One of the many highlights of the 2015 World University Games was Jack Conger‘s success on the American relays. He opened up the meet with a 47.75 to help the USA men win gold in the 4×100 free relay, and then he anchored the medley relay in 47.95 on the final day of the pool competition, earning a silver medal.
With those two great swims by Conger, along with what seems to be a general trepidation regarding the prospects of the USA men’s 4×100 free relay in Kazan, I decided to find all of the sub-48 relay splits (not including lead-off legs) by USA men since the end of the supersuit era — January 1st, 2010. I found 21* such swims when combing through the results of major international meets; here they are:
| Time | Swimmer | Event | Meet |
| 46.69 | Nathan Adrian | Medley Relay | 2013 World Championships |
| 46.85 | Nathan Adrian | Medley Relay | 2012 Olympics |
| 47.15 | Michael Phelps | Free Relay | 2012 Olympics |
| 47.32 | Garrett Weber-Gale | Medley Relay (P) | 2011 World Championships |
| 47.38 | Anthony Ervin | Free Relay (P) | 2013 World Championships |
| 47.40 | Nathan Adrian | Free Relay | 2011 World Championships |
| 47.44 | Anthony Ervin | Free Relay | 2013 World Championships |
| 47.51 | Nathan Adrian | Free Relay | 2010 Pan Pacs |
| 47.54 | Matt Grevers | Free Relay (P) | 2012 Olympics |
| 47.54 | Nathan Adrian | Medley Relay | 2010 Pac Pacs |
| 47.56 | Ricky Berens | Free Relay (P) | 2013 World Championships |
| 47.60 | Cullen Jones | Free Relay | 2012 Olympics |
| 47.60 | Nathan Adrian | Medley Relay | 2014 Pan Pacs |
| 47.64 | Nathan Adrian | Medley Relay | 2011 World Championships |
| 47.71 | Nathan Adrian | Free Relay | 2014 Pan Pacs |
| 47.74 | Jimmy Feigen | Medley Relay (P) | 2013 World Championships |
| 47.74 | Ryan Lochte | Free Relay | 2012 Olympics |
| 47.75 | Jack Conger | Free Relay | 2015 WUG |
| 47.80 | Ryan Lochte | Free Relay | 2013 World Championships |
| 47.95 | Jack Conger | Medley Relay | 2015 World University Games |
| 47.98 | Ryan Lochte | Free Relay | 2010 Pan Pacs |
I’ll save you the counting, and tell you that ten different men have gone sub-48 for the US in the past five years, with Nathan Adrian responsible for eight of the 21 sub-48 swims. Ryan Lochte has been below 48 three times, despite not being a sprint specialist. Conger now joins Anthony Ervin as the only men besides Adrian and Lochte to have done this twice in this timeframe. Ricky Berens, Jimmy Feigen, Matt Grevers, Cullen Jones, Michael Phelps, and Garrett Weber-Gale have each done it once.
Berens officially retired, for the second time, after the 2013 World Championships. Weber-Gale hasn’t competed since 2013, but is not officially retired, as far as we know, and does show up on the USADA drug testing reports for 2014, although not for 2015.
Phelps is not swimming on international teams this summer as part of his discipline from USA Swimming, so unless NBAC enters a relay at the US Open in August and he chooses to swim on that, the next time he’ll be going for another sub-48 split is probably going to be in Rio.
Jones will get another shot at breaking the 48.0 barrier next week at the Pan American Games, in addition to swimming the 50 and 100 free individually. The official roster doesn’t have relay spots, but the 4×100 free team will almost certainly feature Jones, the other individual 100 free competitor, Darian Townsend, and Josh Schneider, who will be swimming the 50 free individually. The fourth spot seems a little more up in the air, but Michael Kleuh and Giles Smith both have lifetimes bests under 50 seconds.
