World Cup Westmont — Day Two Prelims: Favorites Cruise in Anticipation of Electric Races at Night
The Saturday morning prelims session at the World Aquatics World Cup stop in Westmont, Ill., set up some strong races in the evening session. Swimmers such as Mollie O’Callaghan (women’s 200 freestyle), Shaine Casas (men’s 200 IM), Gretchen Walsh (women’s 50 butterfly) and perhaps even Jack Alexy (men’s 100 freestyle) could be in range of world records in the finals session after they qualified either first or second in their respective events in the morning.
The event with the most talent present is the women’s 100 backstroke, where Regan Smith held the top morning time ahead of Katharine Berkoff and Aussie rival Kaylee McKeown.
Women’s 400 IM
Alex Walsh, best known for her record of consistent international excellence in the 200 IM, made a rare appearance in the 400 IM Saturday morning. She posted the time to beat by three seconds at 4:34.99. Walsh has previously captured NCAA titles in the 400-yard IM, and she was a World Championship finalist in the long course event in 2023. Justina Kozan had the next-best time at 4:37.97, followed by Kimberly Shannon (4:42.04).
Men’s 50 Backstroke
Having already taken care of business in the 200 backstroke in Westmont, Hubert Kos sets his sights on the 50-meter race Saturday. He had the top qualifying time in the morning at 22.73, three tenths ahead of a field stacked with high-profile sprinters. Dylan Carter, third in the 50 free Friday, took second in 23.04, and there was a tie for third between Poland’s Kacper Stokowski and Italy’s Thomas Ceccon at 23.18.
In a rare occurrence for the U.S. stops on the World Cup circuit, no American swimmer made the final. Jack Alexy, the sprint freestyle specialist, was the top finisher in ninth at 22.57, two hundredths outside of the top-eight.
Women’s 200 Freestyle
Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan was astounding in the 200 free at the Carmel stop, finishing less than a half-second off the world record. She is prepped for another shot at that mark in the evening session in Westmont after qualifying second for the final here, a mark of 1:53.88 putting her behind only New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather (1:53.72).
The only other swimmer to go sub-1:54 in the morning was American Anna Peplowski at 1:53.99, with Aussie 400 free winner Lani Pallister fourth (1:54.10). Following were Minna Abraham (1:54.48) and Dutch 100 free world champion Marrit Steenbergen (1:54.77).
Men’s 200 IM
Shaine Casas pulled off an enormous upset of world-record holder Leon Marchand at the Carmel stop, and now he could seek to lower his own American record for a second time in Westmont. He had the second-fastest time in prelims at 1:53.58, with Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita atop the pile in 1:53.08. Matsushita, 20, has emerged as one of the world’s best in the 400 IM over the past two years.
Canada’s Finlay Knox, the world champion in the event in long course event February 2024, took third in 1:53.91, followed by a flurry of 1:54s led by Luke Barr (1:%4.10) and David Schlicht (1:54.18).
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Most events on the World Cup circuit do not feature the consensus top-four swimmers in the world in an event, but that is the case in the 100 back. American Regan Smith got a rare win over Australian rival Kaylee McKeown last week in Carmel in this event, and the two will be in adjacent lanes again Saturday evening. Smith went 55.39 in prelims, well off her own world record of 54.02, while McKeown’s time of 56.44 was good for third.
Katharine Berkoff, the bronze medalist in this event in Paris and at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships, was second in 56.08, with multi-time Canadian world champion Kylie Masse sixth in 56.90. Rhyan White(56.77), Bella Sims (56.80), Ingrid Wilm (56.91) and Miranda Grana (56.95) loom as well.
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
Belarusian Ilya Shymanovich edged out the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau in the 100 breast Friday, and the two are among the top contenders in the 50 breast as well. Corbeau came in first in the morning in 25.81 while Shymanovich tied Adam Peaty, the top sprint breaststroker in history in long course, for the fourth-best time at 26.17. Indiana University-trained Americans Finn Brooks (25.96) and Van Mathias (26.15) split the difference.
There was a tie for eighth between American Brian Benzing and Italy’s Ludovico Viberti. Both went 26.50 in prelims, but only Viberti advanced to the final after he won a swim-off, 26.22 to 26.37.
Women’s 50 Butterfly
Gretchen Walsh lit the pool on fire last week in Carmel with a world-record performance in the 50 fly, clocking 23.72. She returned to the event that is arguably her best Saturday morning and came in about a half-second off that time in 24.26. As she chases another global mark at night, she will have the swimmers who joined her on the World Championships podium flanking her. Australia’s Alex Perkins was second in prelims in 24.91, followed by Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk (25.55).
Finland’s Laura Lahtinen (25.66), American Phoebe Bacon (25.89) and Poland’s Kasia Wasick (25.93) were the other women under 26 in the morning, with Wasick fresh off her second World Cup win in the 50 free Friday.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Jack Alexy was dominant in the 100 free last week in Carmel, his time of 45.32 beating the field by two-thirds of a second making him the only swimmer under 46. He could dominate again in Westmont after going 45.53 in the morning session, more than seven tenths clear of runnerup Tomas Lukminas (46.28).
Chris Guiliano, the runnerup last week, took third in 46.36, and it took under 47 to get into the final. Great Britain’s Matt Richards placed fourth in 46.54 while the last swimmers in were Luke Hobson and Matt King, who tied for seventh in 46.95.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Already with a pair of World Cup wins in the 200 breast, Kate Douglass is in position to pull off the same double in the 100-meter race. She topped the field in qualifying by 0.85 and came in at 1:03.53, with Irish Olympic bronze medalist Mona McSharry (1:04.38) well behind. The rest of the top-eight consisted of swimmers clocking 1:05s in the morning, with Australia’s Ella Ramsay (1:05.07) in third position.
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Ilya Kharun is fresh off an unexpected victory in the 50 free Friday evening, and now the Olympic bronze medalist turns his focus to his best event. He dominated the prelims field by more than eight tenths in 1:52.07, but there are a handful of accomplished swimmers in the race. Italy’s Federico Burdisso (1:52.92) and American Trenton Julian (1:53.16) were second and third, respectively, with Switzerland’s Noè Ponti returning to the 200-meter race here to take fourth (1:53.31).
Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski, the World Championships silver medalist in the 200 fly, placed fifth in 1:53.33, with his twin brother Michal Chmielewski taking eighth )(1:54.57).
Men’s 800 Freestyle
In the first heat of the 800 free, Mexico’s Raul Moreno Gutierrez posted the top time at 8:05.45 while teenage breaststroke dynamo Shin Ohashi made a rare appearance in a freestyle race and took second in 8:06.69.
