2017 TYR Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions
- Meet Website
- LCM (50m)
- Woollett Aquatic Center, Irvine, California
- Results can be found on Meet Mobile, Search: “Irvine”
A few big names came to play on the first full day of the Fran Crippen Memorial Meet of Champions held in Irvine, including a pair of Olympic gold medalists and Cal Bear alumni in Nathan Adrian and Tom Shields.
Adrian produced the most impressive swim of the night, clocking 48.74 to win the men’s 100 free handily by over two seconds. Adrian continued his recent trend of coming home strong in this race, splitting 23.53/25.21. New Zealand’s Daniel Hunter (50.78) and Matt Stanley (50.89) rounded out the top three, and Stanford distance ace Liam Egan was 4th in 52.29.
Notably, 18-year-old Nate Biondi, son of eight-time Olympic gold medalist Matt Biondi, placed 5th in a time of 52.95. Biondi has committed to swim for the Cal Bears beginning next year.
Shields put up a solid time of 1:58.05 to win the men’s 200 fly, a full second faster than the 1:59.09 he posted to finish 2nd at the Mesa Pro Swim Series two weeks ago.
Mexican Ramiro Ramirez Juarez put up a time of 2:00.41 to place 2nd ahead of Stanford’s Grant Shoults (2:00.41) and New Zealand’s Bradlee Ashby (2:03.37).
A third Olympic gold medalist from Cal was in action, as Abbey Weitzeil competed in the women’s 100 freestyle. Weitzeil took 2nd in the event in a time of 55.88, losing out to Canyon Aquatics’ Amanda Kendall who touched in 55.34 for the victory.
The men’s 400 free was another intriguing race, involving all three of Stanford’s distance men in Egan, Shoults and True Sweetser. Egan led wire-to-wire to earn the victory in 3:53.25, followed by Shoults (3:57.04) and New Zealand’s Ashby (3:58.51). Sweetser was 4th in 3:58.63.
Other winners on night 2:
- Helena Gasson, New Zealand, women’s 200 fly (2:12.64)
- Taylor McCoy, Gold Medal Swim Club, women’s 200 back (2:16.07)
- Patrick Conaton, Unattached/Stanford, men’s 200 back (2:01.17)
- Hayley McIntosh, New Zealand, women’s 400 free (4:15.43)
Go Golden Bears!: Adrian, Shields, Weitzell, and… Biondi 2.0!
Nathan , so consistent in season – bodes well for his 100 free this summer
He’s out for blood after Rio, I truly believe Adrian can go a 47.10 or lower
me too – i think he is gonna pop up some very fast 100 free
I wish I looked like Nathan Adrian….
one powerful freestyle body shape
Grevers would be my ideal one
Nothing reassuring about Abbey Weitzeil. Last year she was consistent at her in-season meets around 53 high/54 low.
Hopefully she’s just at a very different point in her training compared to last year’s same period (she didn’t swim in college) but I doubt that’s the only reason. Right now and after a very average SCY season it’s tough to imagine her make the US relay team for Budapest. Hopefully I’m totally wrong.
Not common to see Shields in 1.58 low in the 200 fly at training meets.
Amanda Kendall swimming well and is with Abbey’s former team Canyons. With a good taper, Kendall has a shot at world team in multiple events.
A 54.0 does not help Team USA. We need at least a 53 .
She’s just adjusting to a new coach and new college environment. Another year and if she’s still underperforming she should look to go somewhere else (if swimming is a priority)
Great in-season swim by Shields!!
Actually Abbey Weitzeil was faster in prelim race 55.69, But still not even close to times showed a year ago. I hope that she is focusing on particular aspects of the race and doesn’t care much about final time. Otherwise her 29.15 for the second half after pretty average start looks very troubling especially remembering what happened to her at Pac-12 after 200 race.
Overtrained. She’s fast-twitch only (like Ervin), and having her do the 200 free in college is just criminal.
It looks like that. I hope the damage done isn’t permanent.