Fink Wanting Safe in 100 Breast, 2nd Ripe For the Taking

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

MEN’S 100 Breast— BY THE NUMBERS:

• World Document: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, Nice Britain (2019)
• World Junior Document: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy (2017)
• American Document: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• U.S. Open Document: 58.14 – Michael Andrew, USA (2021)
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Adam Peaty (GBR) – 57.37
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Michael Andrew – 58.73
• U.S. Olympic Trials Lower: 1:02.19
• 2024 Olympic Qualifying Occasions: 59.49/59.79

The 2021 Olympic Trials for the Males’s 100 breaststroke was one the closest races of the week. Within the semifinals, Michael Andrew lit up the sphere with a brand new American Document of 58.14, firmly establishing himself because the front-runner for not solely the person occasion however the relay leg of America’s undefeated on the Olympics 4×100 medley relay.

The ultimate was a a lot nearer affair as Andrew was out like a bat however slowed significantly on the backhalf including almost half a second to his semi’s time. He nonetheless managed to carry on to the win and safe his ticket to his first Olympics as he out-touched Andrew Wilson by one one-hundredth, 58.73 to 58.74. Becoming a member of the Jeopardy reply pair of Michael Andrew Wilson underneath the Olympic qualifying time within the remaining had been Nic Fink (third – 58.80) and Kevin Cordes (4th – 59.79). Within the semifinal, Max McHugh was additionally underneath the usual however wound up tying for seventh within the remaining.

Quick-forward to the 2023 US Trials and 5 swimmers underneath the usual was seen as a luxurious of riches.  After the preliminary heats of the 100 breast, American Document holder Andrew completed in seventeenth, effectively exterior the mark. Wilson had retired the summer season earlier than, and Cordes hadn’t raced for the reason that finish of 2021. From that third place end on the Olympic Trials, Fink emerged as America’s breaststroke, having received gold within the 50 breast and bronze within the 100 breast on the 2022 Worlds, in addition to profitable 4 particular person golds and medaling in each breaststroke race on the 2021 and 2022 Brief Course Worlds.

Regardless of such a resume, even Fink was exterior the qualifying time heading into finals final summer season. I wrote an article detailing all of the conditions relating to what might or might not occur ought to nobody make the qualifying time, as it’s an unusual incidence within the US. Should you want to revisit all of the potential conditions, you may examine it right here. Fortunately, Fink threw down a speedy 58.36 in finals, and Josh Matheny, a lot of whom neglect, completed fifth on the 2021 trials as an 18-year-old, repeated his second place from the 200 in  59.20 to additionally get underneath the usual (as did third place finisher Noah Nichols).

Quick ahead a 12 months, and the US appears to be in a greater spot, so hopefully, one received’t must mud off final 12 months’s article.

“Previous Man”

Rising later in his profession, Fink has changed into the epitome of consistency. At 30 years younger, he has medaled at each lengthy course and quick course Worlds meet since 2021 however continues to be chasing that elusive Olympic medal. Lacking out within the 100 in 2021, Fink did make the Tokyo crew within the 200 breast, putting fifth within the finals.

Fink clearly leads the pack of American males. He ranks third on the planet within the 100, primarily based on his gold medal efficiency on the 2024 Worlds. He touched the wall in 58.57, forward of probably rivals in Paris, Nicolo Martinenghi and Adam Peaty. In Doha, along with choosing up bronze medals within the 50 and 200, Fink cut up 58.2s in each the profitable medley relay, displaying his consistency to be underneath 59.

Exterior of Worlds, Fink has saved a comparatively low profile, having solely raced twice since February. He took 2nd within the 100 on the San Antonio, ending in 1:00.03 behind Denis Petrashov‘s 59.83. On the Longhorn Elite meet in Could, Fink outdueled Jake Foster and Will Licon, hitting the wall in 1:00.35. Whereas neither time is underneath the OQT, the outcomes ought to solely give Fink followers confidence that he can get again underneath 59, as one month earlier than Doha on the Knoxville Professional Swim Collection, he was 1:00.36.

