The 2026 U.S. National Championships are coming to a close, and the final day of preliminaries promises some thrilling races. While the meet is almost over, there are still a few events left to watch before we turn our attention to the Pan Pacs. The morning lineup features just two events: the 200 IM and 50 Freestyle, with the women's 1500 Freestyle and men's 800 Freestyle heats starting at 5:30 PM EST. The women's 200 IM is set to be a showcase of talent, with Alex Walsh, the 2020 Olympic medalist and multi-time World Championships medalist, leading the field with a time of 2:08.45. Walsh, who has not competed in any individual events at this meet, is looking forward to the Pan Pacs. Her Virginia teammate, Leah Hayes, sits as the second seed with a time of 2:09.48, while Audrey Derivaux, the top 18 and under swimmer, will look to add the race to her schedule for Jr. Pan Pacs. The men's 200 IM is also set to be an exciting event, with Olympian Kieran Smith leading the field with a time of 1:57.26. Smith, along with Owen McDonald and Grant House, hold the top three seeds in the event. However, Rowan Cox, who has been training at Texas since graduating high school, is a darkhorse to watch, having posted a standout performance in the 100 butterfly. The women's 50 freestyle is set to be a battle between Walsh and Douglass, both of whom have broken the World Record this season. Walsh, who recently set a new World Record in the event, is likely saving her best for Pan Pacs. The men's 50 freestyle, on the other hand, is loaded with top-end talent, with Nikita Sheremet leading the field with a time of 21.62. However, there are eight swimmers entered under the 22-second mark, including Caeleb Dressel, Brooks Curry, and Hunter Armstrong. The final day of preliminaries will be followed by a separate distance session for the women's 1500 freestyle and men's 800 freestyle, with the top heats of swimmers competing for the National Title during the finals session. Personally, I think the women's 200 IM is set to be a showcase of talent, with Walsh and Hayes leading the field. However, Derivaux's performance as the top 18 and under swimmer will be interesting to watch. The men's 200 IM is also set to be an exciting event, with Smith leading the field, but Cox's performance as a darkhorse will be intriguing. The women's 50 freestyle is set to be a battle between Walsh and Douglass, with both swimmers having broken the World Record this season. The men's 50 freestyle, on the other hand, is loaded with top-end talent, with Sheremet leading the field, but the performance of the darkhorses will be interesting to watch. Overall, the final day of preliminaries promises some thrilling races, and I can't wait to see how the swimmers perform.
