Michael Andrew has demolished his second National Age Group Record in as many days, swimming a 3:52.08 in his 400 yard IM.
Swimming a time trial on Saturday at the College Station, Texas sectional meet, Andrew broke the old record of 3:54.23 set by Curtis Ogren in 2010.
This follows the National Age Group Record that he swam in the 200 fly on Saturday.
He’s also swum a 1:40.38 in the 200 free and 47.79 in the 100 fly.
His splits:
- Fly – 51.94
- Back – 58.40
- Breast – 1:06.32
- Free – 55.42
Andrew has has shown an impressive ability to go on record-breaking tear at a single meet, though it seems to be one meet he’ll take out a bunch of distance records, and the next a bunch of sprint records. That, perhaps, is even more impressive, because of his ability to on a dime turn his focus from sprints like the 100 fly and 100 back to distance races like the 200 fly and 400 IM. When it comes time for Andrew to start swimming big selection meets (he is vying for a spot on the Youth Olympic Games team in the next few months) this ability to change his training on a dime will allow him to tailor his schedule for the best opportunities to make big teams. That would be an invaluable skill.
Michael Andrew is an enormous talent, and USRPT appears to be working perfectly for him. What excites me:
1. USRPT may impact the sport in time, may make it attractive to 1000s (perhaps millions) of more kids who just want to swim fast and not be bored…swimming enormous distances with only a few fast meets a year. (This is not how I trained. Not my experience for success, but I’m willing open my mind and absolutely consider it. M Andrew and his coach/father have earned that consideration from everyone.)
2. M Andrew’s staying in the sport. We, THE SWIMMING COMMUNITY, are not losing him to another sport, something that has happened too man times in the past.
3.… Read more »
Not surprising but still impressive.
Congrats!
I agree with Liquidassets. His 200 fly record is the greatest in my opinion. He could last a very very very long time. The 100 fly in 47.47 is pretty good too.
Is it his last big meet in yards before he turns 15?
The 50 free record should be his next target. A sub 20 is definitely possible.
And about the next summer, I’d prefer see him battle against the other best young Americans at the US junior nationals rather than seeing him swim at best C-Finals at the US senior nationals. Start to win junior titles. Important to learn to win.
It could last.
The sectional meet in Oklahoma next weekend is in yards. Expect big things out of him then.
Michael will swim several more SCY meets. He has just finished the first of several sectional meets. He will swim his last SCY meet at the NASA Showcase Classic in Clearwater April 16-19.
They say USRPT doesn’t work because they don’t do it!
That’s a better picture than you think. Former legend Neil Walker exiting upstage right, while future legend Michael Andrew takes the spotlight.
Naysayers will skin him alive because of this record…(usprt dont works for longer distance..ha!)
Great job, Andrew!
He’s always been good at the 4IM, and has considered making it one of his primary events, according to interview with him and his father. This was amazing! I am personally even more amazed by his 200 fly 1:46 breaking Behren’s record by 2 seconds. If he could convert that to LCM prowess in that event, he’d be close to where Phelps was at that age.
Well, i think he is a reality in LCM.
at only fourteen he is two seconds faster than Phelps in 200IM(event where Phelps is 3 times Olympic champ, not a small thing).Oh, and he is faster than Cielo in 50 free….when Cielo was sixteen!
For me, this kid is already a reality.The time will tell how good a reality he will be.
I agree. It converts to about 2:00 ± 2 seconds) which is pretty dang good. Phelps was 1:59 at 14, so that basically says that Andrew is within striking distance of a Michael Phelps record in Phelps’ best event, an event he’d set a world record in less than 2 years later.
200 fly and 100 breast at Rio anyone? The 100 breast has been suggested repeatedly as one of his best chances, but if he’s is approaching the 2 min barrier in the 200 fly that could be a reality too. The US isn’t all that strong right now in the 200 fly and if he can drop down to 1:55-1:55 territory he could be a legitimate threat… Read more »