum of her earlier victories in the 200 breaststroke and 50 breast, and with her home-state crowd once again supplying support. In both of previous races, King fought off late challenges to prevail. It was Kate Douglass who pushed King in the longer race, while Jacoby finished just .04 back in the sprint event.

In the 100 breaststroke, the race unfolded off script. Known for her early speed and penchant for pushing the pace over the opening lap, King held back slightly during the first 50 meters. She made the turn at the midway point in 30.72, behind Dobler’s front half of 30.40 and Jacoby’s opening length of 30.70. But King put together a closing split of 34.03 to move ahead of her foes.

“I really switched it up from normal. Usually I am out like a shot and try to hang on,” King said. “It was a good one. I feel like I have been spinning out the first 50 and dying on the last 25, so I thought it was a good chance to switch something up.”

At the World Championships, King will be the favorite for gold, with Jacoby also in the conversation. The 2016 Olympic champion, King claimed world crowns in the 100 breaststroke at the 2017 and 2019 World Champs. At last summer’s edition of the meet, King was just off the podium in fourth place.

For Jacoby, her first trip to the World Championships marks a return to the global stage. After winning the Olympic title at the Tokyo Games, Jacoby was locked out of the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, where King and Annie Lazor represented the United States. But the Alaskan native has bounced back admirably, not only flourishing in NCAA action for the University of Texas, but also registering a handful of solid long-course efforts over the past year. That momentum obviously carried into Nationals.

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