{"id":531384,"date":"2023-07-01T08:31:14","date_gmt":"2023-07-01T15:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=531384"},"modified":"2023-07-01T08:31:14","modified_gmt":"2023-07-01T15:31:14","slug":"u-s-nationals-ryan-held-blazes-worlds-third-fastest-50-free-caeleb-dressel-22nd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-nationals-ryan-held-blazes-worlds-third-fastest-50-free-caeleb-dressel-22nd\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Nationals: Ryan Held Blazes World’s Third-Fastest 50 Free; Caeleb Dressel 22nd"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Nationals: Ryan Held Blazes World’s Third-Fastest 50 Free; Caeleb Dressel 22nd<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although he has developed a reputation for strong international relay swims over the years, Ryan Held<\/strong> has never raced an individual event at a major international long course meet. That could change in the very last A-final of U.S. Nationals as Held will enter the men’s 50 freestyle final as the No. 1 seed after a blazing morning effort.<\/p>\n

Held placed first in heat six in 21.65, only three hundredths off his lifetime best of 21.62. Held is now the third-fastest swimmer in the world this year behind only Australia’s\u00a0Cameron McEvoy<\/strong> and France’s\u00a0Florent Manaudou<\/strong>. Held placed fifth in the 100 free earlier in the meet, likely securing his position in Fukuoka, but a top-two finish in the 50 free would officially secure it.<\/p>\n

His challengers in the final will include three others who broke 22 in prelims: Cal’s\u00a0Jack Alexy<\/strong>, who grabbed the win in the 100 free on night one, took second in 21.83, lowering his best time by a quarter-second.\u00a0Michael Andrew<\/strong>, who won silver at last year’s Worlds in the event, was third in 21.87, with Texas Ford’s\u00a0Matt King<\/strong> fourth in 21.98. King is also on the Worlds team for the 400 free relay, but Andrew is also on the roster bubble for Worlds.<\/p>\n

It has been a rough meet for Andrew, who did not qualify for finals in the 100 breaststroke, where he ranks third all-time, or the 100 butterfly, where he was a World Championships finalist last year. He won the 50 fly Wednesday evening, but winners of 50-meter races will only qualify for Worlds if all other potential qualifiers, including relay alternates, have been fit under the 26-swimmer roster limit for both women and men. Andrew is the only 50-meter winner this week who has not already qualified for Worlds. But the 50 free shares selection criteria with other events, with the top two swimmers sure to earn spots.<\/p>\n

Arizona State’s\u00a0Jonny Kulow<\/strong> finished fifth in 22.03, followed by Notre Dame’s\u00a0Chris Guiliano<\/strong> (22.08), Carmel’s\u00a0Drew Kibler<\/strong> (22.12) and\u00a0Wolfpack’s\u00a0David Curtiss<\/strong> (22.13). Two of those swimmers, Guiliano and Kibler, are already qualified for Worlds.<\/p>\n

Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>, the Olympic champion and world-record holder, ended up tied for 22nd in 22.72. In his comeback to the high-level racing after a long absence, Dressel was a finalist in both sprint butterfly races, placing as high as third in the 50 fly, but he struggled more in freestyle. He qualified to swim the C-final at night.<\/p>\n