Holding the third-best time in the country this year, Harvard sophomore Dean Farris did not enter the 100 back, electing not to take on a brutal double with his top-seeded 200 free.
Farris tried that double last year as a freshman and struggled through the backstroke. Despite ‘cruising’ his 200 free as best he could (Farris came in with a seed of 1:31.56, and went 1:33.0 in prelims to take 7th), he still added a second and a half in his backstroke, falling from 45.3 to 46.9 and missing the final in 31st. That combo is especially brutal on the legs, with only heats of the 100 breaststroke in between.
This year, Farris is the top seed in the 200 free and will give up the backstroke to have just one event on Friday. Instead, he’s entered in the 50 free, alongside the 200 back, where he finished 14th last year.
Farris is a much longer shot to score in the 50, with his lifetime-best of 19.68 ranking him just 69th right now. (Many of those ahead of him will clear out, though, as only the top 28 or 29 swimmers in each event should earn invites based on our cut line analysis).
We will still likely see Farris swim a 100 backstroke as part of Harvard’s 400 medley relay on Thursday.
See also:
17.98 Because he wants to.
LETS GOOooOOOOoooOo00ooOO DEAN FARRISSSSSS
Damn dean farris looks massive in the water from that photo. His armspan looks huge.
he is 6 foot 7 i heard …..like Biondi
Disrespectful. Won’t even let Caeleb win the 50 his senior year. Taking his 50 tittle, his record and then his girl. Farris can do it all.
He’s gonna jump out the pool with all Dressel’s old tattoos, too.
Swim swam needs a laugh reaction button.
Bowe Becker wins the 50
Dean’s going 17.98. You heard it here first.
50 free 200 free 200 back is up there as far as unsexy event lineups go. I also cringe whenever someone does both IMs and the 100 or 1650. Skipping the intermediate distance just looks wrong.
The 200 free is his Baby. It’s going to be a titanic battle between Haas, Pieroni, Carter, and our Golden Boy Dean.
Dean swam in Lane 1 in the final last year. This year, he might be closer to the middle of the pool with his rivals.
Besides the Schooling-Dressel rematch in the 100 fly, the 200 free is going to be a Race to Watch.
No Craig?
Here’s last year’s race.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i7oFvQG4ak
Dean is going to be much faster this year. That’s why the 200 free is going to be bonkers.