Could strategic race choices be costing fans the chance to see top swimmers compete? At the 2026 Pro Swim Series in Austin, a significant number of athletes, including stars Jack Alexy and Shaine Casas, scratched the 200 freestyle, raising questions about prioritizing events and potential impacts on the competition. Let's dive into what happened on Day 3 and what it might mean.
The 2026 Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas, took place from January 14-17, 2026, at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. This long course meters (LCM) event drew considerable attention, and you can find the psych sheet and live results via the provided links if you're keen on the nitty-gritty details. SwimSwam also provided live recaps of the prelims and finals for each day of the competition - Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.
Now, let's get to the heart of the matter: the scratches.
Jack Alexy, a silver medalist at the 2025 World Championships, and Shaine Casas, another 2025 World Championships individual silver medalist, were among four male swimmers who opted out of the B final of the 200 freestyle on the third night. But here's where it gets interesting...
Casas, despite not competing in his scheduled events earlier in the meet, did plan to hit the pool that evening. He was the top seed for the 50 backstroke semifinal, an event that offered a tempting incentive: double prize money for the final. His decision to scratch the 200 free, where he placed 18th in prelims with a time of 1:53.34, appears to be a calculated move to conserve energy and focus on the sprint backstroke. It's all about maximizing his chances of winning that prize money!
Alexy, on the other hand, didn't compete at all during the evening session. He also had a DNS (Did Not Start) in the 50 backstroke in the morning. Alexy had placed 12th in the 200 free prelims with a time of 1:50.68. For context, his personal best in the 200 free (an "off event" for him, meaning it's not his primary focus) is 1:48.68, achieved at the U.S. Open the previous month.
Adding to the list of B-final scratches were Jack Dahlgren from Aquajets and Tiago Behar, representing ASU and Switzerland. Dahlgren also scratched the 200 Free to focus on the 50 back semifinal, while Behar was absent from the evening's heat sheets.
Beyond the men's 200 free, the scratch list was relatively short. However, one notable absence was France’s Analia Pigree. The European Champion withdrew from her #3 seed in the women’s 50 back semifinal. Pigrée clocked a 28.86 in the prelims, trailing Regan Smith and Beryl Gastadello. She had previously finished 5th in the 50 free.
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the scratches from the A/B finals:
Men’s 800 Freestyle: No scratches
Women’s 50 breast: #8 Kia Alert (CW)
Men’s 50 breast: No scratches
Women’s 200 free: No scratches
Men’s 200 free:
- #12 Jack Alexy (CAL)
- #14 Jack Dahlgren (AQJT)
- #16 Tiago Behar (SUN)
- #18 Shaine Casas (TXLA)
Women’s 50 fly (semifinal): No scratches
Men’s 50 fly (semifinal): No scratches
Women’s 400 IM: #6 Madalyn Petty (TRAC)
Men’s 400 IM: No scratches
Women’s 50 back (semifinal): #3 Analia Pigree (FRA)
Men’s 50 back (semifinal): No scratches
So, what does all this mean? Are these strategic scratches a smart move for the athletes, or are they depriving fans of seeing the best compete in every event? It's a question that sparks debate within the swimming community. Some argue that athletes should prioritize their best events to maximize their chances of success, especially with incentives like double prize money on the line. Others believe that scratching events diminishes the overall competition and potentially disappoints spectators who came to see specific swimmers. There's also the argument that focusing on one or two events allows swimmers to truly peak for those races, leading to faster times and more exciting performances overall. But this is the part most people miss: Does this strategy ultimately benefit the sport, or does it create a system where only certain events receive the full attention of top athletes?
What do you think? Should swimmers be free to scratch events to focus on others, or do they have a responsibility to compete in everything they're entered in? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
