After four days of exciting competition, the TYR Pro Swim Series at Richmond is in the books. Saturday’s finals featured national team victories, down to the wire wins, and more, to close out another exhilarating meet.

Michael Andrew (Encinitas, Calif./Race Pace Club) earned his second win of the event in Richmond, taking the 200m I.M. in 1:57.49. Andrew’s time marked the fourth-fastest time in the world in 2019 and increased his 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series win total to eight, the most of any swimmer, male or female.

Just four events later, Andrew would go on to win the 50m breaststroke in 27.41, upping his 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series win total to nine. While he's the winningest swimmer of the TYR Pro Swim Series this year, this is the first time in three attempts that he's claimed the 50m breaststroke title. Andrew has now earned at least one 50m title in all four swims in 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series competition.

One of the closest races of the evening was the men’s 200m backstroke, when Ryan Murphy (Jacksonville, Fla./California Aquatics) took the title in 1:57.23. National teamer Jacob Pebley (Corvallis, Ore./Team Elite) led the event through the first 150 meters and was ahead of Murphy by over nine tenths of a second at the final turn before Murphy kicked it into gear and moved ahead of Pebley in the last 20 meters. Murphy was the only swimmer in the event to go sub-30 in the final length, recording a 29.41 split to complete the comeback just under four tenths of a second ahead of Pebley.

Three events after Murphy’s win, a strep-throat ridden Simone Manuel (Sugar Land, Texas/Alto Swim Club) persevered to claim the 100m free in 53.74. Though the Stanford product battled sickness, Manuel still out swam fellow national team members Olivia Smoliga (Glennview, Ill./Athens Bulldog Swim Club), Margo Geer (Milford Center, Ohio/Mission Viejo Nadadores) and Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md./Nation’s Capital Swim Club).

“Monday I found out I had strep throat, so the meet has been a little rough,” said Manuel after her victory. “I’m just trying to focus on details and make the meet as best as possible. I’ve just been trying to control the things I can control. This can happen at any point, I’m just trying to be as positive as possible.”

Manuel’s time was good for the second-best 100m freestyle performance in 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series competition, behind only the 53.42 mark she set in Knoxville. The win is Manuel’s first in Richmond and third of the TYR Pro Swim Series in 2019.

Also earning victories on the night were Madisyn Cox (Lubbock, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics) in the 200m I.M., Lisa Bratton (Richland, Wash./Aggie Swim Club) in the 200m backstroke and Ryan Held (Springfield, Ill./New York Athletic Club) in the 100m freestyle.

Complete results can be found at omegatiming.com

With three of five stops in the books, the 2019 TYR Pro Series heads to Bloomington, Indiana, for its fourth leg. The event runs from May 16 – 19 and will take place at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatics Center.