Baker wins 200m backstroke in San Antonio
Kathleen Baker clocked 2min 07.54 sec to win the 200m backstroke ahead of world record-holder Regan Smith Friday in the Pro Swim Series in San Antonio.
Baker, the 2016 Olympic silver medallist in the event and a former world record-holder in the 100m backside, welcomed the chance to make contact with long program racing and begin sorting out “what my technique will be heading into Trials come early july.”
The US swimming trials for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, postponed from 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, are slated for June.
This week’s meeting marks a return to long course racing for the first time in a year for a few of the United States’ top contenders
Smith, 19, is targeting her initially Olympics, having didn't qualify for
Rio as a 14-year-old at the US trials.
She returned from her runner-up finish behind Baker in 2:08.80 to win the 100m butterfly in 57.88sec, with Kelsi Dahlia second found in 58.48.
“It was a hardcore double,” Smith said. “I guess I sort of got another wind
entering the 100 fly, that felt excellent.”
But Smith isn’t yet sure she’ll tackle the 100m fly at trials, saying she’s
prioritizing the 100m and 200m backstrokes and the 200m butterfly as this lady looks toward Tokyo.
Reigning Olympic champion Ryan Murphy won the men’s 200m backstroke in 1:56.06, the speediest time in the world this year. South Africa’s Chris Reid was a distant second in 1:59.60.
And Katie Ledecky earned her third win in 3 days and nights with a victory in the 200m freestyle in 1:56.62.
“I’m still pleased with where I’m in, even if a number of the occasions haven’t been there this week,” said Ledecky, who has also won the 1,500m and 400m freestyles and finished third found in the 100m free.
Andrew Seliskar won the men’s 200m free in 1:47.01 before Blake Pieroni and Khader Baqlah of Jordan.
Veteran Ryan Lochte, vying to be eligible for a 5th Olympic Games at the age of 36, was eighth in 1:50.27.
“It’s an excellent confidence boost realizing that I’m building the finals and being able to be relatively in the competition with these other men,” said Lochte, who failed to advance from the 100m fly heats as he races this week without
breaking his heavy training schedule. “The extra racing I carry out, the better I’m likely to be.”
Chase Kalisz won the men’s 400m individual medley, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist clocking 4:16.53 to defeat Jay Litherland (4:18.06).
Melanie Margalis won the women’s 400m medley found in 4:37.81 and Tom Shields captured the men’s 100m fly found in 52.25sec.
