World Championships: U.S. Mixed Medley Misses Final as Struggles Continue
The United States finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics in the inaugural mixed medley relay in what was then regarded as a massive blunder.
Fifth would’ve sounded pretty good Wednesday night in Singapore.
The United States didn’t so much as make the final eight of the mixed medley relay at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, finishing 10th, .28 seconds behind Poland for the eighth and final spot. It’s the latest blow in American hopes that the acute gastroenteritis that has befallen the team is in the past.
The U.S. mixed medley relay finished fourth in its heat, the fourth of four. The quartet of Keaton Jones, Campbell McKean, Torri Huske and Simone Manuel went 3:44.50.
Quick Links
The splits:
- Jones (54.20) – McKean (59.07) – Huske (58.47) – Manuel (52.76) – 3:44.50
For reference, here are the splits from the prelims of the Paris Olympics, in which the U.S. set the top time:
- Regan Smith (57.87) – Charlie Swanson (59.65) – Caeleb Dressel (50.10) – Abbey Weitzeil (53.36) – 3:40.98
And splits from the gold-winning relay in Paris, a world record:
- Ryan Murphy (52.80) – Nic Fink (58.29) – Gretchen Walsh (55.18) – Torri Huske (51.88) – 3:37.43
That’s a difference of seven seconds in one year, owing in part to form, illness and availability.
The U.S. didn’t have Smith as an option, after she swam the 50 back/200 fly prelims double in the morning. That also ruled out Katharine Berkoff. With the men’s 100 backstroke a disaster – Tommy Janton finished 18th in 53.87; Jack Aikins was 44th in 56.54 – 200 backstroker Keaton Jones was drafted in. (Jones was fourth at trials in 53.79.)
McKean, who was 15th in the 100 breast in 59.74, was preferred to Josh Matheny, who finished seventh in 59.26.
Huske has apparently been one of the most affected by illness, having to pull out of the 100 fly. She gutted out an anchor leg of 52.88 on the 400 free relay that took silver, exactly a second off her Paris split. She was nowhere near the 56.61 that earned her second place at trials in the 100 fly.
Manuel split 54.21 without pushing off the end of the 400 free relay in prelims, then 53.09 off the front of the 400 free relay final. Her split was the fastest of the female anchors, including quicker than top seed Italy’s anchor, Sara Curtis (53.13).
Wednesday, the Americans were second in the fourth and final heat after two legs, finishing second out of four teams that started male-male. Huske slid to fourth. Manuel got the Americans briefly back to third place past Germany, but Australia (with a male anchor in Flynn Southam) passing Manuel for fourth.
That means whatever changes might have been in the offing for a final – Kate Douglass on the end, Gretchen Walsh on fly, Matheny, etc. – are off the table.
Italy set the pace in 3:42.19. The Dutch were second, with China also under 3:43. Australia went 3:43.11, followed by Canada (which used Josh Liendo and Ingrid Wilm in prelims to overcome the male breaststroke weakness), Japan, Neutral Athletes B and Poland.
The U.S. mixed medley relay wasn’t the only one to feel the regression. France was fourth at the Paris Olympics but finished ninth. Great Britain, which won the inaugural crown in Tokyo, didn’t make the final either, finishing 12th.
