Sawt Falasteen - Casas clocks top 200m medley time of 2022

Thanks to his strong butterfly and backstroke legs, Casas led compatriot Michael Andrew by almost a second at the halfway stage, and he held on over the breaststroke and freestyle legs to beat Leon Marchand, whose runner-up time of 1:56.95 was a French national record.

Chase Kalisz, who won Olympic gold in the 400m medley in Tokyo last year, was third in 1:57.10.

"I had a feeling that Leon was coming back," Casas said of the 19-year-old rising French star, who is training at Arizona State University under US great Michael Phelps's longtime mentor Bob Bowman.

"Everybody was so close. I went out -- I went for it, and that is kind of how I like to swim that race.

"It was a best time, so I can’t be mad with that. Definitely will give me some things to think about."

The race gave a tantalizing glimpse of what the event could offer at the US trials for the 2022 World Championships, which will be held in Budapest June 18-July 3.

Marchand, meanwhile, punched his third World Championships ticket, after qualifying with his performances in San Antonio in the 400m individual medley and the 200m breaststroke.

R.Shaban--SF-PST