2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap ...Middle East

By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam

2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials

We are onto the fourth and final day of the 2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials, with the last prelims session kicking off this morning. This will be the last opportunity for swimmers to earn a spot on the team for the World Short Course Championships, to be held in Beijing on December 1-6.

Day 4 Prelims Schedule

The morning starts with the men’s 200 breast, which will see the 2026 200 breast national champion and last night’s 400 IM winner Josh Bey in action. He is the #3 seed behind Daniel Marinov and Chris O’Grady, while his teammate Noah Cakir will also be one to watch after placing 5th in the 100 breast on day 2.

Pan Pacific Championships medalist Skyler Smith is the top seed in the women’s 50 breast in 29.72, just ahead of Cal and Norway’s Silje Slyngstadli in 29.88. 2026 NCAA champion Maximus Williamson leads the men’s 200 IM heats after Kieran Smith and Owen McDonald both scratched, with Grant House and Destin Lasco close behind.

House and Lasco have already put their names forward for the short course worlds team, thanks to second-place finishes in the 100 IM and 200 back, respectively. House beat out Williamson by just 0.06 seconds in the former, with the Virginia sophomore needing a top two finish in this event tonight to be in with a chance of making the 20-person men’s team.

Alex Walsh, who took second behind Kate Douglass‘ U.S. Open record in the 200 IM last night, is the top seed in the women’s 400 IM by over seven seconds, having scratched the 50 breast to focus on it. She should be safely on the team already after a trio of second-place finishes in the 200 IM, 200 breast, and 100 breast.

The men’s fly events have been the best races to watch so far, with just over a tenth of a second separating the top four in the 100 fly and the top three finishers in the 200 fly all under the previous American record. Expect that to continue this morning in the 50 fly, with a stacked field.

Ilya Kharun, racing at his first meet since becoming eligible to represent the U.S. following his switch in nationality, is the top seed in 21.69, a time three tenths of a second under the current American record. That mark could go down this morning – of his last nine SCM 50 fly swims, seven have been under Tom Shields‘ 2021 mark of 21.99.

Finn Brooks is the #2 seed in 22.09, himself only a tenth of a second away from that record, with former world champion Caeleb Dressel coming in third-fastest in 22.67. Tyler Ray, Dare Rose, and Van Mathias are also strong contenders in this event, with Ray having a phenomenal meet so far.

The former University of Michigan swimmer, now training with Texas, has placed second in the 100 fly (48.56, 48.47 in prelims) and third in the 200 fly (1:48.24), both huge lifetime bests, and should also challenge the 22 second barrier. Van Mathias has set a pair of American records in breaststroke already this week, and is the Pan Pacific Championships silver medalist in this event.

World record holder Gretchen Walsh leads the women’s 100 fly, having clocked the #2 swim in history in the 50 fly last night with a 23.80. Alex Shackell and Torri Huske are the #2 and #3 seeds, having placed second in the 200 fly and 100 IM, respectively, so far this week.

Fellow world record holder Luke Hobson headlines the men’s 200 free, having won the 400 free on day 2, but this event has some serious talent behind him. Chris Guiliano and Jack Alexy feature after going 1-2 in the 100 free yesterday, Alexy setting a new world record, and Kieran Smith, Grant House, Patrick Sammon, Brooks Curry, and Mitchell Schott are also fighting for the top two.

Adam Chaney, the men’s 50 back champion, features in the men’s 100 back today as the #4 seed behind Owen McDonald, Grant Bochenski, and Jack Dahlgren, but the bigger story looks to be Luca Urlando in heat 1. The former NCAA and American record holder in the yards version of the event, this will be his first swim in meters since October 2022 when he clocked 51.70.

The women’s 200 back sees all of the top four from the 100 back last night return, joined by Rylee Erisman, in what may be the toughest event today. Former world record holder Regan Smith is the top seed in 1:57.86, the only woman under 2:00, but Claire Curzan is in fantastic form after her world record in the 100 last night. Isabelle Stadden and Phoebe Bacon are both entered under 2:01 as well.

The hits don’t stop coming, as the final event of the morning will see Gretchen Walsh and world record holder Kate Douglass in the women’s 100 free. The pair rank as the #3 and #1 swimmers in history. Douglass has won three events to Walsh’s two so far this week, with Douglass setting a new world record in the 50 free to boot.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – PRELIMS

Finalists: 

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – PRELIMS

Finalists: 

MEN’S 200 IM – PRELIMS

Finalists: 

WOMEN’S 400 IM– PRELIMS

Finalists: 

MEN’S 50 FLY– PRELIMS

Finalists: 

WOMEN’S 100 FLY– PRELIMS

Finalists: 

MEN’S 100 BACK– PRELIMS

Finalists: 

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – PRELIMS

Finalists: 

MEN’S 200 FREE– PRELIMS

Finalists: 

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – PRELIMS

Finalists: 

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