Kennedy takes 10th in 100 free at Arena Pro Series in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 15 – With the U.S. Olympic Trials just a few months away, American swimming hopefuls are working hard to get prepared. Seventy members of the U.S. national swimming team, including Avon’s Madison Kennedy, are in Austin this weekend for the second leg of the Arena Pro Swim Series.

Racing began Friday at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas.

Among the competitors are three-time Olympian Natalie Coughlin and 2012 Olympic champions Missy Franklin, Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps and Ryan Locthe.

Kennedy, 28, is scheduled to swim in three events. She competed Friday morning in the 100 freestyle. She was seeded 13th in the field and finished 14th in qualifying with a time of 55.59 seconds, earning a spot in the B final where she was 10th with a time of 54.78.

Coughlin finished ninth with a time of 54.40 seconds. Katie Ledecky was the top American in second place with a time of 53.75 seconds. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrum, 22, won the race in 53.12 seconds.

Kennedy is scheduled to swim in her best event – the 50 meter freestyle on Saturday morning. She is the No. 6 seed in the field with a time of 24.71 seconds. There are three international swimmers ahead of Kennedy, which makes her the third seeded American.

On Sunday, she is scheduled to compete in the 100 meter back stroke, where she is seeded 73rd.

Phelps, an 18-time Olympic gold medalist who is attempting to make his fifth U.S. Olympic Team, is the top seed in the men’s 100 and 200 butterfly, and 200 individual medley. Eleven-time Olympic medalist Lochte will battle Phelps in the 200 IM and 100 fly, among other events. He is seeded second in the 200 IM.

Franklin’s planned events include the women’s 100 freestyle and 200 backstroke, where she is the second seed. She is the third seed in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

A webcast of the complete meet will be available at usaswimming.org. It will also be broadcast on Universal Sports Network, which isn’t available on any Connecticut cable networks.

The series provides the nation’s best swimmers the opportunity to face top-flight competition on U.S. soil.

Sarah Sjostrom Just Misses 50 Free U.S. Open Record in Austin

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Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom blasted her way to victory in the women’s 50-meter free at the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series Austin.

Sjostrom nearly captured her third U.S. Open record with a 24.17.  That swim beat her third-ranked season best from last year of 24.20.  It nearly beat Cate Campbell’s U.S. Open mark of 24.13 from 2008.

SwimMAC’s Madison Kennedy turned in a sizzling time of 24.72 for second, but looked slow compared to Sjostrom in the other lane.

SwimMAC’s Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace placed third overall with a time of 24.84.

HPCO’s Chantal Van Landeghem (24.92), Canyons’ Abbey Weitzeil (24.93), California’s Farida Osman (24.95), France’s Anna Santamans (25.05) and HPCO’s Sandrine Mainville (25.47) placed fourth through eighth.

California’s Natalie Coughlin won the B final in 25.19. Teammate Dana Vollmer took second in 25.24 with Sweden’s Therese Alshammar earning third in 25.38.

                           === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Sjostrom, Sarah  22 Sweden              25.14      24.17 OLY    
  2 Kennedy, Madiso  28 SwimMAC Carolina    25.03      24.72 OLY    
  3 Vanderpool-Wall  25 SwimMAC Carolina    25.15      24.84 OLY    
  4 Van Landeghem,   21 Hpc-Ontario         25.26      24.92 OLY    
  5 Weitzeil, Abby   19 Canyons Aquatic     25.06      24.93 OLY    
  6 Osman, Farida    20 Univ California,    25.18      24.95 OLY    
  7 Santamans, Anna  22 France              25.20      25.05 OLY    
  8 Mainville, Sand  23 Hpc-Ontario         25.38      25.47 OLY    
 
                            === B - Final ===                            
 
  9 Coughlin, Natal  33 California Aquat    25.67      25.19 OLY    
 10 Vollmer, Dana    28 Una Cal             25.62      25.24 OLY    
 11 Alshammar, Ther  38 Sweden              25.42      25.38 OLY    
 12 Martin, Ivy      22 Wisconsin Aquati    25.46      25.48 OLY    
 13 Gates, Melissa   25 Trojan Swim Club    25.80      25.55 OLY    
 14 Gastaldello, Be  20 Texas A & M Univ    25.62      25.61 OLY    
 15 Geer, Margo      23 Tucson Ford Deal    25.78      25.73 OLY    
 16 Williams, Miche  25 Hpc-Ontario         25.66      25.77 OLY