“I’m Nonetheless Standing”

Andrew is a human lightning rod for feedback and discussions, and I count on nothing much less within the feedback part under. A dash specialist, Andrew holds many distinctive accolades, amongst which included making the finals within the 50-meter distance of every particular person stroke on the 2019 Worlds. Nonetheless, as everyone knows, there are not any 50-meter occasions exterior of freestyle on the Olympic Video games, so Andrew should swim in a long way occasions (a minimum of for him) to extend his probability of creating the Olympics once more.

In 2021, Andrew, along with qualifying within the 100 breast, received the 200 IM and positioned second within the 50 free, qualifying him to swim three occasions. In Tokyo, Andrew made the finals in all of his occasions, however disappointingly, he swam slower than his instances from Trials in every occasion. Actually, his instances quickest instances from trials would have medaled in every occasion, however Andrew completed off the rostrum every time, ending as excessive as 4th within the 100 breast and 50 free.

Since then, Andrew has been up and down. On the 2022 Worlds, he received 5 medals, however two had been within the 50s of stroke, and one other two had been in relays the place he probably* crammed in for an absent Caeleb Dressel. 2023 was an off 12 months, with Andrew lacking the Worlds crew regardless of profitable the 50 fly, however Andrew has acknowledged that there was a silver lining in lacking that crew.

Trying to make the most effective of these classes he discovered in 2023, Andrew, who continues to be the American Document holder, has completed a whole lot of racing, which is par for the course. Within the fall, he competed at all the World Aquatics World Cup and continued on to the US Open, the place he beat Fink swimming 59.52 to position 2nd. Within the new 12 months, he went to Doha, however didn’t swim the 100 breast, as a substitute taking over the all 50s of stroke, taking the silver within the 50 fly.

He spent among the spring racing in France, completed 4th within the 100 in San Antonio (1:00.32), after which posted a speedy 59.87 on the L.A. Invite in mid-Could. Most just lately, on the Speedo Grand Problem on the finish of Could, he swam 1:01.41 in prelims however scratched finals. With a lack of 200 IM outcomes this 12 months, Andrew appears to be specializing in the 100 breast, 100 fly, and 50 free. Nonetheless, regardless of a streamlined occasion order, Andrew nonetheless is on the surface wanting in, as on paper, he’s simply the third-ranked American.

“Don’t Cease Believin’”

After initially stating a risk of retiring if he acquired into medical faculty after which deferring medical faculty to proceed swimming with a concentrate on representing the US, Jake Foster has continued to push by and fulfill almost* each swimmer’s objective of creating the Olympics.

Foster positioned sixth within the 200 breast and fifth within the 400 IM on the 2021 Trials, and has had a sequence of close to misses of creating the lower. In 2022, he was third within the 200 breast, and final 12 months positioned third once more. Whereas the 200 end result was the identical in 2023, final 12 months’s meet noticed a shift in focus as he dropped the 400 IM and added the 100 breast. Whereas he positioned eighth within the finals, he was second out of prelims. Along with his youthful brother, Carson Foster, and reigning Olympic gold medalist Chase Kalisz holding down the fort within the 400 IM, the elder Foster and his evident shift to the breaststroke might have simply improved his possibilities of making the crew.

Regardless of lacking the World’s crew, Foster’s outcomes have solely improved within the shorter of the breaststroke occasions. He broke the minute barrier for the primary time, profitable the 100 breast on the Professional Swim Collection Championships in 59.64. He repeated the feat in Santiago as he received double gold on the Pan-Am Video games, claiming the 100 breast in 59.99.

He carried on that success into this calendar 12 months, representing the US for the primary time at lengthy course worlds in Doha. Whereas he fell in need of medalling, Foster posted two new private bests, swimming 59.61 within the prelims and 59.48 within the semifinals, and whereas that point solely yielded him ninth, it was quick sufficient to make him the one American, apart from Fink, underneath the OQT this season.

“Twenty One”

Three years in the past, in 2021, just one teenager was within the finals. Quick-forward to at this time, and there’s a robust pack of 21-year-olds, who’ve discovered and improved vastly from then, all of whom are hungry for that Olympic berth.

