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Drew Kibler Clocks Top 200 Free Time in World This Year with 1:45.82 at Indy Sectionals

2023 INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDO SECTIONALS

  • March 23-26, 2023
  • IU Natatorium – IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Long Course Meters (50 meters)
  • Psych Sheet
  • Meet Results (Post Session, under “Meet Days”)
  • Meet Results on Meet Mobile: “Spring 2023 Speedo Sectionals”

Olympian Drew Kibler clocked the top 200-meter freestyle time in the world this year with a 1:45.82 to win by nearly two seconds on Friday night at the 2023 Indianapolis Sectionals.

Men’s 200-Meter Freestyle, 2023 World Rankings

  1. Drew Kibler (USA) – 1:45.82
  2. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 1:46.52
  3. Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:46.73
  4. Matthew Richards (GBR) – 1:47.04
  5. Flynn Southan (AUS) – 1:47.08
  6. Henry McFadden (USA) – 1:47.23
  7. Elijah Winington (AUS) – 1:47.26
  8. Kieran Smith (USA) – 1:47.33
  9. Gabriel Jett (USA) – 1:47.41
  10. Matthew Sates (RSA) – 1:47.46

Last March, Kibler was 1:47.61 at the Pro Swim Series stop in San Antonio. He went on to place fourth at the World Championships last summer, the top American finisher in the event, while also earning a gold medal swimming the leadoff leg of the 4×200 free relay (1:45.54).

After graduating from Texas last spring, he opted to not use his fifth year of eligibility, instead returning home to Indiana in September to train with Carmel Swim Club under head coach Chris Plumb.

On Thursday night, Kibler threw down his first personal best since making the switch, posting a 22.23 in the 50 free for the victory. The 23-year-old followed up that with another impressive performance in the 200 free, taking nearly two seconds off Felix Auboeck’s meet record from 2017 (1:47.45) with his 1:45.82. Kibler was less than a second off his lifetime best of 1:45.01 from his fourth-place finish at Worlds.

Kibler’s progression in the 200 free this year has seen a sharp spike, with a 1:49.59 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville and a 1:47.94 at the stop in Fort Lauderdale before his new season-best tonight.

Second-place finisher Aaron Shackell, an 18-year-old Carmel Swim Club teammate and Cal commit, placed second behind Kibler in 1:47.70. Shackell dropped more than three seconds off his previous best from Junior Nationals last summer.

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Masters Swimmer
1 year ago

Tom Dean went 1.46:07 at Edinburgh International 2023 a couple of weeks back. Why is he not listed in the top 10?

sven
1 year ago

Wait other meets happen during NCAAs? Interesting. I’m not sure I understand but I guess it’s a free country.

Hopefully some other 200 freestylers show up this summer. I’m glad our men’s 4×100 has gotten better but hopefully the simultaneous struggle in the 4×200 is just a coincidence and we get over it soon.

Swimfan
Reply to  sven
1 year ago

Perhaps you missed the results of the 2022 World Championships in Budapest where the USA men’s 4 x200 destroyed their competition by nearly 3 Seconds to win Gold? If so did you also miss the 2022 Short course worlds where the same USA team won gold and broke the world record?

Payton
Reply to  sven
1 year ago

Yeah, all usa and highschool championships kinda wrap up around mid March.

PFA
1 year ago

Extremely fast Time for Kibler looks like he could potentially be the #1 American in this event after trials in a few months.

Joel
1 year ago

So where are all this commenters who tease him for going back home to train? The silence seems deafening.

Boxall's Railing
Reply to  Joel
1 year ago

I’m here 🙂 Surprised and impressed! If he does it one more time, I’ll eat my words.

Sub13
1 year ago

Very impressive in-season time from him. I imagine this will survive at #1 through Canadian trials. I haven’t bought into the “GB is in trouble” hype yet but if none of the GB boys beat this at trials then I’d be concerned.

wow
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

On the other hand – GBs 4×1 is looking extremely good.
Dean splits 46 consistently + Burras, Richards, Scott, Whittle…

Last edited 1 year ago by wow
Sub13
Reply to  wow
1 year ago

If everyone swims their best then GB should theoretically win all 3 men’s relays and the MMR. But they have had trouble getting everything lined up between illness and bad coaching decisions and just random slow splits.

Calisurf
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

I think Dean can go faster than 1:45.82 at trials in 2 weeks time. Before that, Hwang will definitely go sub 45 in a couple of days since the Korean national championships has just begun today.

Sub13
Reply to  Calisurf
1 year ago

Oh I didn’t realise that. Yeah Hwang will probably be faster then.

Thomas Selig
Reply to  Calisurf
1 year ago

Yeah Dean was 1:46.0 in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago. Would be very surprised if he didn’t go under 1:45.8 at Trials. Also Richards has looked great this year so far, so wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop a PB.

Scott is probably the big concern from GB for the 4×200. He’s just not looked right this year so far, so hope everything’s OK. Not expecting that much from him at Trials, but hopefully will be able to build up to Worlds.

The 4×100 really just needs 4 of Burras, Dean, Scott, Whittle and Richards firing at the same time. Get that and they should be in the hunt at least. Richards firing off a 48.4 in season… Read more »

Swim Alchemist
1 year ago

Dang, if he had just shown up in Minneapolis we’d have seen a 5:59.99 relay.

Jimbo
Reply to  Swim Alchemist
1 year ago

The way it works now he just would’ve had to swim Big12 to qualify,right?

KSW
Reply to  Jimbo
1 year ago

its a joke bro…

Autofill
1 year ago

I love u drew Kibler

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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