Jack Alexy Drops 21.94 50 Free; Ilya Kharun, Leah Polonsky Impress at Speedo Grand Challenge
Jack Alexy produced a fast time in the men’s 50 freestyle, and Leah Polonsky and Ilya Kharun both were quick over the weekend at the Speedo Grand Challenge.
Alexy may have supplied the most impressive swim of the meet, held at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, on Friday. The California swimmer went 21.94 to win the men’s 50 freestyle, the only time in the field under the automatic qualification time for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Second was American Brooks Curry in 22.48. Luxembourg’s Remi Fabiani was third in a B cut of 22.55, and Kharun finished fourth in 22.97. Veteran multi-national Olympian Santo Condorelli went 22.40 in prelims.
The first night of the meet featured Israeli international Polonsky clinching an A cut in the women’s 200 individual medley. She went 2:12.29 to get under the standard of 2:12.83.
Kharun has continued a roaring spring. The two-time Canadian Olympic medalist didn’t have a 50 butterfly to aim at during this meet. But he did win the men’s 100 fly in 50.66, a time that was just .21 seconds slower than what he used to win bronze in Paris. Kharun also won the 200 fly on Sunday in 1:55.32.
The Speedo Grand Challenge, hosted by Irvine Novaquatics, was a stage for several American contenders for Worlds this summer, as well as internationals looking for cuts.
On the American front, Keaton Jones joined his Cal teammate Alexy with a strong performance. The Paris Olympian went 1:57.30 to dominate the men’s 200 back, more than three seconds up on Puerto Rican record holder Yeziel Morales. Jones also won the 100 back in 55.62, just edging Ziyad Saleem’s 55.90 in the shorter event.
Lucas Henveaux brushed close to an A cut in Friday’s men’s 200 freestyle, the Belgian international going 1:46.93. He was nearly two seconds quicker than Cal teammate Destin Lasco, who went 1:48.66. Henveaux also won the 400 free in a B cut of 3:50.24. Sister Camille Henveaux added a B cut in winning the 400 free in 4:13.29, and she also was second to Justina Kozan in the 200 free by going 2:01.48.
Several American female contenders put together strong meets. Isabelle Odgers won the 200 breaststroke in 2:29.78. She was second to Polonsky in the 200 IM in 2:13.90 and third in the 100 butterfly. Kozan won the 200 free (2:00.29) and the 400 IM (4:49.39) in the same session on Saturday. She also won Sunday’s 200 fly in 2:14.32. She added a second-place finish in the 100 free (55.65) and third in the 200 IM. Isabelle Stadden did the female backstroke double, winning the 200 on Saturday in 2:12.81 and the 100 on Sunday in 1:00.68.
Penny Oleksiak won Saturday’s 100 fly. Her time of 59.53 is the first time the Canadian Olympic gold medalist has been under a minute since March 5, 2020, in an event that has taken a backseat to spring freestyle.
Friday’s women’s 100 breaststroke went to Gabby Rose, the 47-year-old going 1:08.77. Friday also featured a tie for the victory in the women’s 50 free, both Liberty Clark and Gabi Brito touching in 25.27. Brito was second to Oleksiak in the 100 fly in 59.60. Clark won the 100 free in 55.47 with Brito third.
American open water Olympian Ivan Puskovitch won the men’s 400 IM in 4:27.22. He finished second in the 1,500 free to Polish Olympian Krzysztof Chmielewski by 1.2 seconds, Chmielewski going 15:42.01. Chmielewski was second to Kharun in the 200 fly, with brother Michal Chmielewski third, and Krzysztof was Henveaux’s runner-up in the 400 free.
Dare Rose went 50.93 to finish second in the men’s 100 fly. Gabriel Jett was 1:57.18 n prelims of the 200 fly. Croatian international Vili Sivec won the men’s 100 free in 49.17, a Worlds B cut. He was third in the 100 fly.
