After we published our updated SCY National Age Group record progression list a couple weeks ago, we’re back with an updated version of our long course records.
Much like our short course version, we’ve worked on filling in the holes from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Once again, we have embedded a spreadsheet below from all of the existing data we have available. In addition, we included the swimmer’s total number of Olympic medals in the righthand columns.
See any errors or omissions? Feel free to leave them in the comments section, and we’ll address them/extend our gratitude for the assistance.
Again, like we did with our short course yards rankings a couple weeks ago, we examined the number of NAG records set over time, broken down by age group beginning in the 1980′s. Interestingly, if we look at the total number of records by decade again, we see very different results from our short course record tracking tables:
| Since 2010 | 2000-2009 | 1990-1999 | 1980-1989 | 2008-2009* | Total # of Records | |
| 17-18 Boys | 5 | 20 | 10 | 25 | 2 |
60 |
|
17-18 Girls |
10 | 18 | 11 | 22 | 6 | 61 |
| 15-16 boys | 8 | 13 | 18 | 28 | 4 |
67 |
|
15-16 girls |
9 | 10 | 8 | 29 | 4 | 56 |
| 13-14 boys | 11 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 3 |
51 |
|
13-14 girls |
3 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 7 | 43 |
| 11-12 boys | 10 | 30 | 10 | 22 | 6 |
72 |
|
11-12 girls |
9 | 15 | 27 | 13 | 4 | 64 |
| Total # of Records | 65 | 128 | 106 | 175 |
36 |
In summary:
- The overall number of long course records (474) set since 1980 is nearly 25% less than the number of short course records (617) set in that same time period.
- The biggest difference between the number of long course and short course records are in the younger ranks (11-12 girls, 11-12 boys, and 13-14 boys).
- While we’ve seen 143 short course NAG records since the turn of the decade, we’ve only seen 65 long course records in the same time period. Although we technically have had just four long course summer seasons (we’ve had five short course taper periods), it’s unlikely that we’ll get within 50 of the short course title before the end of 2015.
- While we saw 52 short course NAG records go down in the “supersuit” era of 2008-2009, only 36 long course records fell in that same time period.
- The 13-14 girls had easily the fewest number of records fall since 1980, largely because of the absurd standards set by once-in-a-lifetime athletes just a couple years earlier. Between 1977-1979, Tracy Caulkins, Mary T. Meagher, and Sippy Woodhead set records in 10 of 14 events in the age group, which stood for an average of greater than 20 years. Five of them lasted for more than 30 years, and three of them still stand.
See anything else of note? Let us know!
This is fascinating stuff. I noticed some errors in the medal count columns in the 11-12 boys both Fred Tyler and john Kinsella were on the Gold Medal winning 4 X 200 Free Relay in Munich in 1972. I haven’t checked the other age groups yet
No disagreement really, but I’m counting on Simone Manuel to make some good time drops in the 50/100 free by 2016. I’m also hoping Mann, Hu/Bayer will do well in the 200 fly. Without Vollmer, I’m hoping McLaughlin will really shine. I think it’s more realistic to expect improvement from NAG best to international caliber in very young women than men.
I guess I was being generous to Mr Nolan, but he was a NAG level competitor with a lot of the big young stars coming up on the US men’s team.
I feel confident that the US system will churn out some new 200 free athletes, and I think Dwyer is going to surprise us with his Olympic performance.… Read more »
PS: I was “needing out” to see who had made the biggest time drops in setting their records and I noticed an error in the 13-14 girls 200 breast that needs to be corrected as well as the 15-16 girls 100 breast. I also noticed Beth Botsford’s and Kaylin Keller’s names misspelled somewhere.
Wow, Jesse Vassallo broke the 13-14 1500 free record by a wopping 39.85 seconds! No wonder it still stands today! Maybe Tracy Caulkins drop of 24.28 seconds in the 13-14 girls 400 IM is even more impressive. Also, Katie Ledecky breaking Janet Evans 15-16 girls 1500 free record by 15.57 seconds is amazing when you consider it stood for 25 years, plus the fact that Janet had… Read more »
You are courageous to make predictions about Michael Andrew.
