Melanie Margalis Breaks American Record in 400 IM in Maryland

2019 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – AMERICAN DERBY

• Saturday, November 16 – Sunday, November 17, 2019
• 2:00-4:00 PM Local Time (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Eppley Recreation Center – College Park, MD
• Short Course Meters (SCM) format
• American franchises: Cali Condors, LA Current, DC Trident, New York Breakers
• Preview
• Live Stream (ESPN3)

Melanie Margalis broke her 2nd American Record of the ISL season on Saturday at the University of Maryland. She swam a 4:24.46 to win the event by more than 3 seconds to pick up the maximum 9 points for her Cali Condors team. She has now won the 400 IM at all 3 ISL meets that she’s raced at this season.

She slid under the old record of 4:24.62 that was set by Caitlin Leverenz at the 2011 Duel in the Pool.

Comparative Splits:

Margalis and Leverenz, in broad strokes, are very similar swimmers. Both are very good breaststrokers, but the pacing between their record-setting swims – specifically, Leverenz, who later in her career became a very good 200 butterflier and backstroker, was out much faster than Margalis, but Margalis close at a way better rate.

Spaniard Mireia Belmonte owns the 400 IM World Record in 4:18.94. The fastest time by an American swimmer is actually a 4:21.04 done by Julia Smit at the 2009 Duel in the Pool. This swim came in the waning days of FINA allowing the now-outlawed polyurethane suits, but after USA Swimming’s deadline for eliminating them. Smit’s swim is one of a handful that fell into a record purgatory that were never recognized by USA Swimming.

that USA Swimming never officially recognized.

Margalis also broke the American Record in the 200 IM earlier this season in Indianapolis. There she swam 2:04.18 which broke Leverenz’s record as well that was a 2:04.62. Their 200 IM splitting was much more similar.