This is turning into the lost-and-found swim meet.
Of records.
Less than a month ago, Katie Hoff was told here during a U.S. trials tune-up that Natalie Coughlin, swimming in a meet at USC, had broken Hoff’s American record in the 200-meter individual medley.
“I was in the ready room: ‘Did you hear? Did you hear?'” Hoff said, recalling the moment the other day. “‘Thanks, I did hear.'”
Wednesday night the swimming world finally heard Hoff’s response. It resonated loud and clear with a scintillating double victory in the span of about 45 minutes, and included two American records.
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First, Hoff lowered her own American mark in the 200 freestyle, winning in 1 minute 55.88 seconds. The bookend swim came when Hoff won a stroke-for-stroke duel with Coughlin and Ariana Kukors in the 200 IM, which was billed as the marquee race of the trials. Kukors led after the breaststroke leg, Hoff was second and Coughlin third.
“I could have had a great race and got third,” said Hoff, who has four individual titles in the meet.
But she had her trademark strong finish and won in 2:09.71, besting Coughlin’s American record of 2:09.77, set on June 6. Coughlin was second in 2:10.32, and Kukors placed third in 2:10.40.
“When you’re younger you do that stuff all the time,” Hoff said of the double. “It’s harder when you’re 19.”The hectic program featured several semifinals. Jason Lezak broke the U.S. record in the 100 freestyle (47.58). In the 200 butterfly, former Naperville resident Mary DeScenza had the third-fastest qualifying time for Thursday’s final, in 2:08.82. The two top times were posted by Elaine Breeden (2:07.33) and Kathleen Hersey (2:08.03).
“I’m hoping for an even better swim [Thursday],” DeScenza said.