Olympian Emma Harvey made a strong return to long-course meters action, spearheading the island’s contingent at the prestigious 2026 AZ Sun Devil Open.
Hosted by Sun Devil Swimming at the iconic Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe, Arizona, the premier outdoor meet attracted an elite international field of collegiate champions and Olympic hopefuls looking to fine-tune their speed ahead of the summer’s major international trials.
Competing in the highly competitive Women's 13 and Over 50 LC Meter Freestyle, Harvey was tested early in a furious morning preliminary session.
Swimming in the outdoor long-course setup, the four-time Central American and Caribbean Games medalist executed a sharp start but narrowly missed out on an absolute 'A' final berth, touching the wall in a solid 27.63 seconds. The effort was just enough to secure her a middle lane in the evening's consolation bracket.
Harvey demonstrated her trademark tactical adjustments under the floodlights for the B Final. Reacting beautifully off the blocks, she maintained excellent underwater mechanics and a powerful turnover down the single-lap sprint.
The Bermudian star significantly lowered her morning mark, stopping the clock in a blistering 27.34 seconds to claim a superb second-place finish in the heat.
The improved evening performance comfortably locked Harvey into tenth place overall in the final standings.
While French international star Marie Wattel claimed the overall gold medal with a meet-record time of 25.28 seconds, Harvey's consistent progression through the rounds highlights her steady physical conditioning on the US circuit.
With the 50-meter freestyle under her belt, the versatile individual medley and backstroke specialist has laid down an excellent baseline standard as she transitions into the peak of her long-course campaign.
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