Former Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist Ed Moses, now 30, continued his return to elite swimming this weekend at the USMS Masters Nationals (yards) at the Kino Aquatics Center in Mesa, Arizona. Thus far, Moses has been mostly relegated to Masters’ competition, as he hasn’t yet cleared the drug-testing hurdles to return to elite international competition.
He had a pretty good meet in Arizona, though he clearly has a ways to go to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics. He won the 30-35 age group (and posted the fastest overall time) in the 100 breaststroke in 53.44. This is the event where he’s had most of his major long course success, and his time converts to roughly a 1:02.4 in Olympic meters. His career-best (and former World Record) time in the 100 LCM is 1:00.21.
Moses also won the 50 breaststroke (24.84) and 200 breaststroke (1:56.22) for his age group. For those unfamiliar with 50 yard breaststroke times, the typical NCAA medley relay sees a 23-high or a 24 very-low in the 50 breaststroke, albeit off of a relay start. He has always been outstanding in the 200 breaststroke in short course (he held the World Record for 9 years until 2009), but his biggest hopes for the National Team seems to be in the 100.
Outside of his core breaststroke events: he won the men’s 30-34 100 IM in 51.44, and was also a part of the champion 18+ Rose Bowl Aquatics 200 medley (24.64 breaststroke split) and 200 free (21.13 split) relays.
Incidentally, he broke the 50 and 100 Masters age group National Records of Swimming World producer Jeff Commings. Commings, now competing with the 35-39 year old’s, kept his name in the record-books by breaking the 100 breast National Record for his new age group in 55.12.
Moses still has some ways to go to make the Olympic team (I’d give Brendan Hansen the better chance right now, even though we haven’t seen him compete yet) as his speed this weekend likely wouldn’t have been good enough to final at the Olympic Trials. For comparison, none of his marks would have B-finaled at NCAA’s, the fasest SCY meet in the world. He’s still got roughly a year before he has to swim a meet that matters though, and he was probably not tapered fully for this meet (though he must have been rested somewhat).
For full meet results, click here. Check out the video below (produced by USMS) with interviews of some of the best and most interesting swimmers in Masters Swimming, including 25-29 100 backstroke champion (50.59) Garrett McCafferey, who took a turn on the other side of the camera at the 4:50 mark.
he’s also with eric shanteau at usc
Yeah in his interview with the morning swim show a few days before this meet, he said that he got out of practice a little bit early the 2 days before this meet. So he did rest a little, but not very much. That said, I think his performances were outstanding considering the amount of time he’s put into training so far and the relatively small amount of rest he swam on.
Really Socal? Do you know who he’s swimming with everyday and training under everyday??
Kitajima and Dave Salo, if you didn’t.. Cal has an amazing program and however they operate is completely up to them, but I think the environment he’s in is just fine.
Don’t think he had to be rested to go fast and unless he said he did, then we can’t assume he must have. Off a couple of months of training, those are great swims in my mind. He said he was happy with the results, can’t we just take that? So quick to take it to serious mode, the man found the love for the sport again, how about celebrating that? Not sure what… Read more »
Cal is intentionally not training anyone that didn’t go to school there.
If he wants to have a good 100 breast, he should also consider training at Cal.