Ella Eastin was added to the U.S. roster for the world swimming championships in three weeks as Kathleen Baker dropped the 200m individual medley from her schedule.
Eastin, 22 and on her first world team, was slowed by mono last summer before the team for this year’s worlds was determined at 2018 Nationals and the Pan Pacific Championships.
Though Eastin was the fastest U.S. woman in the 200m IM at Pan Pacs (2:09.90), Baker and Melanie Margalis were faster at nationals two weeks earlier and made the world team in the event.
Baker is more known for her backstroke. The 100m back semifinals and the 200m IM final are in the same July 22 session at worlds in Gwangju, South Korea. Baker is the 100m back world-record holder. She ranked second in the world last year in the 200m IM behind Japanese Yui Ohashi.
Eastin appeared to make the 2017 World team, touching second in the 400m IM at nationals, but was later disqualified for an illegal turn. She ranked eighth in the world last year in the 200m IM and is 19th this year, 3.4 seconds behind Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu of Hungary.
Eastin’s biggest win to date came at the 2018 NCAA Championships, when she beat Katie Ledecky in the 400-yard individual medley and took the American and NCAA records in the event from her Stanford teammate.
MORE: Australian swim star to miss world champs
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