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2019 W. NCAAs: Abbey Weitzeil Hits Fastest 50 Free in History – 21.02

2019 WOMEN’S DIVISION I NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil set the 50 free American record three years ago during her redshirt year but hadn’t been able to match that time in her past three NCAA seasons. She saw the NCAA record go to Stanford’s Simone Manuel in 2017 (21.17) and Tennessee’s Erika Brown last month (21.15), all the while leaving her 21.12 American record untouched – until Thursday night in Austin.

Weitzeil reset both the NCAA, American, and US Open marks by a wide margin in her third NCAA Championships. She was out 10.08 to the foot, then 10.94 coming home, to touch first in 21.02. Brown took second place in 21.23 and Louisville’s Mallory Comerford third in 21.49.

Just before this swim, Weitzeil was 20.49 on Cal’s record-setting 200 free relay – the N0. 2 split in history behind Manuel’s 20.45. Fittingly, Manuel was in the house to watch Weitzeil’s swims.

Weitzeil, Manuel, and Brown now combine to own nine of the top-10 fastest performances in history.

Top 10 Performers of All Time: Women’s SCY 50 Free

Place Swimmer Time
1 Abbey Weitzeil 21.02
2 Erika Brown 21.15
3 Simone Manuel 21.17
4 Olivia Smoliga 21.21
5 Lara Jackson 21.27
6 Liz Li 21.28
7 Farida Osman 21.32
8 Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace 21.34
9 Natalie Coughlin 21.48 (T-9)
10 Caroline Baldwin 21.48 (T-9)
10 Liv Jensen 21.48 (T-9)

Top 10 Performances of All Time: Women’s SCY 50 Free

Place Swimmer Time
1 Abbey Weitzeil 21.02
2 Abbey Weitzeil 21.12
3 Erika Brown 21.15
4 Abbey Weitzeil 21.16
5 Simone Manuel 21.17
6 Simone Manuel 21.18
7 Simone Manuel 21.20
8 Olivia Smoliga 21.21
9 Erika Brown 21.23
10 Abbey Weitzeil 21.24

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googoodoll
5 years ago

Abby doing the “Brrrrappp” stretch. She is the Queen of speed swimming – “The Fastest Woman Afloat!”

Wild Bill
5 years ago

Wonderful! So happy for Abby!

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
5 years ago

I am so proud of Abbey.

googoodoll
5 years ago

Come on…you musta laughed a little?

Yozhik
5 years ago

No matter what else happens at this championships I will consider it successful because of this amazing comeback race of Abbey Weitzeil. If she is same fast in LCM then American will have the fastest ever 4×100 relay with Comerford, Manuel, Weitzeil (listed alphabetically) that no Sisters can beat at world championships.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

yep , thats very probable …..

Coach Mike 1952
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Who’s the fourth swimmer to be?

Hswimmer
Reply to  Coach Mike 1952
5 years ago

Maybe Gretchen Walsh in 2020. Possibly Geer

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Hswimmer
5 years ago

Or Brown

Taa
Reply to  Coach Mike 1952
5 years ago

Geer was 53.4 last summer. But Schmidt and Lea Neal also likely to get a shot in prelims

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Coach Mike 1952
5 years ago

Ledecky.

Yozhik
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
5 years ago

Should it was the spring of 2016 then I would have no doubts that her ambition would place her in this relay and 15:20 swimmer would deliver under 53sec split. But now she is too mature for this nonsense. She is a professional now. A real one.

Wild Bill
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
5 years ago

She was 52.6 relay split at the 2016 Olympics

NJones
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Jusssst a heads up that the Canadians may have something so say about that… Quietly and politely of course 😁. Taylor Ruck is on way to shining this weekend and is already a 52 long course, Penny is rounding back into form this past year, Kayla Sanchez is 53 from last summer and 51 short course this year, and now Maggie McNeil showing Sprint free skills at this meet on top of her 100 fly. There isn’t the 5th-6th-7th depth necessarily but the top 4 or 5 are going to put the 4*1 right in the mix… Add to that their all under 20 so there’s that to consider the next 3-5 yrs….

Dee
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

I’d remind you that Australia have a third sub 53 swimmer (McKeon) in their ranks. Throw in Shayna Jack and the revitalised Madi Wilson, already into the 53s LC this year, and you have a match for the US. C1/C2/McKeon/*fourth Aussie* show up ready to go, I still make them top dog, purely because C1 is an untouchable animal on a relay anchor.

Gorb
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

Agreed. The US will have a very tough time with the Aussies. Simone, Commerford, Margo, and maybe Abbey or Neal do not match up against them on paper.

Gaucho
5 years ago

Nevertheless, she persisted.

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
Reply to  Gaucho
5 years ago

Amen.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Gaucho
5 years ago

always persist to make dreams come true …..

Ragnar
5 years ago

Incredible amazing phenomenal bombastic holy cow, what a swim. Makes a 45 something 100 not out of the question, her best time in that is back from 2014. This is the year it goes down!

Coreycc
5 years ago

Wow! So close to under 21! Amazing for our sport!

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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