The HardCoreSwim of the week goes to SwimMAC pro Nick Thoman for his performances at the 2013 USA Swimming Winter National Championships, and specifically his 100 yard backstroke swim of 44.07.
That time won a race where both he and Matt Grevers went under Grevers’ old record of 44.55 in the event.
The 100 yard back was one of three American Records upon which Thoman stamped his name. Thoman also broke the American Record in the 50 yard backstroke with a 20.69 leading off SwimMAC’s 200 medley relay in finals. That’s a newly-kept record in this course for the Americans, but Thoman broke Eugene Godsoe’s 2012 record of 20.78.
As a part of that 200 yard medley relay, SwimMAC combined for a 1:23.02, which is a third American Record for Thoman. That cleared a 1:23.17 set by the Cal men at the 2013 NCAA Championships (though Michigan’s relay from that meet, which included two Spaniards, is still the U.S. Open Record).
Thoman has always been a swimmer moving to the beat of his own drum a little bit, and that’s never been as clear to the outside as it has this season. Thoman opted not to even try for the World Championship team over the summer, and showed up at the 2013 U.S. Open, was the top finishing American in the 100 back, swam just that single event and the 400 medley relay (he was DQ’ed in the 200 back), and earned his way onto the National Team.
Then he disappeared again, before reemerging at Winter Nationals to break these American Records. In the last 16 months since the Olympics, he’s swum two meets, broken three American Records, and is on the United States National Team. That is a highly efficient year-and-a-half.
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Way to go Nick ! Most probably u will be there next year for seveal Big Meets and for the US trials leading to the 2015 WC & for the Pan Pacs .
I think Thoman would pick Ledecky’s 1650 as the HardCore
swim of the week.
I would go for Ledecky 1650 free also.. And if I had to choose a Men side I would be between Thoman and Manadou..
44.07 is an unbelievable record and could last a very long time.