By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials
- October 28-31, 2026
- Westmont, IL — FMC Natatorium
- SCM (25 Meters)
- Meet Central
- Selection Criteria
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Recaps
- Day 4 Finals Heat Sheet
- Day 3 Roster Update
It is the final night of the 2026 U.S. SC World Championship Trials, and there is a lot on the line tonight.
The men’s roster for Beijing currently sits at 19 swimmers after three days of competition, meaning only one new athlete can be added today before athletes will start being cut.
The meet will open with the men’s 200 breaststroke, where Noah Cakir and AJ Pouch earned the top two qualifying spots. Josh Bey qualified 3rd and is the only swimmer in the final who is already on the Worlds roster.
In the women’s 50 breaststroke, Skyler Smith set the top time of 29.83 to finish just a tenth ahead of Piper Enge‘s 29.94 in 2nd place. They were the only two swimmers under 30 seconds in the prelims. Enge is already on the roster in the 100 breaststroke and is the only finalist who has qualified for the team.
Destin Lasco and Maximus Williamson set the top two qualifying times in the men’s 200 IM with Lasco earning the top seed in 1:55.17. This was more than a second ahead of Williamson’s 1:56.33. Lasco is currently the top Priority 3 swimmer and Williamson is not on the team yet. Grant House, who is the 3rd ranked Priority 3 swimmer, qualified 3rd in 1:56.83, just half-a-second behind Williamson.
Alex Walsh set the top qualifying time in the women’s 400 IM as the only swimmer under the AQUA ‘A’ cut. She is already on the team, but will be trying to win the event and jump into the Priority 2 position.
The women’s 800 freestyle only has three athletes. Claire Weinstein is the top seed and Katie McCarthy, who won the women’s 1500 freestyle, is the 2nd seed. Northwestern’s Zoe Nordmann is the 3rd seed with a yards time.
Ilya Kharun won the men’s 50 butterfly prelims in 21.61 to set a new American and U.S. Open record in the event. He has a stacked field coming in behind him of Tyler Ray, who also swam under the former American record time, Van Mathias, and Caeleb Dressel, meaning this has potential to be one of the most exciting events of the session.
Gretchen Walsh dominated the women’s 100 fly prelims, swimming 54.57 to finish almost two seconds ahead of Alex Shackell‘s 56.22 in 2nd place. Both women are already on the team.
Luca Urlando set the top time in the 100 backstroke, swimming 50.16 to finish about a tenth ahead of Owen McDonald‘s 50.27 in 2nd. This will be McDonald’s last chance to make the team.
There will only be four people in the women’s 200 backstroke final and any one of them could earn the event win. Isabelle Stadden has not made the team yet and set the top time in prelims, though everyone in the heat cruised the prelims and will be much faster tonight.
The final men’s event of the meet will be the 200 freestyle. World record holder Luke Hobson set a new U.S. Open record of 1:40.51 in prelims to earn the top seed by about a second. Ryan Erisman scratched the final, but Gabriel Jett, Jack Alexy, Mitchell Schott, Chris Guiliano, and Kieran Smith will make it an exciting race between the top 8.
The women’s 100 freestyle will wrap up the meet with Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Rylee Erisman, Liberty Clark, Camille Spink, and Simone Manuel all fighting for the top two spots. Spink is not on the team yet, and Manuel is currently Priority 5 after her 3rd place finish in the 200 freestyle yesterday.
MEN’S 200 BREAST – Final
- World Record: 1:59.62, Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 2025
- American Record: 2:01.60, Nic Fink – 2022
- U.S. Open Record: 2:01.63, Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 2:06.23
WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – Final
- World Record: 28.37, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2022
- American Record: 28.77, Lilly King – 2020
- U.S. Open Record: 28.70, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2022
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 30.21
MEN’S 200 IM – Final
- World Record: 1:48.88, Leon Marchand (FRA) – 2024
- American Record: 1:49.43, Shaine Casas – 2025
- U.S. Open Record: 1:49.43, Shaine Casas (USA) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 1:55.25
WOMEN’S 400 IM– Final
- World Record: 4:15.48, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2024
- American Record: 4:20.14, Katie Grimes – 2024
- U.S. Open Record: 4:24.15, Melanie Margalis (USA) – 2019
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 4:37.46
Women’s 800 FREE — Final
- World Record: 7:54.00, Lani Pallister (AUS) — 2025
- American Record: 7:57.42, Katie Ledecky (USA) — 2022
- U.S. Open Record: 7:57.42, Katie Ledecky (USA) — 2022
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 8:27.23
MEN’S 50 FLY– Final
- World Record: 21.28, Egor Kornev (RUS) – 2026
- American Record: 21.61, Ilya Kharun — 2026
- U.S. Open Record: 21.61, Ilya Kharun (USA) — 2026
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 22.43
WOMEN’S 100 FLY– Final
- World Record: 52.71, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2024
- American Record: 52.71, Gretchen Walsh – 2024
- U.S. Open Record: 53.04, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2024
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 57.40
MEN’S 100 BACK– Final
- World Record: 48.16, Hubert Kos (HUN) – 2025
- American Record: 28.33, Coleman Stewart – 2021
- U.S. Open Record: 48.78, Hubert Kos (HUN) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 50.81
WOMEN’S 200 BACK – Final
- World Record: 1:57.33, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2025
- American Record: 1:57.86, Regan Smith – 2025
- U.S. Open Record: 1:57.87, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 2:05.54
MEN’S 200 FREE– Final
- World Record: 1:38.61, Luke Hobson (USA) – 2024
- American Record: 1:38.61, Luke Hobson – 2024
- U.S. Open Record: 1:40.51, Luke Hobson (USA) – 2026
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 1:43.48
WOMEN’S 100 FREE – Final
- World Record: 49.93, Kate Douglass (USA) – 2025
- American Record: 49.93, Kate Douglass – 2025
- U.S. Open Record: 50.19, Kate Douglass (USA) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 53.02
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
