• Press release

Members of the 2022-23 National Teams collected five event titles on the final night of the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series Knoxville on Saturday. The long course meter competition was held at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. 

Katie Ledecky and Bobby Finke won the women’s and men’s 1,500-meter freestyle races, respectively. Finke clocked a 15:06.53 to edge out Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui (15:07.07), a Tokyo gold medalist and winner of the 800m freestyle earlier this week. 

“I was really just trying to stay with (Ahmed) Hafnaoui,” Finke said. “I wasn’t sure if he was going to take off. I was prepared for it. I’m glad to be able to race him and the way it turned out.” 

Ledecky recorded the 14th-fastest 1500m swim in history, and now owns 18 of the top-20 times ever recorded in the event. 

“I didn’t have a time in mind,” Ledecky said. “Based on how I've been swimming this week, I thought it’d be pretty solid. I didn’t really have any expectations. It hurt a little more than I expected but I'm pleased with the time.” 

In her home pool and in front of her home crowd, former Tennessee Volunteer Erika Brown won the 100m freestyle to close the meet. She clocked a 54.15. 

Brown on swimming at her home pool: “I love being able to train here every day,” she said. “Having our fans here for the meet is so much fun. I was shocked how loud it was yesterday.” 

Leah Smith won the women’s 200m individual medley (2:13.78). Daniel Diehl won the men’s 200m backstroke (1:58.45). 

The TYR Pro Swim Series will continue in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 1-4, at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center.