2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
- Sunday June 26th-Sunday July 3rd, 2016
- Century Link Center – Omaha, Nebraska
- Friday-Sunday – Prelims – 11:00 am EDT Finals – 7:45 pm EDT
- SwimSwam Preview Links & Schedule
- NBC Televison Coverage Schedule
- Psych Sheets
- Thursday heat sheets
- Live results
Michael Andrew of Indie Swimming tied Gunnar Bentz‘s Junior World Record in the 200 IM tonight, coming in with 1:59.44. Bentz swam that time in Dubai in 2013.
Andrew also became the third-fastest American 17-18 swimmer in history, with his swim; now only Michael Phelps and Bentz rank above him. The top four American 17-18 swimmers in history are below:
- Michael Phelps: 1:55.94 (2003)
- Gunnar Bentz: 1:59.19 (2014)
- Michael Andrew: 1:59.44 (2016)
- Chase Kalisz: 1:59.51 (2012)
If these results look a little confusing, it’s worth remembering that while USA Swimming keeps track of their National Age Group Records by calculating the age at the time of the swim, while FINA tracks Junior World Records by the year that swimmers were born. In addition, FINA did not start keeping track of Junior World Records until well after Phelps’s time as an age grouper.
In the 100 breaststroke, Andrew has set a new national age group record for every one of his past five swims.
Cassidy vs MA
So, Cassidy Bayer,who’s younger, came in 3rd in her event. Lots less hype, lots more delivery relative to hype. And, oh yea, Cassidy will be going to college on a free ride. So yep, MA is a great swimmer. But not the next MP, and not going to win NCAA anything. And, oh yea, thought age group stopped counting at 14?
Re USRPT. I have a non-biased question for the advocates (not being skeptical, trying to understand). If you’re swimming your race, at race pace, does that mean that for MA, that he’ll now be training LC exclusively, given that’s where the real races are for him being a pro? (not meaning anything more, not hating on… Read more »
It is doubtful that he will train exclusively LC. Rushall calls for converting the lc time to scm and training in scm. They have strayed from Rushalls philosophy a little. For example they attempted weight lifting and I saw a picture on Peter Andrew’s twitter with the caption long course training and it was a picture of Michael up on the block with the pool set up in long course so maybe they will do more lc training. I’m not sure what kind of sets he was doing but I’m guessing he was working on setting up his first 50 and working on easy speed. The problem with long course is that it is so hard to get any kind… Read more »
Cassidy’s performances were awesome. I though her 200 fly finals swim was really gutsy. That said, we’re used to seeing high-school aged females to perform at a world class level. The men’s side of the sport has become more of an “old man’s” game.
Some data to back up the point: there have been 7 females 18 or under on the US Olympic swim team in the last 2 cycles, but not a single male. The last 18 year old on the men’s team was Larsen Jansen in 2004…and he had already completed a year of college. That same year, there were 6 females 18 and under. At the 2012 Games, 6 of the 13 golds for females in… Read more »
No doubt a fast swim, but once again clear how next level Michael Phelps was at the same age.
From a technical standpoint, I think MA would have had to go one one hundredth faster to officially get a world record. Gunnar’s ratified time (see the 159.19 comment below) is a world best, ie the time standard they set at the inception of the records. I thought there wasn’t a world record until someone went faster than that time. BTW all of this is meaningless as they didn’t go back and figure out the fastest time ever swum by junior swimmers so neither are the fastest 200 IM swum by a junior swimmer. Think that is still Michael, although I seem to remember Hagino went faster than Michael did at the same age in at least the 400IM but… Read more »
Sooo…. MA tied the ‘Official’ FINA JR WR, but isn’t really tied for the fastest 18U in the world. They hype circus surrounding this kid is hilarious.
Phelps, probably not even today, has never produced a sub 60 100 breast. Also, MA will be dropping some serious time with strength, endurance and race strategy improvements over the next 4 years. Phelps was nearly 22 when he finally broke 1:55. MA just turned 17. He’ll be 1:57 by 18 and 1:55 by 20. Very Phelpsian. Also, he’ll be a gold medal contender in the 100 breast and contending in who knows what other events and relays in 2020, at age 21. He’s got a bright future ahead of him (probably the brightest of any up and coming male swimmer out there right now), and that’s no hype.
Race video
Second semifinal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-N1Poo7ca8&index=1
I meant MA is in the second semifinal.
I thought you were trying to remind us that MA still has to drop 2 and half seconds to match the GOAT’s 200 IM in the 17-18 age group.
Congrats to MA. Cool to see him swim a very good 200-meter race.
If I’ve well understood him in interview he will scratch the final to focus on both 100 fly and 50 free tomorrow.
Good meet for the USURPER.
Good meet for anyone (!), but yes, a positive statement about recent innovations (usrpt) in swim training.
The unofficial junior WR is actually Gunnar Bentz’ 1:59.19
I don’t know why Bentz 1:59.19 has not yet been ratified by FINA. It was swum in 10 August 2014 (Irvine) when Bentz was still 18 (born January 3, 1996), and would still be 18 by December 31, 2014 (which is how FINA calculate the junior age thing). It’s either USA swimming dropped the ball in completing the paperwork or FINA dropped the ball in ratifying, which is more likely (many junior records are not yet ratified).