Main the cost amongst the group is Josh Matheny. Matheny, who completed fifth in 2021 (1:00.22), has made probably the most of his alternatives since then. Whereas faltering a little bit in 2022, final summer season was his huge breakout. Maintaining the Indiana breaststroke custom alive (extra on that later), Matheny got here into the 100 breast, as having already certified within the 200. third on the 50 flip within the finals, Matheny used a powerful final 50 to overhaul Noah Nichols, ending 2nd in 59.20 however, extra importantly, underneath the A-standard as effectively.

Matheny continued the run of excellent kind, not solely making the finals of each his particular person occasions but additionally choosing up a gold and bronze medal from his prelim relay contributions within the males’s 4×100 medley and within the blended 4×100 medley.

This season, Matheny spent a lot of it centered on quick course yards, finally putting sixth within the 100 breast in 51.07, however did handle to pop off one other sub 1:00 efficiency in meters when he positioned 4th (59.85) on the US Open. His solely different time this season was a 1:00.93 on the Indy Could Cup.

Whereas Matheny could also be buoyed by his current success, there’s a robust pack of fellow 21-year-olds (some might have turned 22 since they swam their season-best instances) which can be proper on his heels.

Matheny’s compatriot within the 200 in Fukuoka was Matt Fallon. Fallon, who swims for UPenn, might have been thought-about a 200 specialist, however has began to show heads within the 100. The Fukuoka bronze medalist within the 200, Fallon set a brand new private finest and broke the one-minute barrier for the primary time on the US Open, ending in fifth in a time of 59.92. Since then, he positioned sixth in San Antonio at 1:00.75 and just lately swam 1:01.33 at a membership meet in New Jersey.

Proper behind Fallon on the US Open had been Noah Nichols and Mitch Mason. Nichols, who positioned third (59.40) on the 2023 Trials, has had a powerful season. He received silver on the Pan-Am Video games (1:00.43), positioned sixth on the US Open (1:00.22), received ACCs, and completed 4th at NCAAs. Within the quick time from NCAAs to now, the UVA Cavalier swam a 1:00.64 in San Antonio and 1:01.22 at an NCAP meet this previous weekend, and whereas the instances might not be as quick as a few of his rivals, they’re sooner than his instances within the lead as much as final 12 months’s trials so he needs to be in a very good place to be underneath the OQT of 59.49.

LSU’s Mitch Mason was proper behind Nichols on the US Open (seventh—1:00.29) and completed fifth on the 2023 Trials. Nonetheless, he had a disappointing NCAAs, ending twenty fifth within the 100. He doesn’t seem to have any outcomes since March, so questions swirl round his participation.

“Don’t You (Overlook About Me)”

There are sure to be some names that don’t get talked about and can probably be raised within the remark part, however there are a couple of that undoubtedly deserve point out however being beholden to my subheadings, they simply needed to wait a little bit bit.

In the beginning of them is Cody Miller. An Indiana Breastroke U product, Miller a two-time Olympic medalist, is seeking to rebound after a tough 2021 Trials, the place he completed eleventh within the 100 (1:00.66). Since then, Miller has been making an attempt to rebuild his kind. On the 2022 World Trials, he was sixth (1:00.68), and final summer season broke 1:00 for the primary time since 2020, as his time of 59.85 was good for 4th. He enters Trials with a season-best of 1:00.28 from the prelims of the US Open however hasn’t damaged 1:01 since, together with his most up-to-date end result being a 1:01.51 on the Indy Could Cup, the place he completed behind Matheny, Charlie Swanson, and Tommy Cope.

Swanson and Cope, who completed sixth and ninth final summer season, are each a little bit behind the led pack of contenders. Regardless of beating Miller, Cope’s season-best rests at 1:00.93, and Swanson’s at 1:01.00. Of the 2, Swanson is the one one with a PB sub-1:00, courtesy of his 59.89 from final summer season, and his instances this season are sooner than his instances within the lead-up to final summer season, so he may get underneath 1:00 once more, however will want one thing magical to get underneath the OQT.

Two new potential faces to the Olympic trials are teenager Josh Chen and NCAA champion Liam Bell. Chen, who swims for Texas Ford Aquatics and is a Harvard Commit, blasted to a brand new private better of 1:00.67 to position third this previous January in Knoxville after having received Junior Worlds in 1:00.70. His swims since then haven’t been underneath 1:02, but when he can hit his taper, then Chen is in with an opportunity of creating the ultimate.

