Michael Chadwick Unloads 48.69 100m Free At Charlotte UltraSwim

Recap and highlights from the final session at the 2017 Charlotte UltraSwim featured a world ranked 48.69 in the 100m freestyle from Michael Chadwick. Ryan Held, Justin Ress, and Leah Smith competed as well.

Jun 4, 2017 by Maclin Simpson

Michael Chadwick Unloads 48.69 100m Free At Charlotte UltraSwim

2017 Charlotte UltraSwim

Charlotte, North Carolina
June 1-4, 2017
Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center
LIVE RESULTS - Available via Meet Mobile (Phone/Android)

Michael Chadwick saved the best for last. The recent University of Missouri graduate unloaded a blazing fast 48.69 100m freestyle in the final race of the final day at the 2017 Charlotte UltraSwim. That swim is actually a best time for Chadwick (previously a 48.87 from 2015) and sets him up beautifully to make a run for a spot on the World Championship team in a few weeks at Nationals in Indianapolis.

To put that swim in perspective relative to the rest of the United States' best competing at the arena Pro Swim Series at Santa Clara, Chadwick would have finished second behind Nathan Adrian (48.55) and ahead of Caeleb Dressel (49.26).

Chadwick swam this race well -- taking it out in a solid 23.11 and bringing it home in 25.58. That is great front end speed and he won't need to take it out much faster to hang with the world's best, but he will certainly need to find another gear on the back half to dip closer to the 47 second range.

Ryan Held and Justin Ress swam in the event as well, posting strong times of 49.69 and 49.81, respectively. The 100 freestyle field is becoming increasingly loaded for the United States men, but all of the aforementioned names are certainly favorites to make the World Championship team.

In other news...

2016 Olympian Leah Smith deferred the, let's say, opportunity to swim the 1500m freestyle and instead opted to swim the 400m IM -- posting a very strong 4:42.94 in an off event. However, Smith was bested by 30 year-old Joanna Melo who took the top spot with a solid 4:41.42. Both of those swims would have been competitive in the A-final of this event at the arena Pro Swim Series in Santa Clara Saturday night.

Jack McIntyre, representing NC State, put up a very strong showing in the men's 800m freestyle by dropping an 8:07.73 to take the event win by over 25 seconds.
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