Usually I like doing crazy predictions and sometimes it happens as I expected (Katie Ledecky in 2011), but about Mr Andrew I’m unable to predict anything right now.
I don’t see anything in my crystal ball. 🙂
I content myself by watching him develop since 2010 and it’s fun like that!
Check out the names in the Male 17 – 18 400 Free. Pretty strong field all the way back to 1969.
Awesome list! I noticed a few typos, but I am grateful to the people who put so much time and effort into this endeavor! A few thoughts:
1. I have read comments about Michael Andrew being a short course swimmer and stating he hasn’t proven himself in long course, but he has already broken 13-14 records set by decade busters like Anthony Robinson, Noel Strauss, and a guy named Phelps! I’m impressed! Plus, who else has held LC sprint free, back, breast, fly and IM records in the same age group? Maybe Chas Morton and Tracy Caulkins? You could say he’s another Morton and won’t go on to Olympic glory, but there’s a big difference between holding a bunch of… Read more »
Interesting thoughts.
I agree with most of your comments.
I wouldn’t put Nolan in the same category as Cordes, Murphy, Conger or Dressel. He still has everything to prove in long course. And we wait for 3 or 4 years now.
About US biggest weaknesses OF THE MOMENT, I would mention:
– the 50 free, the 100 fly (without Dana Vollmer), the 200 fly and the 200 IM on the women’s side. But Simone Manuel and Katie McLaughlin can fix these problems in the next 2 years. I’m more concerned about the 200 IM which seems to be an event without young talents who can be ready for 2016. Miss DiRado and Miss Leverenz represent the only hopes for USA.… Read more »
We’ve got Clary in the 2 fly, he should stick around until Seliskar gets there
I don’t see Clary as a medal chance in the 200 fly.
Finalist at best.
So sorry for Katie Hoff. 😳
I’ve completely missed her about the 200 IM.
I don’t know if she’s able to swim under 2.09 which represents the minimum mark for a medal chance but her come back has been very promising so far.
Except for australian times will be tough to find the best 11 years old times to compare.. to find at 14 world level a long time was needed
When I write “fastest ever”, I talk about times made in USA.
KEEP AN EYE ON 11-YEAR-OLD WINN AUNG FROM REDDING SWIM TEAM!
He will break many 11/12 age group records in SCY and LCM but it could happen much sooner than expected.
If I remember well, he turns 12 at the end of July so he still has more than a full year to destroy some records of that age group category.
Last week he swam:
26.99 in the 50 free
57.83 in the 100 free! Fastest 11-year-old boy since 2000 (start of the USA swimming rankings), probably fastest ever.
2.06.92 in the 200 free! Fastest 11-year-old boy since 2000, probably fastest ever.
4.23.67 in the 400 free! Fastest 11-year-old boy since 2000, probably… Read more »
BOBO – I did not swim 200 fly until I was 12. I went 1:59.98 in the 200 “yard” fly. I didn’t swim meters until 13. I went 2:08 in 200 fly at 14, 2:03 at 15, 2:02 at 16, 1:59.1 at 17, 1:57 at 18, 1:55.6 (my PB) at 22 (all times from 1981-1990)— I enjoy tracking the success of age groupers b/c they seem so much faster and bigger and stronger now. I’m just in awe of them. I can’t wait to see the first 1:49 200m fly. I predict we will by 2024.
That 1:59.98 converts to around a 2:15 or 16, but that’s definitely within range going from 11 to 12
Thanks Mel for your answer.
Great regular progression.
1.49 in long course in 2024? 😯
By a human? 😆
It seems crazy but why not?
Or perhaps you had in mind 39-year-old Michael Phelps who wins at the 2024 Los Angeles olympic games for his second comeback since his “official” retirement in 2016.
In yards Winn Aung has a PB of 2.00.81 swum last April.
11/12 age group records are 1.57.62 in yards and 2.14.40 in long course.
He’s going to crush both of them!
Think someone mentioned he would be competing at the Texas Open in a couple weeks.