University of Georgia Athletics
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Urlando and Flickinger Sweep 200 Butterfly to Reach World Championships
April 26, 2022 | Swimming & Diving
GREENSBORO, N.C. – With a sweep of the 200-meter butterfly finals, the University of Georgia swimming team clinched the first two spots on the American World Championships roster Tuesday evening at the Phillips 66 International Team Trials at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
All-American sophomore Luca Urlando used a late surge to pass Trenton Julian in the stretch run to earn his spot in Budapest with a time of 1:54.10, rebounding from a third-place finish in the 200m butterfly at last year's Olympic Trials. Despite trailing by nearly a second at the final turn, the Sacramento native dropped a 30.28 split on the final 50 meters to take first by just over a tenth of a second. Olympic gold medalist Chase Kalisz finished fourth behind Urlando with a time of 1:56.03.
"I couldn't be happier for him," said Tom Cousins Swimming & Diving Head Coach Jack Bauerle. "It was a tough Olympic Trials with a near-miss, but he certainly made up for it with his American Record at NCAAs and punching a ticket to Budapest. Coming back from a second behind is an absolute achievement, and very rarely in my career have been prouder of any swimmer. It's a great thing for him, for Georgia, and for the United States."
In the preceding women's 200m fly final, former Georgia All-American Hali Flickinger led the field from the jump, posting a 1:00.17 split on the opening 100 meters. The Olympic bronze medalist closed out with a 1:06.18 on the second 100, besting Stanford freshman Regan Smith by over a second-and-a-half. Flickinger's final time of 2:06.35 currently ranks third in the world.
In other finals action, Olivia Smoliga placed eighth in the 100-meter freestyle final with a time of 54.55. In prelims, Smoliga finished seventh with a time of 54.32.
The U.S. Trials continue Wednesday with the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter backstroke, and 50-meter butterfly. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. with live streaming on USASwimming.org, followed by finals at 6 p.m. with live coverage on Olympic Channel.
For all news and updates about Georgia swimming and diving, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@UGASwimDive), Instagram (@ugaswimdive), and Facebook (UGA Swimming and Diving).
All-American sophomore Luca Urlando used a late surge to pass Trenton Julian in the stretch run to earn his spot in Budapest with a time of 1:54.10, rebounding from a third-place finish in the 200m butterfly at last year's Olympic Trials. Despite trailing by nearly a second at the final turn, the Sacramento native dropped a 30.28 split on the final 50 meters to take first by just over a tenth of a second. Olympic gold medalist Chase Kalisz finished fourth behind Urlando with a time of 1:56.03.
"I couldn't be happier for him," said Tom Cousins Swimming & Diving Head Coach Jack Bauerle. "It was a tough Olympic Trials with a near-miss, but he certainly made up for it with his American Record at NCAAs and punching a ticket to Budapest. Coming back from a second behind is an absolute achievement, and very rarely in my career have been prouder of any swimmer. It's a great thing for him, for Georgia, and for the United States."
In the preceding women's 200m fly final, former Georgia All-American Hali Flickinger led the field from the jump, posting a 1:00.17 split on the opening 100 meters. The Olympic bronze medalist closed out with a 1:06.18 on the second 100, besting Stanford freshman Regan Smith by over a second-and-a-half. Flickinger's final time of 2:06.35 currently ranks third in the world.
In other finals action, Olivia Smoliga placed eighth in the 100-meter freestyle final with a time of 54.55. In prelims, Smoliga finished seventh with a time of 54.32.
The U.S. Trials continue Wednesday with the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter backstroke, and 50-meter butterfly. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. with live streaming on USASwimming.org, followed by finals at 6 p.m. with live coverage on Olympic Channel.
For all news and updates about Georgia swimming and diving, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@UGASwimDive), Instagram (@ugaswimdive), and Facebook (UGA Swimming and Diving).
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