World Cup Westmont – Day Two Finals: Ellen Walshe Grabs Title in 400 IM (Live Recap)
The second stop of the World Cup series got off to an impressive start on Friday night, with circuit records registered by Australian Lani Pallister (400 freestyle) and the American duo of Regan Smith (200 butterfly) and Gretchen Walsh (100 individual medley). On the men’s side, the United States’ Shaine Casas topped the field in the 100 IM and Hungarian Hubert Kos remained undefeated in World Cup backstroke competition this year, his latest triumph in the 200 distance.
Additional highlights are expected on the second night of action in Westmont (Ill.), where Mollie O’Callaghan (200 freestyle) and Walsh (50 butterfly) could scare world records. Meanwhile, the latest showdown between Aussie Kaylee McKeown and Smith is set for the 100 backstroke, while Casas is the favorite in the 200 IM after setting an American record in the event last weekend.
Here is what unfolded on the second day of finals at the World Cup in Westmont:
Women’s 400 Individual Medley
One week after finishing as the runnerup in Carmel, Ireland’s Ellen Walshe claimed victory in World Cup action. Walshe faced a two-second deficit to Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey at the midway point of the race, but pulled in front after the breaststroke leg and widened her advantage over the closing freestyle. Walshe stopped the clock in 4:25.33, which handed her a comfortable margin over Harvey, who was timed in 4:28.92.
Great Britain’s Abbie Wood, who won the event at the first stop of the World Cup, took third place in 4:31.84.
Men’s 800 Freestyle
Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany took a massive chunk off the World Cup record in the 800 freestyle, as the Indiana University standout posted a swim of 7:29.50. That effort was nearly six seconds faster than the 7:35.30 managed by China’s Pan Zhanle last year in Incheon. Sarkany was just behind Australian Sam Short at the 300-meter mark, but was in front by the halfway point and pulled away.
Sarkany made a big move over the closing 200 meters to leave Short behind. The Aussie grabbed second place in 7:32.43, with American Carson Foster finishing third in 7:34.10.
Men’s 50 Backstroke
Make it five victories in as many backstroke races for Hubert Kos, the Hungarian star who races collegiately for the University of Texas. After sweeping the backstroke events last week, Kos followed his Westmont win in the 200 backstroke on Friday night with a tight triumph in the 50 distance on Saturday. Kos touched the wall in 22.91, just .01 ahead of the time by Poland’s Kacper Stokowski. Italian Thomas Ceccon was right there at the finish, going 22.94.
Kos will try to complete his second sweep on Sunday when he contests the 100 backstroke. If he can pull out that victory, Kos will have a chance at three Triple Crowns when the World Cup moves to its final stop next week in Toronto.
Women’s 200 Freestyle
Following an Australian record in the 200 freestyle last week, Mollie O’Callaghan was even better during the second leg of the World Cup, popping a world record of 1:49.77. That swim broke the previous standard of 1:50.31, set in 2021 by Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong. O’Callaghan led a one-two Aussie finish, as Lani Pallister was second in 1:52.06, with American Anna Peplowski going 1:52.54 for third place.
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
As usual, Shaine Casas put together a sensational front half of the 200 individual medley, and his early advantage led to a two-second decision of Canada’s Finlay Knox. Casas posted a time of 1:50.08 for his second straight World Cup win in the event, as he defeated Frenchman Leon Marchand in last week’s meet. Marchand is not competing in Westmont.
Casas was in front immediately, splitting 23.25 for the butterfly leg and going through the 100-meter turn in 50.44. Knox recorded a time of 1:52.12, which was more than a second up on Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita, who was third in 1:53.26.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
The United States’ Regan Smith fired off the second world record of the session when she matched her own global standard in the 100 backstroke. Nearly a year after clocking 54.02 en route to the gold medal at the World Short Course Championships in Bufapest, Smith again flirted with a sub-54 performance while snaring a dominant triumph.
Smith was second to Australian Kaylee McKeown after the opening 25 meters, but she dominated from that point forward. Smith was .20 ahead of her rival at the 50-meter mark and expanded her lead to .52 at the 75-meter turn. Down the last length, Smith out-split McKeown by .50, evidence of her stellar form. On Friday night, Smith set an American record in the 200 butterfly.
McKeown was second in 55.04, with Bella Sims going 55.51 for third place.
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
The Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau reversed the outcome of Friday’s 100 breaststroke when he won the sprint over Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich. Corbeau sped to a mark of 25.52, which gave him a .11 margin over Shymanovich, who touched the wall in 25.63. Corbeau will look for a repeat in the 200 breaststroke on Sunday, as he won that event in Carmel. Finishing third in 25.75 was Finlay Brooks, while Great Britain’s Adam Peaty went 26.10 for fourth.
Women’s 50 Butterfly
The world-record holder in the 50 butterfly after blazing a 23.72 last weekend, American Gretchen Walsh posted the second-fastest performance in history on Saturday night when she went 23.90. Walsh now owns the nine-fastest times in the history of the event and is the only woman to break the 24-second barrier. In her latest swim, Walsh was out in 11.06 and came home in 12.84.
Alexandria Perkins of Australia was second place in 24.60, the only other athlete in the field to go under 25 seconds. Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk was third in 25.41.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
The United States’ Jack Alexy pulled away from countryman Chris Guiliano over the last half of the race to earn his second consecutive World Cup title in the 100 freestyle. Alexy produced a time of 45.84 to beat Guiliano (46.11), while Brooks Curry and Tomas Lukminas tied for third in 46.23.
Alexy was .03 behind Guiliano at the 50-meter turn, but the Cal product moved in front by .22 on the third length and remained in front to the finish. Alexy was faster during the morning, as he went 45.53 in prelims.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Coming off a victory in the 200 breaststroke on the opening day of the meet, American Kate Douglass bested the opposition at half the distance. In wire-to-wire fashion, Douglass grabbed the victory in 1:03.14, which was a little more than a second faster than the 1:04.18 of Ireland’s Mona McSharry. Douglass’ training partner, Alex Walsh, was third in 1:04.45.
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Canadian Ilya Kharun, a standout at Arizona State University, established a World Cup record in the 200 butterfly when he covered his eight laps in 1:48.46. Kharun was the winner of the 50 freestyle on Friday night, when he also was second place in the 100 fly. In the 200 butterfly, Kharun finished comfortably ahead of Switzerland’s Noe Ponti, who was the runnerup in 1:49.32.
