Pro Swim Series Westmont, Day 3 Finals: Summer McIntosh Crushes 1:53.80 200 Free; Gretchen Walsh Impressive in 100 Fly Semis
The first three events on the program Friday evening at the USA Swimming Pro Swim Series in Westmont, Ill., featured world-record holders racing in their respective events. Katie Ledecky opened the session in the women’s 1500 freestyle before Bobby Finke took on Daniel Wiffen and Sam Short in the men’s event, one day after Short posted a dominant time of 7:40.98 in the 800 free.
Next up, Gretchen Walsh was set for the semifinals of the women’s 100 butterfly. Summer McIntosh, the top women’s swimmer in the world the past two years, had the top time entering the 200 free final while Short, Luke Hobson, Chris Guiliano and Leon Marchand raced in an intriguing men’s 200 free. The session also included 100 breaststroke finals, with Kate Douglass and Jack Kelly entering atop their respective events, and the 100 backstroke semifinals came at the end of the program.
Women’s 1500 Freestyle
As usual in the women’s 1500 free, Katie Ledecky swam totally alone in the 1500 free. The last time she was seriously challenged in the event was in 2013, when she set her first world record in the event at the Barcelona World Championships. The 28-year-old cruised to a win by almost 42 seconds in Westmont, touching the wall 10 seconds before the runnerup finisher turned for home.
Ledecky finished in 15:40.86, an effort that only she and five other swimmers have ever beaten but still 17 seconds slower than she swam at the Austin Pro Series in January. Her 2026 debut marked the second-fastest time in history behind her 2018 world record of 15:20.48.
Second place here went to 20-year-old Australian Tiana Kritzinger in 16:22.52 while veteran Becca Mann grabbed third in 16:35.66.
Men’s 1500 Freestyle
As was the case in the 800 free Thursday evening, Australian Sam Short dominated the men’s mile over the Olympic-medal-winning duo of Bobby Finke and Daniel Wiffen. The start of the race was a virtual repeat of 24 hours earlier, with Short up by more than two seconds by the 200-meter mark and six by the halfway point. He continued pulling away throughout, managing sub-30 splits through the 1000-meter mark while Finke and Wiffen were above 30 after the first two lengths.
Short finished in 14:52.33, not close to his best times (14:37.28 in 2023, 14:43.08 last year) but still a Pro Swim Series record. Short surpassed the previous mark of 14:52.56 set by Peter Vanderkaay in 2008. He ended up winning by almost 16 seconds as Finke, the world-record holder and two-time Olympic champion, placed second in 15:08.27. Wiffen, who won Olympic bronze in Paris, placed third in 15:34.94.
Women’s 100 Butterfly Semifinals
Gretchen Walsh continues to put her stamp on the all-time rankings in the women’s 100 fly. It has been just 21 months since Walsh first lowered the world record held by Sarah Sjostrom since 2016, but she now owns nine fastest performances in history.
As Walsh demolished the field in the semifinal round in Westmont, she notched a time of 55.31 to equal the seventh-quickest mark ever. No one has ever been quicker, with Sjostrom topping out at 55.48 and Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske owning a best of 55.52. Meanwhile, Walsh lapped the field, becoming the only swimmer in her heat to break 1:00. Overall, Australia’s Lily Price had the second-best time at 58.33, followed by Lindsay Looney (59.56).
Men’s 100 Butterfly Semifinals
Dare Rose did not compete in the individual 100 fly at last year’s World Championships, but he stepped up to provide the critical butterfly leg on the American men’s 400 medley relay in Singapore. Rose’s efforts were critical in the American men securing a surprising bronze medal. Now, Rose appears on track toward a strong season. He popped a time of 51.52 to lead the semifinal field by a half second. Rose was followed in qualifying by Australia’s Matt Temple (52.00) while Shaine Casas was third (52.10).
Women’s 200 Freestyle
A field of talented American competitors assembled in the 200 free, but no one was at the level of Summer McIntosh. The 200 free often does not fit into her lineup at major meets, but McIntosh was a World Championships medalist in the event in 2023 with loads of untapped potential given her absence from the four-lap race in the two years since. Friday evening in Westmont, McIntosh issued a reminder of just what she can do.
