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Nathan Adrian swam like a man with something to prove.
After a rough season in which he reportedly battled shoulder issues and a disappointing 7th place finish in the finals of the 100 free two days ago, Adrian dropped the hammer in the semi-finals of the 50 free this evening.
Adrian’s time of 21.37 broke Cullen Jones’s American Record time of 21.40, set in the semi-finals of the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy, during the supersuited era.
In the post-race interview, Adrian said that he was feeling good today, and decided to “go for it.”
His time in the fastest in the world this year, and also sets him up as the top seed going into tomorrow night’s final. The United States men haven’t picked up a medal in this event since Ben Wildman-Tobriner and Jones went 1-2 in the finals of the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.
If Adrian is to win gold here in Kazan, he’ll have to beat out reigning Olympic 50m free champion, Florent Manaudou, who had the second-fastest time in the semi-finals, a 21.41, and last year’s Pan Pacific Championships gold medalist, Brazil’s Bruno Fratus, among others.
Adrian also holds the American Record in the yards version of the 50 free short. The short course meters record belongs to teammate Anthony Ervin, who will be facing off against Russia’s Vladimir Morozov shortly in a swim-off for the final spot in tomorrow’s 50 free final.
Please tell me why I “Cannot view the content in my area”, while trying to see this video from Denmark (Europe). Why is the video restricted ?
That was beastly. Good on ya Nathan, just nice to see you happy with that fantastic swim.
That swim meant a lot to him. Congrats.
I wonder what the future will hold for Nathan beyond Rio.
Will he want to be done?
Will he keep swimming the 50 and the 100?
Will he drop the 100 altogether and focus on the 50?
Will he do what Anthony Ervin is doing and focus on the 50, but still race the 100 for relays?
Seems like just yesterday people were opining that Adrian was past prime and on way out. No wait… that was just yesterday.
He had one bad race at this meet. Time to take a deep breath and not make too much of it than just to say his 100 final wasn’t his best race. Happens and glad it happened this year and not next. The whole US team looks like possibly they are just not all there with the time zones and travel. Maybe this group should have come together for a training camp in that part of the world another week or two earlier.
I think he’s still not sure how he should pace that 100. I thought he should have gone out faster, but it’s such a fast race and leaves very little margin of error.
I think that is exactly what happened to Adrian in the 100. In the semi-final he was out in 22.4, and afterwards he commented that he thought maybe that was too fast, and he needed to make an adjustment. Given his speed, he should have been ahead at the 50 turn in the 100 final, but he was behind.
So, I think he over-corrected. I’m sure he’s kicking himself knowing he could have gone faster.
Wasn’t Adrian also nursing a shoulder injury?
Doesnt seem like this is true from that swim.
This makes Adrian the fastest textile 50/100 free swimmer?
I meant being the fastest 50 & 100 free textile swimmer. Adrian has a faster textile 100 time than the mentioned swimmers.
Depends. Adrian have 21.3 and 47.5, Magnussen have 21.5 and 47.1.
I told before: Is very hard to do the parity(best 50 and best 100 at the same time). Adrian is getting older and I think he will do a wise decision having 50 as his main focus swimming 100 for relays.
Not great for US relays, though.
Adrian is always the anchor.With specific relay start training, I think Adrian can blast 46high closing relay, even if he don’t break 48 in individual race.I told before:I think Adrian got lucky to be OUT of 50free in London.He could do a taper specific just for 100.
Besides Adrian and Magnussen, we have Manaudou with 47.98 and 21.32,Cielo with 47.84 and 21.32 and Morozov with 47.63 and 21.47.But only Magnussen and Manaudou made the two bests in the same competition
IMO the difference between 47.1 and 47.52 is more than 21.37and 21.55( I think it was that). Still magnussen for me.
I agree, 47.1 is way more impressive. Nobody has been close to it yet either. 21.3 is not quite are rare as a few guys have done it.
50 free only he is 4th… Bousquet has 21,36.
That’s baller!!!