Adrian, Ervin, Feigen, Grevers and Lochte will all be representing the United States at the World Championships in Kazan in just a few weeks, and Conor Dwyer is also on the roster for the 4×100 free relay. That’s a lot of international relay experience, and a lot of sub-48 splits over the past few years, but last summer at Pan Pacs, Adrian was the only one able to do that again. If that was an aberration, due to a compressed schedule, the outdoor pool, injuries the previous year, etc., and four men can go sub-48 again, the USA should be in the hunt for a gold medal. If not, there will be even more speculation heading into next summer about which up-and-coming swimmers could help get the USA back to dominance in the 4×100 free.
*Thanks to commenter BVP for pointing out a swim I initially missed.
The numbers recently may not point toward both of them, but strictly in terms of relay gold experience, the Pan Am 100 freestylers individually both have Olympic relay gold. Not just Jones, but Townsend. It is from 2004, but I’m sure it still shines. And he has a new motivation. Unlikely but fun to watch for.
If this list was comprised of splits between the years of 2002-2010 it would be dominated almost exclusively by Lezak, and to a smaller extent Neil Walker. Not many swimmers right now (for any nation) can cut off whole seconds or more off their flat times like those two often did.
You missed one from Lochte; 47.98 split at 2010 PanPacs. A few people are dogging him here…that makes 3 sub 48 splits since 2010. That seems pretty consistent to me compared to others on this list that specialize in sprint free events and only appear once or twice!
I don’t see Conger winning gold in any individual event on the highest stage, I think he’s extremely fast and talented but not a real racer, I feel like he’ll medal at worlds eventually but not win anything. I’ve always seen Murphy as a real champion, that kid is serious. Hes had dominant and clutch performances just like phelps. I think he could put up a monster 100 LC split, maybe 47.2.
As of now, conger is the stronger option on a 4x 100 free relay though..
It probably comes down to Murphy or grevers for the backstroke leg of the medley relay
Murphy has the stronger chance right now for an individual gold with the 100 and 200 back..
Conger’s best events are stacked (100 and 200 fly).. He has a strong 200 back (went 1:55 at the last university games) and could be the 2nd guy in with Murphy, but who knows if he swims that at trails and you have lochte and clary
And don’t think conger will make the team individually for the 100 free.. Think Adrian and phelps make it individually.. Make he makes it for… Read more »
Is the 200 fly that stacked? le Clos is great, but aside from that the event really hasn’t progressed much in a long time.
17 guys under 1:56 without counting phelps, conger, clary or shields
I think the U.S. team for the 4 x100 free in rio comes down to that 4h leg..
3 guys I have the most faith in being on that team: Adrian, phelps and conger
I want to see what David Nolan can do long course.. Then where dressel will be.. And where Murphy’s 100 free will be.. And don’t forget grevers had a very solid 100 free too
Lochte was probably only on the final London 4 x 100 free because Troy was the head coach.. Notice he had him anchoring too
Unfortunately it doesn’t look like we have a Nathan Adrian-level talent coming up the ranks of American swimming for at least a few more years. Sure, Caleb Dressel and Jack Conger show promise, but I’m not entirely faithful in Dressel’s Olympic-quality 100 talent, nor do I expect Conger to focus on sprint free any time soon. While I sure hope I’m wrong, it seems we’re in for a few years without the appearance of a truly consistent “sprint star” like Adrian’s been for the United States since c.2009.
While I do agree with you, I think it is important to throw Ryan Murphy in the mix.
I mean, I suppose Adrian’s split on the 2013 medley should count, but that team did get DQ’d, right?
Yes.
Weird how Lochte is consistently on the 4×100 without really ever splitting 47 mid. He’s gone two 47 highs, but not nearly the level of Phelps. I find it strange how MP can go 1:54 low and then throw down a 47.5 flat start, where as Lochte can go 1:54 and then struggle to break 48 on a relay. I really do hope that the SWIMMAC Elite training with Marsh gives him the speed he needs to stick on that finals relay in Kazan and Rio. I would be ecstatic to see Ryan perform at the highest level he ever has, now that the 200 is his longest distance.
My final hope for his career is that he figures… Read more »