The 2025 U.S. National Championships kicked off in Indianapolis today.
The meet will determine the country’s roster for the upcoming World Aquatics Championships.
The Day 1 finals session will include heats the men’s and women’s 100 freestyle and 200 butterfly and will also have the fastest heats of the men’s 1500 freestyle and women’s 800 freestyle.
There will be A and B finals, then after those, there will be C and D finals.
There were no real surprises during prelims, though Jack Alexy crushed the U.S. Open record in the 100 freestyle to take the top seed.
First is the 200 butterfly and top-seeded Regan Smith will find herself in familiar territory in the middle of the pool. Fellow Olympian Alex Shackell and Caroline Bricker will look to make headway.
The men’s 200 butterfly has Luca Urlando in the top spot and he will be in Lane 4 for finals with Gabriel Jett and Carson Foster looming.
The women’s 100 freestyle is one of the most star-studded of the U.S. National Championships. Gretchen Walsh took the top seed and will be in Lane 4, familiarly flanked by Kate Douglass and Torri Huske with Olympians Simone Manuel, Erin Gemmell and Claire Weinstein looming.
Will anyone catch Alexy at the U.S. National Championships? There are plenty of great sprinters in the final with Chris Guiliano, Jonny Kulow, Destin Laso, Patrick Sammon, Shaine Casas, Grant House and Henry McFadden.
And the distance events will close out the A finals with Katie Ledecky the obvious favorite in the 800 free and Bobby Finke the favorite in the 1500 free.
