Five Storylines to Watch at the TYR Summer Championships; Pan Pacs Berths On the Line
A year from now, the William Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California will play host to the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships. That meet will feature the charter countries of Pan Pacs – United States, Australia, Canada and Japan – and several invited guest nations. The competition will serve as a bridge between the recently concluded World Championships in Singapore and the next edition of the meet, slated for Budapest in 2027.
In the meantime, the Southern California facility has been busy. Last week, it was the site of Junior Nationals, where several up-and-comers gained valuable big-meet experience. Now, the Woollett Aquatic Center will host the TYR Summer Championships, scheduled from Tuesday through Friday. The meet will feature several elite names in American swimming, including some World Champs participants, and a strong gathering of Australian athletes.
American star Caeleb Dressel is the biggest name on the psych sheets, the 10-time Olympic medalist entered in the 50 freestyle, 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly. While it will be intriguing to see what Dressel can do, here are several storylines to monitor.
Another Chance for Brooks Curry & Kieran Smith
At Nationals in Indianapolis, Olympians Brooks Curry and Kieran Smith recorded several strong performances, but found themselves off the 26-man squad that raced at the World Championships. The TYR Champs given them a chance to compete internationally next summer at Pan Pacs.
Smith initially appeared headed for the World Champs as the sixth-place finisher in the 200 freestyle. But after Santo Condorelli placed second in the 50 freestyle on the last day of Nationals, the U.S. hit its roster limit and Smith was a casualty of that cap. In Irvine, Smith will chase a top-five time among Americans in the 200 freestyle to qualify for Pan Pacs, which means needing to be 1:45.45. As for the 400 freestyle, the Olympian will need to go better than 3:45.71 for a top-two spot.
Curry has been 47.96 in the 100 freestyle this year and the LSU product will look to go faster than 47.82 to secure plans for next summer. Curry is also a threat in the 200 freestyle and will battle with Smith to get into 1:45-low territory.
The Pan Pacific qualification procedures open the door for top-three finishers in individual events to attend the 2026 competition, provided the 26-athlete roster limit has not been met. The American women could see all third-place athletes qualify, but the men are a different story, so sitting top-two in an individual event and top-five in the 100/200 freestyle is the target.
Another Backstroke Star
Even after the World Championships, the United States still boasts six of the top-10 performers in the world rankings in the 100 backstroke and seven of the top-10 marks in the 200 backstroke. Could the depth grow even more? Rhyan White is hopeful.
At the World Champs, U.S. women’s won the maximum six medals in the three backstroke events. Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith went gold-silver in the 50 distance while Smith (silver) and Berkoff (bronze) also appeared on the podium in the 100 backstroke. In the 200 backstroke, Smith was the silver medalist and Claire Curzan claimed the bronze medal.
A 2020 Olympian, White is entered in all three backstroke events at the TYR meet and will try to better her current season bests of 59.68 in the 100 backstroke and 2:08.13 in the 200 backstroke.
An Answer at Backstroke: Enter Hunter Armstrong
There’s no doubt it was a bumpy showing for Team USA in the men’s backstroke events at the World Championships. While Will Modglin and Daniel Diehl looked good at the World University Games in Berlin, the U.S. only advanced one swimmer to a backstroke final in Singapore – Quintin McCarty in the 50 backstroke.
Illness undoubtedly played a role at Worlds, as Jack Aikins was severely affected by the acute gastroenteritis that ran through the American roster. Aikins and Keaton Jones should be reliable options for the U.S. down the road, but the 100 backstroke is where the greatest concerns sit – especially because the event influences the front of the medley relay.
For years, Ryan Murphy was the go-to guy in the event. But Murphy is on hiatus from the sport, enjoying the newness of fatherhood, and his future is uncertain. Modglin went 52.54 for the silver medal at the World University Games, and the University of Texas junior is a clear option going forward. Still, depth is a positive, and the re-emergence of Hunter Armstrong would be welcomed.
After considering retirement, Armstrong decided not to compete at Nationals, but he has committed to the sport and Irvine will provide an opportunity to show where he stands three years out from the 2028 Olympic Games. Armstrong is entered in the 100 freestyle, along with the 50 backstroke and 100 backstroke. Something in sub-53 territory from the two-time Olympian would help ease the sky-is-falling sense that currently surrounds the 100 backstroke.
Eyes on Alex Shackell
A member of Team USA at the 2023 World Championships and 2024 Olympic Games, Alex Shackell missed out on a bid to the 2025 Worlds in Singapore. Shackell is entered in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly and 100 freestyle, with the 200 butterfly her best chance at earning a Pan Pacs invitation.
Shackell is currently fourth in the 200 fly among Americans, behind Regan Smith (2:04.99), Tess Howley (2:05.69) and Caroline Bricker (2:05.80). Breaking into the top-three would likely get the job done for Shackell, since the American women boasts numerous women as multi-event qualifiers.
Shackell is not entered in the 200 freestyle, an event which helped her represnt the United States at the Olympic Games in Paris and World Champs in Fukuoka.
Jamie Jack Headlines Aussie Contingent
Among the Australians bound for Irvine, Jamie Jack will contest two of the deepest events – the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. The brother of Shayna Jack, a staple for Australia in international competition, Jack is the No. 2 seed in the 50 freestyle at 21.66 and is seeded fourth in the 100 freestyle, behind an entry time of 48.27.
Aussie Se-Bom Lee is the top seed in the men’s 200 backstroke at 1:57.02 and Amelia Weber is the second seed in the women’s 400 freestyle at 4:06.78. Sienna Harben is the top seed in all three women’s breaststroke events.
