Team USA’s Michael Chadwick posted a video to Instagram yesterday which depicts a time trial 50 free he did while at the American training camp in Singapore pre-Worlds. They’ve been stationed there for training camp before they head out to Gwangju for the 2019 World Championships, where pool swimming commences in less than a week.
In the video, Chadwick is suited up and races a 50 free. While he notes in his Instagram caption that the timing system was off, multiple hand-timed estimates registered around a 21.75.
“We didn’t have the timing system on but apparently I went a best time,” reads Chadwick’s caption.
A member of David Marsh’s pro group at Team Elite West in San Diego, Chadwick is one of several tough American sprinters with hopes of an Olympic berth next year. If the hand-timed estimate of his swim in Singapore is about right, it’s an unoffical two-tenths drop for Chadwick. His lifetime best is a 21.96 — he swam that time at 2016 Olympic Trials and then did so again at the 2019 PSS stop in Richmond this spring. He’s only been under 22 one other instance — a 21.99 at the 2017 Israeli Summer Championships.
Chadwick is one of 15 American men to have gone sub-22 in the 50 free in history. For fun, if the swim was official and he had in fact registered a 21.75, that would knock Gary Hall, Jr out of the top 10 and put Chadwick in 10th all-time. He’d also join Caeleb Dressel and Michael Andrew as the only American men under 22 this season. We’ll have to wait for him to get an official (and rested) time in this event, though, as he’s not racing the 50 free at Worlds.
Chadwick is a relay-only swimmer for Team USA in Gwangju, qualifying through his 5th place finish in the 100 free at 2018 U.S. Nationals.
Was this timed by a Texas coach. It seems to be the norm nowadays.
Funny that this would be 2 tenths faster than his PB, because something similar happened to Jessica Felsner from Germany in the women’s 50 free this year. She swam 24.72 at some small meet in Germany with hand-timing only (a time that would have been fast enough for her to qualify for the world championships), but wasn’t able to produce anything faster than 24.91 (her lifetime best and 0.19 seconds slower than 24.72) anywhere else (at meetings with normal timing).
Well hand timing is typically faster than electronic timing. It’s worth between .2-.3 depending on who is timing
Great practice swim for Chadwick. Not to beat a dead horse, but I recently watched the interview when Joseph Schooling claimed to have gone a 50.7. I have to say…is it that hard to get a video? Props to Chadwick to have the foresight to get a video of a practice race, even if it’s only to see his swim for himself. Again, great swim for Chadwick and thanks for posting it, instead of expecting people to believe you went a fast time.
Michael Andrew’s vlog shows that they were filming above and below the water to look at technique. I think that is why they had video of the swim.
Schooling was not expecting a fast time, so why would he be filming it? Also why is it so hard to believe he went 50.7? His PB was 50.3 even before that swim
Joseph Schooling could go 20.6 in practice, Michael. Try to beat that!
21.88 on my hand….pretty rapid
Solid looking swim. Good sign even if 21.75 is a couple tenths too fast due to hand timing.
Chadwick is more a 100 guy, so feel like a pretty solid relay split is in store 👀
46.05 and swimswam breaks and Rowdy has a seizure
I see what you did there 😂😂😂
I don’t get it…..