U.S. International Team Trials: Lilly King Completes Breaststroke Sweep; Annie Lazor Edges Dobler, Jacoby for Second
At the Tokyo Olympics, Lilly King was handed her first defeat in the 100 breaststroke in almost six years as American teenager Lydia Jacoby claimed the gold medal and South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker claimed silver. Now, King is heading to the World Championships as the favorite to capture a third-consecutive world title, while Jacoby narrowly missed out on a trip to Worlds. Instead, King’s Indiana training partner Annie Lazor qualified for Budapest as she rebounded from a disappointing third-place finish in her best event, the 200 breaststroke.
The 100 breast final at the U.S. International Team Trials saw King get off to a quick start and turn first after 50 meters, with Lazor and Jacoby only a few tenths behind. Jacoby was seven tenths off King’s pace at the halfway point, but her strength is on the second 50. Jacoby made a surge coming home, the same surge which helped her mine gold in Tokyo, but it was not quite enough to catch Lazor or Dobler.
King touched in 1:05.67 to secure the win, and in a blanket finish for second, Lazor touched in 1:06.12, seven hundredths ahead of Dobler in 1:06.19. Jacoby was two hundredths further behind in 1:06.21. Lazor’s comeback from a disappointing result earlier in the meet was similar to what unfolded at last year’s Olympic Trials, when Lazor rebounded from a third-place finish in the 100 breast to win the 200 breast ahead of King.
When Lazor realized that she had finished second, she slammed the water in joy, and she and King embraced. Lazor held King’s arm in the air, just like King held Lazor’s arm aloft when Lazor won the 200 breast at last year’s Trials.
Alex Walsh, the Olympic silver medalist in the 200 IM, placed fifth in 1:07.59. Walsh finished sixth in the 200 free earlier in the meet to put herself into consideration for the World Championships team, but she could clinch a spot in Budapest when she swims the 200 IM Saturday.
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