The final day of the 2025 U.S. Open promises to be a thrilling culmination of intense competition and record-breaking performances. But here's where it gets controversial—will we witness new records, or will unforeseen upsets steal the spotlight? As the meet draws to a close, top athletes are ready to battle in a series of exciting events, including the 50 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, and 100 freestyle. The precursors kick off tonight at 5 p.m. with the 800 freestyle, setting the stage for a potentially historic ending to this prestigious meet.
Gretchen Walsh, fresh off setting a meet record in the 100 butterfly, aims to continue her outstanding performance in the 50 butterfly and 100 freestyle. In the 50 butterfly, she currently holds a commanding lead of over a second, showcasing her dominance. Meanwhile, in the 100 freestyle, she is poised to face fierce competition from her teammate Kate Douglass and the veteran Simone Manuel. Douglass isn’t only competing in the sprint events; she's also entered in her signature 200 breaststroke, highlighting her versatility and desire to maximize her impact on the final day.
Summer McIntosh and Regan Smith are also among the swimmers to watch. Both hold the top seeds in the 200 butterfly—McIntosh following a powerful showing in the 400 freestyle that has people speculating about a possible world record, while Smith, the reigning top seed in the 200 backstroke, is expected to put up a strong fight and possibly challenge records herself.
On the men's side, the 200 butterfly promises an electrifying showdown between Olympic champion Leon Marchand and Canadian sensation Ilya Kharun. These two are seeded first and second respectively, and their rivalry could very well be the highlight of the evening. Hubert Kos is also competing in both the 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly, seeking to make his mark as the top seed in the backstroke event.
The men's freestyle sprints continue to be exciting, with the 100 freestyle generating anticipation. Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, and Patrick Sammon are the top contenders, with Guiliano impressively breaking meet records in both the 50 and 200 freestyle earlier in the meet, hinting at a potential final flourish.
Preliminary Results Overview:
In the women’s 50 butterfly prelims, Gretchen Walsh demonstrated her top form with a time of 25.43, comfortably leading the field and setting herself up well for the final. She is over a second faster than her closest competitor, Natalie Kan. Notably, the top ten swimmers all finished under 27 seconds, with a tight pack bidding for finals spots. A tie for eighth place between Miriam Sheehan and Leah Shackley means a swim-off could be necessary to determine who makes the main final.
In the men’s 50 butterfly prelims, Canadian Ilya Kharun showcased his sprinting power, clocking a quick 23.01 to lead the qualifying heats. Close behind, Dare Rose and Santo Condorelli also advanced with respectable times. Caeleb Dressel, despite missing out on the 50 free final earlier, made it into this event with a solid performance of 23.45, indicating he’s still a contender.
The women’s 200 backstroke preliminaries saw Regan Smith qualify second, just behind Phoebe Bacon who posted a time of 2:09.59. On the men’s side, Hubert Kos emerged as the fastest qualifier in the 200 backstroke, promising an exciting race in the finals.
In the breaststroke events, the women’s 200 breaststroke prelims were led by Kate Douglass, who posted the fastest time of 2:19.30, just off the meet record. On the men’s side, the 200 breaststroke saw close battles with top seeds like Matt Fallon and Qin Haiyang, setting up a competitive final.
The sprinting action in the 100 freestyle prelims was dominated by the usual powerhouse swimmers. Jack Alexy and Torri Huske showed strong form, both setting quick times that qualify them for the evening’s final showdown.
The women’s 200 butterfly prelims featured Regan Smith leading with a time of 2:03.87, hinting at a possible record attempt in the final. Similarly, the men’s 200 butterfly prelims had Kristóf Milák and Ilya Kharun vying for the top spot, with Milák’s record of 1:50.34 representing a formidable challenge.
Controversies and Discussions:
Some will argue that records are inevitable at such elite meets, while others believe the pressure can lead to underperformance. And this is the part most people miss—the strategic choices swimmers make in tapering, pacing, and psyching themselves up can turn the tide of history. Do you think the current set of athletes is truly the fastest we've seen, or has the bar been artificially lowered by the advancing of technology and training techniques?
We invite you to share your opinions—are these athletes pushing the limits, or are we on the brink of a new era that demands a reevaluation of what constitutes greatness in swimming? Join the conversation in the comments below.
