Swimming star Hobson claims triumph in the 200m free race at the US Swimming Championships.
America's Swim Stars Shine at the USA Championships
The pool was ablaze with talent as the U.S. Championships unfurled, serving as qualifiers for the upcoming World Championships. Among the standout performances was that of Michael Phelps' compatriot, Bobby Hobson, who catapulted himself into the history books by clocking 1:43 in the 200m freestyle, making him the fifth-fastest performer ever in this event!
Beaming with pride and excitement, Hobson shared his thoughts with broadcaster Peacock, "That was fucking awesome! 1:43 has been a dream of mine for a couple of years now, and to achieve it here, man - I'm stoked and can't wait for Singapore!"
Gabriel Jett was Hobson's closest competitor, with a time of 1:44.70, securing his spot for the World Championships running July 11-August 3.
The women's 200m freestyle saw a thrilling turn of events, with 18-year-old Claire Weinstein outmaneuvering superstar Katie Ledecky, touching the wall in 1:54.92 - a staggering lead over the world this year. Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, had already sealed her passage to a seventh world championship with a breathtaking victory over Weinstein in the 800m freestyle.
Torri Huske, who clinched the 100m butterfly gold in the Paris Olympics last year, stormed to third place, positioning herself as a strong contender for a coveted relay spot at the Worlds.
Claire Curzan, a decorated six-time world champion who missed out on the Paris Olympics, continues to regain her shine with a victory in the women's 200m backstroke, recording 2:05.09, edging out Regan Smith (2:05.84).
Gretchen Walsh lowered her own American record with a triumphant finish in the 50m butterfly, clocking 24.66 seconds, with Kate Douglass trailing closely at 25.39. Walsh, who holds the world record for the 100m butterfly and is hot on the heels of Sarah Sjostrom's 50m fly world mark of 24.43 seconds, shared her thoughts:
"I was aiming for a best time, so another American record would've been even sweeter, but I didn't expect to break it by that much! I'm really happy with the time and overall progression in that event."
In other events, Jack Aikens, who failed to make it to Paris last year, took the men's 200m backstroke with a career-best 1:54.25 - the fastest time this year. Keaton Jones followed close behind with 1:54.85.
Douglass, who dominated the women's 200m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics, defeated the competition once more with a winning time of 2:21.45, with Alex Walsh in second place at 2:22.45.
The men's 200m breaststroke saw Josh Matheny claim the victory in 2:08.87, with AJ Pouch at 2:09.31 and Dare Rose taking the men's 50m fly in 23.06 - narrowly ahead of Michael Andrew by 15-hundredths of a second.
The U.S. Championships will determine the powerhouse team that will represent America at the World Championships, so keep a close eye on these incredible swimmers!
© 2025 AFP
Sports enthusiasts should watch out for the upcoming World Championships as several American swimmers continue to push boundaries. For instance, Bobby Hobson's historic 1:43 run in the 200m freestyle places him among the top five fastest performers of all time.