McIntosh put up a time of 1:53.80, just 0.15 behind her career-best time of 1:53.65 that ranks her No. 5 all-time. McIntosh beat the Pro Series record of 1:54.13 she set in 2023, and the time would have been good enough for silver at last year’s World Championships.
Meanwhile, the American racers battled to the touch for podium finishes. In the end, Rylee Erisman came out ahead in that race with a time of 1:56.71, surpassing her previous best time by five hundredths. Regan Smith made a rare appearance in the event and claimed third in 1:56.94, taking down her lifetime best of 1:57.23 from 2023. Smith was followed by Anna Peplowski (1:57.09) and Brazil’s Maria Fernanda Costa (1:57.18), with Simone Manuel in fourth (1:58.30).
Men’s 200 Freestyle
Several of the top 200 freestylers in the United States were in the field in the event in Westmont, including Olympic bronze medalist and World Championships silver medalist Luke Hobson and the men who have joined him in the individual race at the past two major meets, Chris Guiliano (2024 Olympics) and Gabriel Jett (2025 Worlds). Guiliano was coming off a series of 47-second efforts in the 100 free, including a Pro Series record of 47.38 in Wednesday’s prelims.
As expected, the sprint-focused Guiliano jumped on the pace early before Hobson came on strong to nearly pull even at the 150-meter mark. Down the stretch, though, Jett surged to the front of the field and almost stole the race, only for Guiliano to get to the wall one hundredth ahead. Guiliano touched in 1:45.53, followed by Jett in 1:45.54.
Hobson, who became the second-quickest American ever last year, touched just behind the top-two finishers in 1:45.70. Carson Foster, a longtime member of U.S. men’s 800 free relay squads, took fourth in 1:46.53, while Lucas Henveaux (1:47.06), Leon Marchand (1:47.12) and Brooks Curry (1:47.48) all put up times that would normally stack up well at in-season competitions.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Through the first two rounds of the 100 breaststroke, Kate Douglass had her way with the field, but the final proved different as Ireland’s Mona McSharry brought her best form. Douglass, the World Championships silver medalist in the event last year, went out in 31.30 in the final to McSharry’s 31.54, but the Irish Olympic bronze medalist came back a bit quicker.
It proved to be not enough as Douglass got to the wall in 1:06.42, a hundredth behind her semifinal time from Thursday, while McSharry came in second at 1:06.59. Rounding out the top-three was Argentinian Macarena Ceballos in 1:07.92.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Last year’s World Championships bronze medalist in the 100 breaststroke won a tight competition against two Americans in Westmont. Jack Kelly, the former Brown University swimmer in the midst of a late-career surge, took the lead early on in the final but not by enough to hold on. Kelly was out in 27.71 while Petrashov and Josh Matheny only four hundredths back, but it was Petrashov with the most finishing speed.
Petrashov touched in 59.70, eight hundredths ahead of Matheny (59.78) with Kelly in third (59.90). Notably, American-record holder Michael Andrew finished a second off the pace in fifth (1:00.72).
Women’s 100 Backstroke Semifinals
A sensational meet in Westmont continued for Isabelle Stadden. After crushing her best times in the 200 and 50-meter races, Stadden showed off her enormous improvement in the 100 backstroke in the semifinal round. She swam a time of 58.26 to surpass her previous lifetime best of 58.68, achieved early in the day in prelims. That performance marked Stadden’s first personal best in the event in almost five years, with her top time of 58.99 standing from the 2021 Olympic Trials.
Stadden’s time puts her into strong company historically and internationally. She is now the 11th-fastest performer ever in the event and the fourth-fastest American behind Regan Smith, Katharine Berkoff and Kathleen Baker. Stadden will go for the win in a final that includes accomplished backstrokers, with Berkoff (59.13), Taylor Ruck (59.32), Phoebe Bacon (1:00.05) and Rhyan White (1:00.09) all qualifying.
Men’s 100 Backstroke Semifinals
Ivan Tarasov, the Auburn-trained Russian swimmer who already captured the 50 back in Westmont, secured the top spot into the 100-meter final in 53.77. Canada’s Blake Tierney took second in 54.14 while Shaine Casas was the top American at 54.67. Sam Lorenz was the fourth and final swimmer under 55.
