INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Add another member to the six-timers club.
Chase Kalisz became the seventh American swimmer to make a half-dozen world championship teams with a runner-up finish in the 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. nationals.
The 29-year-old Kalisz will be heading to the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan, next month, joining Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin, Katie Ledecky, Elizabeth Beisel and Nathan Adrian in the elite group.
Ledecky earned the distinction on the opening night of nationals with a dominating victory in the 800 free.
“I’m very proud of my longevity in the sport,” Kalisz said. “It’s not an easy thing, especially in the U.S. I don’t know if I ever would’ve predicted I would go this long, especially doing the 400 IM. But I’m really proud of how everything is going.”
Carson Foster won the race that encompasses all four strokes in 4 minutes, 8.14 seconds, edging Kalisz by a mere 0.08.
“I want to be like Chase,” Foster said. “Not to get all sappy, but Chase has been a huge part of my improvement curve and getting over some of my mental barriers in that race.”
Kalisz made his first worlds team in 2013, earning a silver medal in the 400 IM at Barcelona. He’s earned at least one individual medley medal in every worlds since then, though the highlight of his career is undoubtedly his 400 IM victory at the Tokyo Olympics.
“Things are just different for me,” Kalisz said. “The culmination of being a world champion and getting my Olympic gold at the last Olympics, that really signified me checking off all my major bucket list things. I can got into practice every single day very content. Everything is kind of a bonus at this point.”
Other winners on the third night of nationals:
— Katie Grimes took the women’s 400 IM title, while Alex Walsh finished second to join her younger sister Gretchen Walsh on the worlds team.
—- Speaking of Gretchen Walsh, she’ll be swimming a second individual event at worlds after a runner-up showing to Torri Huske in the 100 fly. On the men’s side, Dare Rose and Thomas Heilman went 1-2, both adding to their program at worlds, while Caeleb Dressel came up short again by tying for fifth.
Coming back from a long layoff, Dressel has only one more chance to make the team for worlds in the 50 free.
— Lilly King triumphed in the women’s 50 breaststroke, her second victory at nationals, while Nic Fink was the winner in the men’s race.
— Katherine Berkoff took the title in the women’s 50 back, while Justin Ress triumphed for the men.
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