Profitable at NCAA title mechanically vaults your title into consideration for a world crew, doing so in a brand new NCAA document much more so, however Bell is an attention-grabbing case.  His 49.53 blew many minds in March, and his concentrate on weights and solely swimming a few times every week definitely paid off. Nonetheless, the 100 breast in yards is a really totally different beast than it’s in meters. You could have half the pullouts and want a powerful technical basis to have the ability to not crumble within the final 25 meters.  With that in thoughts and with a scarcity of outcomes, Bell stays a thriller. He appears to have solely raced as soon as since March, posting a time of 1:01.66 on the Fran Crippen SMOC in April. He has a PB of 1:01.15 again from 2022, so if he can flip his yards drops into meters, then he may definitely issue into the ultimate 8, however the restricted outcomes might result in different conclusions.

“Go Massive or Go House”

Whereas the 2023 Summer time Nationals lacked semifinals, the Olympic Trials do have them, and whereas there are a couple of swimmers who could possibly coast within the prelims, the log jam of swimmers within the 1:01 vary will definitely make the prelims quick. We didn’t point out Will Licon, Luke Rodarte, or Max Reich and so they all swam within the B-Last final summer season.

Talking of Maxs, Max McHugh definitely has the pedigree to be included within the dialogue, however his outcomes this season simply haven’t been the place they have to be. Actually, he may hit his taper and get again to close his PB of 59.57, however after lacking the A-Last final summer season, putting tenth in prelims at 1:00.77 (later in the summertime, he went 1:00.49 on the West Fargo Futures Meet. he positioned twenty third on the US Open in 1:02.58. In Westmont, he rebounded a little bit to position fifth in 1:01.67, however most just lately, he was 1:02.48 on the Ocala Sectionals.

It may very well be a technique to be underneath the radar and hold the stress off however rating exterior of the highest 25 of People, not to mention the highest 16, McHugh has a whole lot of our bodies to go with a view to have a shot of creating the Finals.

As for the highest 8, Fink appears poised to make his first Olympic crew within the occasion (a stunning factoid), however the struggle for second shall be tight. Andrew, because the reigning Trials champs and American Document holder, definitely has put up instances this season to benefit consideration, however he’ll have to be on his A-game. In 2021, Andrew added over half a second from the semis to finals and received by solely .01, and with Foster hungry for the Olympics, Matheny buoyed by final 12 months’s success, and Nichols seeking to avenge his third place from final summer season, Andrew (and for that matter) anybody can’t afford to slide.

We’re going to present Andrew the sting to position second behind Fink. With the 100 breast occurring on Days 1 and a pair of, Andrew received’t have the fatigue from his different occasions to play an element, as on the 2023 World Trials, it was on the fourth of 5 days. That is in no way a lock, nevertheless. If Braden would let me, I wouldn’t choose second place, however seeing because it’s a part of the article’s necessities, I must. If I may choose the remainder of the sphere vs Andrew for second, I’d go discipline. Andrew definitely has the quickest PB, however his current outcomes aren’t fairly on par with the 58.67 he swam proper earlier than the 2021 Trials, and Matheny’s been a full second sooner this 12 months than he was within the lead-up to Trials final 12 months, and Foster’s season-best stands as a brand new private finest. That is in no way meant to be slight, however moderately to emphasise that the struggle for all of the positions close to the highest goes to be shut, and I wish to hedge my bets. If Fink has an off-meet, he, too, may simply be on the surface wanting in, so pay shut consideration to the prelim outcomes to see who’s feeling good.

SWIMSWAM’S PICKS

Darkish Horse: Daniel Roy (Stanford) – A private better of 1:00.64, wouldn’t appear to benefit consideration for the A-final, however the truth that it’s not solely a season finest but additionally simply his third race in his comeback of almost two years off, Roy may flip much more heads with one other drop. In his quick comeback already he’s ranked #5 amongst People within the 200 breast and will use the 100 as a stepping stone to problem for a spot within the tight 200 discipline.