While the boys at Cal swam their decathlon against Cal Poly on Friday afternoon, 14-year old professional swimmer Michael Andrew took part in double that as part of the Northland United Swim Team’s sprint decathlon in Kansas City, and his times might catch some attention.
(In yards)
100 Fly – 49.37
50 Back – 23.31
100 Breast – 57.96
50 Free – 20.77
200 IM -1:53.94
50 Fly – 22.20
100 Back – 50.37
50 breast – 26.41
100 Free – 46.10
100 IM – 50.89
No records yet (he has until April 18th to take on the yards National Age Group Record book), but we can make a pretty interesting comparison to what we saw at the Cal Poly Pentathlon.
Adding up Andrew’s 100 fly, back, breast, free and IM times total to 4:14.69. That swim would have been second to only Ryan Murphy at the Cal Poly pentathlon over the weekend, and would’ve bettered swimmers like Josh Prenot, Marcin Tarczynski, and Tyler Messerschmidt.
Of course, there’s a few things to consider. One is that Andrew’s schedule was a bit different (10 events over two days with those 50’s mixed in). Also, we have to remember that this pentathlon schedule rewards sprint versatility. While most swimmers, by the time they get to college, are working to focus on a few events, Andrew is an incredible swimmer in just about everything. There aren’t many swimmers at any age that can swim a 46.1 in the 100 free and a 57.9 in the 100 breast in September (Murphy was a 45.6 in the 100 free, for example, but only 59.6 in the 100 breast; Prenot was 56.0 in the 100 breast, but only 47.6 in the 100 free).
The other thing to consider is that Andrew’s training allows him to be faster in September than anyone else (this is why he probably won’t be in last place at the upcoming Fastest Man in Texas shootout, though he probably won’t win either). This is a reminder of why the Ultra Short Race Pace training methodology is so exciting for the swimming community.
Not because it would upstage the last decade of Olympic success from the more traditional peak-and-taper cycle; not because of the thousands of swimmers who take it as a personal attack to the millions of yards of training they’ve done; and not because, really, of anything to do with Michael Andrew and his decision to go pro younger than any other swimmer in United States history.
Rather, it would bet because it allows swimmers to be fast in September. Surely, swimmers like Josh Prenot would win this sort of competition against Andrew if it were swum in March on a taper. If Ultra Short Race Pace training is perfected, though, it would bring legitimate rise to the prospects of professional year-round, high-level swimming. If you love this sport, then these sorts of results have to be exciting.
I recon Michael Andrew swims very well.
Any shortcomings – give the kid a chance!
Nick.
My bad: Chalmers swims out of Adelaide in South Australia.
I think there’s a bit of tunnel vision with this kid. What I mean he’s not the only very fast 14 year old. Kyle Chalmers, out of Australia, is – I think – faster and I think he just turned 15.
Chalmers has gone under 50.0 for the 100m short-couse and I think he’s been 54 high(?) for 100m ‘fly long course. His 50m free long course is faster than Michael’s and he’s been 1:52. I think in the 200 free.
And he’s swimming with a great programme up in Queensland, with a very good coach. Don’t know about training methodology but I do know that, in a general sense, the Ausies don’t do the distance that’s “standard”… Read more »
M Palota – Chalmers is faster, and is 10 months older than Andrew.
We’re keeping an eye on him, and when Andrew turns 15, we’ll try and make a fair comparison between the two’s times.
He stands side by side with his dad who is 6’6″ so is probably a little over 6’4″. His parents are very large people. Not fat but large boned. He appears to be strong but on the lanky side. He is extremely good looking and as I said the parents/family are very friendly and nice. It is my understanding from articles that I have read that he does 2x a day practices but low yardage. He is home schooled and they have put a pool at their house. He has a sister who swam and at ten had a zone time in a few events. Have not seen her compete lately but she is not as into swimming as he… Read more »
Frankly, I am not that impressed. The kid that is at the edge of the bell curve in terms of physique and sprint trains constantly. I don’t think he will improve that much over the season because of his training style, and given his physique, his times aren’t that great. MP made the Olympic team at age 15 and was going 15:34 in the 1500 fr long course at 14. We will see if he continues to improve over the next few years. If he has hit his maximum height (this is possible), then he might not improve at the rate that many in this forum assume. I might be wrong, of course, but we need to see what happens.… Read more »
Honestly, I wonder what it’s like to see the world in such a way that makes a comment like this spew out of someone.
“Usain Bolt? He’s tall, not impressed.”
“The greatest swimmer of all time made an Olympic team when he was a year older than this kid. Not impressed.”
And even if he doesn’t get any taller, he’s still 14. The differences physiologically between teenagers and kids in their early twenties is insane, even if height is unchanged.
Simple enough, I need to build a dorm right next to my current facility, rotate the athletes on my team throughout the day following usrp curriculum. This will alleviate the logistics involved with double practice days and families trucking their kids to and from practice.
I think in the next 6 months more skeptics will be put to rest.
Jack Conger never did USRP. Jack Conger progressed from good to record-breaker by age 14 without the full family immersion lifestyle and half the muscle. Seems like great talent will work with many methods.
DING DING DING DING DING.
Specific comparisons to any one athlete are meh, but I am all about “Seems like great talent will work with many methods.”
We’ll never know if he’d be better or worse swimming 15,000 yards a day. You’ll never really know if any athlete would be better/worse swimming in a completely different program, but on the whole, everybody’s probably doing something that works for them.
sanity! can’t “do over” the past, can’t predict the future. Coachl had it right, it’s all speculation. Isn’t it amazing how success can come from so many different approaches.