2023 ACROPOLIS SWIM OPEN
- Friday, May 5th – Sunday, May 7th
- Athens Olympic Aquatic Center, Athens, Greece
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Site
- World Championships/2024 Olympic Games Qualifier
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
- Results
- Livestream
While competing on day three of the 2023 Acropolis Swim Open in Athens, Greece, Matt Sates of South Africa produced a big-time personal best en route to winning the men’s 200m fly.
Sates fired off a time of 1:56.34 to reap gold, hitting a new meet record in the process. he topped the podium in one of only two sub-2:00 efforts of the field, as Greek swimmer Andreas Vazaios secured silver in 1:59.24.
As for Sates, the 19-year-old split 26.30/29.35 (55.65)/1:00.69 to score his first 200m fly result ever under the 2:00 barrier. Entering this competition, the former Georgia Bulldog’s lifetime best rested at the 2:02.83 he logged in September of 2019 at that year’s African Junior Championships.
Sate’s 1:56.34 new career-quickest mark now renders the teen South Africa’s 4th fastest performer in history.
Top 5 South African Men’s LCM 200 Butterfly Performers All-Time
- Chad Le Clos – 1:52.96, 2012
- Sebastian Rousseau – 1:54.51, 2009
- Ethan Du Preez – 1:56.15, 2021
- Matt Sates – 1:56.34, 2023
- Dylan Bosch – 1:56.92, 2014
Sates also now ranks 10th in the world this season in the men’s 200m fly and his outing dipped under the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut of 1:56.71 needed for this summer’s World Championships.
2022-2023 LCM Men 200 Fly
Marchand
1:52.43
| 2 | Kristof Milak | HUN | 1:52.58 | 04/20 |
| 3 | Tomoru Honda | JPN | 1:52.70 | 12/03 |
| 4 | Krzysztof Chmielewski | POL | 1:53.62 | 07/26 |
| 5 | Thomas Heilman | USA | 1:53.82 | 07/26 |
| 5 | Ilya Kharun | CAN | 1:53.82 | 07/26 |
| 7 | Carson Foster | USA | 1:53.85 | 07/25 |
| 8 | Chen Juner | CHN | 1:54.16 | 05/06 |
| 9 | Richard Marton | HUN | 1:54.54 | 07/25 |
| 10 | Teppei Morimoto | JPN | 1:54.74 | 04/06 |
Sates has had a somewhat rocky season thus far, missing out on automatic qualification in several of his key events at the South African National Championships in April. Although that competition was the primary qualification pathway to Fukuoka, the nation’s selection procedures do indicate that athletes can qualify based on rankings.
At Nationals, Sates produced times of 3:55.48 in the 400m free, 4:34.74 in the 400m IM, 1:59.95 in the 200m IM and 49.20 in the 100m free. He did earn silver behind Chad Le Clos in the 100m fly, with his time of 51.91 getting under the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard for this summer’s World Championships.
Since those Nationals, Sates improved his 200m IM to 1:58.77 here at this Acropolis Open while he notched a 400m IM result here of 4:17.71. Even swimming the 200m fly earlier in tonight’s session, Sates was able to drop his 400m free time down to 3:52.10 this evening.
Was he ill at Nationals? Those times seem really slow for him. Glad he’s feeling better.
Never realized his PB was 2:02 just obliterated his PB by 6 seconds! Don’t want to jump the gun but maybe he’ll make a final at this years worlds.
I think that David Thomasberger swam 1:55,85 mid April in Heidelberg??
Still waiting for the Sates breakout LCM meet or swim. Hasn’t happened yet and feels long overdue
He might not break out in LCM. Could just be more suited to short course.
He’s got the fitness level to swim 400s in short course and he’s not reliant on underwaters at all. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to put together really good 200s in LC
The number of underwaters isn’t the only difference between short course and long course.
turns, fitness level, UW, pacing
I also believe that LCM is more suited towards leg driven swimmers
Yep. Sates has already proven himself to be a notable SCM swimmer, but maybe that’s all he’ll ever be.
I have heard this before, but I feel like short course should be better for leg driven swimmers due to both underwaters and kicking being more a thing for sprinting? Curious what others think.
South Africa will have a strong male contingent for the first time in a while. Could have two backstrokers, two flyers, and some freestyle entries that have semi-final/final potential at the Olympics. Who do they have for breaststroke?
Neil Versfeld
Not really the 100 guy they’re looking for…
Michael Houlie was 59.4 at 2019 WUGS and made Tokyo Olympics. Not sure but he hasn’t progressed much in LCM since that (to my knowledge). Still, clearly some potential there for him and their relays.
He’s been above average for Tennessee, but not amazing
Seems to be getting left a little behind by his young star peers but we will see how he does at the championship meets.
Is he really a Georgia Bulldog if he never went to class there? Not really a “student-athlete”!
Cal does that stuff every year, it’s obvious that those guys are athletes first rather than vise versa
Stenson Bennett is a real example of a Bulldog. Leader on and off the field as well as a CHAMPION! Not a “me” guy solely going to dip his toes, fool around and selfishly leave the team he COMMITTED to. Commit my behind, SAD!
To date, I feel like his best LC swim has been a 1:45.9 200free at Mare Nostrum last year. He speaks with a lot of confidence about his potential, but it’ll probably take a 1:44.9 and 1:55.9 to make top 5 in the 200free/IM and he’s got his work cut up to make those drops.