Bold recap coming: the 2025 U.S. Open finals close out with a dramatic sprint through distance and sprint events, capped by a high-stakes 200 butterfly finale. The session opens with the men’s and women’s 800 freestyle and builds toward the 200 butterfly, delivering a blend of record-breaking swims and marquee matchups that will linger in fans’ memories long after the final touchpad clean.
Event lineup for Day 4 finals:
- 800 Freestyle
- 50 Butterfly
- 200 Backstroke
- 200 Breaststroke
- 100 Freestyle
- 200 Butterfly
This meet has already been a showcase of excellence, repeatedly rewriting records over the first three days. A standout moment in prelims was Jack Alexy swimming a 47.66 in the 100 free to claim the top seed, a performance that underscored the depth and speed in the field.
In the women’s 100 free, Simone Manuel sits ahead of Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh after a blistering 200 free showing yesterday signaled her form. Summer McIntosh is set to contest the women’s 200 butterfly final, aiming to topple Regan Smith’s U.S. Open and meet records and to chase a World Record in the event.
Regan Smith remains in contention for multiple events, though she arrives off a demanding 200 back/200 fly double that could influence results in both races. She’s currently the second seed in both events, with Phoebe Bacon leading the 200 backfield.
In the men’s 200 butterfly, Hubert Kos and Ilya Kharun duel for the top spot. Kos holds a comfortable lead as the top seed but faces a demanding double with the 200 backstroke looming. Kharun is contesting a double as well, with his strongest seed in the 50 fly not as narrowly pressed as a second 200 stroke race would be.
Leon Marchand is in the mix for the 200 butterfly final, seeded fourth behind Kos, Kharun, and Texas standout Cooper Lucas. Mila Nikanorov holds the top seed in the women’s 800, while Bobby Finke leads the men’s event but faces stiff competition from Aiden Hammer and Ilia Sibirtsev as Finke has shown occasional lapses at this meet.
Gretchen Walsh enters the 50 fly as the top seed, having posted a 25.43 in prelims that put her more than a second ahead of the field. Kate Douglass and Noah Cakir hold the early leads in the 200 breaststroke for women and men, respectively, with Mona McSharry and AJ Pouch close behind in second seeds.
Event-specific notes and records to know:
- Women’s 800 Freestyle (Timed Finals): World Record 8:04.12 by Katie Ledecky (2025); U.S. Open Record 8:04.12; U.S. Open Meet Record 8:12.81 (Katie Ledecky, 2021).
- Men’s 800 Freestyle (Timed Finals): World Record 7:32.12 by Zhang Lin (2009); U.S. Open Record 7:40.34 (Bobby Finke, 2023); U.S. Open Meet Record 7:47.27 (Chad La Tourette, 2009).
- Women’s 50 Butterfly – Finals: World Record 24.43 (Sarah Sjöström, 2014); U.S. Open Record 24.66 (Gretchen Walsh, 2025); U.S. Open Meet Record 25.43 (Gretchen Walsh, 2025).
- Men’s 50 Butterfly – Finals: World Record 22.27 (Andrii Govorov, 2018); U.S. Open Record 22.84 (Caeleb Dressel, 2022); U.S. Open Meet Record 23.01 (Ilya Kharun, 2025).
- Women’s 200 Backstroke – Finals: World Record 2:03.14 (Kaylee McKeown, 2023); U.S. Open Record 2:03.80 (Regan Smith, 2023); U.S. Open Meet Record 2:04.27 (Regan Smith, 2023).
- Men’s 200 Backstroke – Finals: World Record 1:51.92 (Aaron Peirsol, 2009); U.S. Open Record 1:53.08 (Peirsol, 2009); U.S. Open Meet Record 1:54.59 (Nick Thoman, 2009).
- Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Finals: World Record 2:17.55 (Evgeniia Chikunova, 2023); U.S. Open Record 2:19.30 (Kate Douglass, 2024); U.S. Open Meet Record 2:21.87 (Kate Douglass, 2023).
- Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Finals: World Record 2:05.48 (Qin Haiyang, 2023); U.S. Open Record 2:06.54 (Matt Fallon, 2024); U.S. Open Meet Record 2:09.49 (Matt Fallon, 2023).
- Women’s 100 Freestyle – Finals: World Record 51.71 (Sarah Sjöström, 2017); U.S. Open Record 52.43 (Torri Huske, 2025); U.S. Open Meet Record 52.93 (Siobhan Haughey, 2023).
- Men’s 100 Freestyle – Finals: World Record 46.40 (Pan Zhanle, 2024); U.S. Open Record 46.99 (Jack Alexy, 2025); U.S. Open Meet Record 47.66 (Jack Alexy, 2019).
- Women’s 200 Butterfly – Finals: World Record 2:01.81 (Liu Zige, 2009); U.S. Open Record 2:03.87 (Regan Smith, 2023); U.S. Open Meet Record 2:06.72 (Regan Smith, 2023).
- Men’s 200 Butterfly – Finals: World Record 1:50.34 (Kristóf Milák, 2022); U.S. Open Record 1:52.20 (Michael Phelps, 2008); U.S. Open Meet Record 1:54.66 (Ilya Kharun, 2023).
All the action is documented with live results and recaps from the day, ensuring fans can track every decisive moment as the finals season unfolds. If you have a preferred swimmer or event you’re rooting for, share your thoughts below and join the discussion about potential upsets, record-breaking performances, or bold strategies for securing medals in this climactic finale.
