Maxime Grousset Holds Off Luca Urlando in 100 Fly Showdown at TYR Pro Swim Series in Sacramento
The first full day of racing at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Sacramento, Calif., featured the 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 50 backstroke, 100 butterfly and 400 IM. The highlight came on the men’s side when a former world champion in the 100 butterfly held off one of the standout performers from last week’s NCAA Championships.
Frenchman Maxime Grousset, the global titlist in the event in 2023, posted a time of 51.30 to beat Luca Urlando (51.32) by two hundredths. Urlando is coming off an NCAA-record-setting performance in the 200-yard fly last week, and this swim lowered his 100-meter fly personal best by three tenths. Previously, Urlando topped out at 51.64 when he finished third in the event at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. Third here went to Kamal Muhammad (52.47).
Brooks Curry, who has represented the U.S. on relays at the last two Olympics, competed for the first time since Paris Thursday, and the result was a 200 free win in 1:46.47. Curry held off Australia’s Max Giuliani, the silver medalist at the Short Course World Championships in December. Giuliani clocked 1:46.89 while his world champion countryman Sam Short, the 2023 world champion in the 800 free, also closed well to take third in 1:47.18.
Five men were under 1:01 in the 100 breaststroke final. Michael Andrew, the No. 4 performer in history in the event, had the lead early on with his 27.98 midway split, but Louisville’s Denis Petrashov came over the top to finish in 1:00.42, 12-hundredths ahead of Andrew’s 1:00.54. Just behind was Evgenii Somov in 1:00.61, with 200 breast specialists Matt Fallon (1:00.73) and Carles Coll Marti (1:00.77) in the mix.
Also for the men, France’s Yohann Ndoye Brouard captured first in the 50 backstroke in 25.37, well ahead of Jack Dahlgren (26.30) and Gabo Arias (26.55). Michael Hochwalt crushed the field in the men’s 400 IM, clocking 4:16.88, with Grant Sanders (4:24.45) and Alec Enyeart (4:28.32) taking second and third, respectively.
A trio of NC State-trained swimmers led the way in the women’s 50 back. Katharine Berkoff, last year’s Olympic bronze medalist in the 100 back, clocked 27.83 to beat out training partner and Tokyo Olympic finalist Rhyan White (27.91), with Wolfpack freshman Leah Shackley coming in third (28.29). Shortly thereafter, Shackley came from behind to win the 100 fly in 58.75, ahead of Vanessa Ouwehand (59.23) and Aislinn Holder (1:00.22).
USC’s Justina Kozan moved from fourth to first on the final length of the 200 free final to take the win in 1:59.31. Albane Cachot was the only other swimmer under two minutes at 1:59.61, with Alexa McDevitt third (2:00.13). A pair of internationally-acclaimed swimmers led early on but faded, with France’s Beryl Gastadello taking fourth (2:00.17) and Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko fifth (2:00.27).
The 100 breast went to Aliz Kalmar in 1:07.91, ahead of Diana Petkova (1:08.84) and Gorbenko (1:09.10). NC State’s Lisa Nystrand was the winner of the 400 IM in 4:45.02 while a tight battle for second went to McDevitt (4:46.61) ahead of Vivien Jackl (4:46.76) and Kozan (4:46.85).
