2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials
The first full day of action at the 2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials is set to get underway following last night’s opening distance freestyle session, with a loaded lineup on tap with 12 events scheduled for this morning.
Headlining the day will be Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh, who will go head-to-head in the women’s 50 free while also racing a second event in which they hold the world record and are the reigning world champion.
Douglass will swim the 200 breast, having scratched out of the 100 IM to avoid a triple, while Walsh highlights the 100 IM with world record watch in full effect. She didn’t swim the event at the UVA SCM Prep Meet two weeks ago, but did break the all-time mark in the 50 free (22.75).
Douglass owns the 200 breast world record at 2:12.50, while Walsh is the fastest woman ever in the 100 IM at 55.11, both marks being set at the 2024 SC World Championships.
The 100 fly will be a marquee event on the men’s side, with Ilya Kharun competing for the first time (outside of college competition) since officially becoming eligible to represent the United States internationally.
Kharun, the reigning SC world champion in the 200 fly, is the top seed with his best time of 48.35 from the Toronto World Cup last year, while Caeleb Dressel will also be in the hunt for the victory as the American Record holder with his time of 47.78 from back in 2020.
Dressel is scheduled to take on a triple this morning, with the 100 fly being followed by the 50 free and the 100 IM. He currently holds the world record in the 100 IM (49.28) and is the American Record holder in the 50 free (20.16).
Kharun will be one of Dressel’s primary contenders in the 50 free, along with Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano and Van Mathias, while in the 100 IM, where there are only 11 entries, Dressel’s main challenger could be Michael Andrew, who won the world title in the event back in 2016.
Regan Smith, the world record holder in the women’s 50 back, has notably dropped that event in favor of the 200 fly, leaving Katharine Berkoff and Isabelle Stadden as the top favorites in the 50 back.
Another notable scratch has come from Anna Peplowski in the women’s 400 free, which leaves just eight swimmers in the field, meaning they all automatically advance to the final. According to the heat sheet, they’ll still swim the prelims.
LIVE STREAM
MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 47.68, Josh Liendo (CAN) – 2025
- American Record: 47.78, Caeleb Dressel – 2020
- U.S. Open Record: 48.47, Noe Ponti (SUI) – 2020
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 50.15
Finalists:
WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 25.23, Regan Smith (USA) – 2024
- American Record: 25.23, Regan Smith – 2024
- U.S. Open Record: 25.37, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2024
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 26.54
Finalists:
MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 1:45.12, Hubert Kos (HUN) – 2025
- American Record: 1:46.68, Ryan Lochte – 2010
- U.S. Open Record: 1:46.84, Hubert Kos (HUN) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 1:52.11
Finalists:
WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 2:12.50, Kate Douglass (USA) – 2024
- American Record: 2:12.50, Kate Douglass – 2024
- U.S. Open Record: 2:13.97, Kate Douglass (USA) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 2:21.91
Finalists:
MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 55.28, Ilya Shymanovich (BLR) – 2021
- American Record: 55.56, Nic Fink – 2021
- U.S. Open Record: 55.92, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2019
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 57.38
Finalists:
WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
Finalists:
WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
Finalists:
MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
Finalists:
WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 1:59.32, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2024
- American Record: 2:00.20, Regan Smith – 2025
- U.S. Open Record: 2:00.20, Regan Smith (USA) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 2:08.85
Finalists:
MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 3:32.25, Yannick Agnel (FRA) – 2012
- American Record: 3:34.38, Kieran Smith – 2022
- U.S. Open Record: 3:35.99 Kieran Smith (USA) – 2022
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 3:42.18
Finalists:
WOMEN’S 100 IM – PRELIMS
Finalists:
MEN’S 100 IM – PRELIMS
Finalists:
