Reported by Tony Carroll.
Produced by Coleman Hodges.
Indie Swimming’s Michael Andrew officially added his eleventh short course yards National Age Group record to the current books with a quick 46.36 in the 100 yard butterfly. He also posted the second fastest time in history in the men’s 15-16 100 breaststroke. He is competing at the Club North Swimming Adidas Sprint Classic in Galdstone, MO.
The previous record was set at the 2014 US Junior National Championships by Ryan Hoffer at 46.42. Prior to Hoffer breaking Alex Valente‘s NAG record last year, Andrew’s 13-14 100 butterfly NAG Record of 46.95 was actually faster than the 15-16 NAG record at the time. Hoffer took a good chunk off of Valente’s record time of 46.99, but it wasn’t out of reach for Andrew today, although their two swims were nearly identical.
Take a look at their comparative splits below:
- Andrew 2015: 46.36
- 21.63
- 24.73
- Hoffer 2014: 46.42
- 21.70
- 24.72
Andrew also put up the second fastest 15-16 time in the 100 breaststroke, posting a final time of 53.09. Carsten Vissering currently holds the NAG record at 52.83. His previous best time was seventh on the all time list at 54.34.
fact:
100 yards any stroke under 0:47 is awesome…..
this dude IS FAST —– iconic fast like melvin stewart.
I would like someone to comment on his head dropping at the start. I think that adds a tenth of a second or more to his reaction time.
Congrats MA! Such a pleasure to watch you compete at this meet and the announcer created a positive atmosphere for him as he is from our LSC! I can’t critique but will say his breast stroke was well planed!
Wow-people are very critical of a kid who just broke a NAG record. He’s a kid. Yes technically he is a pro but again he’s a high school kid. He will be working on his “flaws” his entire career.
I think the MA bashing (thankfully) is largely a thing of the past. The current critiques are more fun conjecture about just how fast this kid can go.
And part of the reason for his team (Dad) filming him and sharing these videos is to get feedback on them. And to his credit, he’s taken a lot of the critiques (particularly about his turns and underwaters) to heart.
Mom, not dad.
I’m just glad they have a videocamera again (or maybe it’s just an iPhone), since their last one was apparently stolen in San Antonio.
Stroke count:
4
7
6
7
Not sure what he was going for, but that doesn’t seem like a perfectly-executed race.
Also, that pool looks tiny – maybe 6 feet at the starting end? He looked like he might bash the lane line with his wingspan.
Andrew could certainly shave off some time, at least in SCY, by not breathing every stroke (although he wisely did not breathe the first stroke after each turn).
He actually did breath right out of the last two breakouts. But you’re right, if he acquires more breath control, he’ll go a lot faster. I remember the interview with Eddie Reese after his UT men comprised practically the entire final of the men’s 100 fly at last year’s NCAAs. He referenced Austin Staab’s race in which Staab had very few total breaths as the goal for his men.
I have to disagree. I’d be more inclined to say breathing every other stroke would make more sense in long course than short course because there are fewer underwaters, and thus fewer long periods with no oxygen intake (although I still think breathing every stroke for the first 75m of the long course race is the way to go). If you plan to work the underwaters in any relevant manner, you’ve got to breathe more during the short time you actually spend above the water.
I agree that, in terms of raw speed, it’s quicker to keep the head down, but I feel that any small benefit in speed will be negated (and then some) by the oxygen debt… Read more »
You’re not disagreeing with me. You’re disagreeing with Eddie Reese (http://swimswam.com/eddie-reese-gives-insight-to-day-2-butterfly-success/).
And we were talking about SCY, not LCM here.
I realize that Phelps has set the standard for the 100 LCM fly and did it breathing every stroke, but I believe someone will eventually swim fastest not breathing every stroke for that event. It makes no physiologic sense that Sarah Sjostrom and the elite men can swim a 50 LCM fly with no breaths, but need 35 to 40 breaths (the average stroke count of the elite men and women for the 100 LCM fly) to do a 100 fly. For whatever reason, it was Phelps’ preference, and since it worked for him,… Read more »
Do you believe the same thing about the 100 free? Many top 100 swimmers breathe every 2 and don’t take any breaths on a 50 free.
My comment was replying to both you and DJR. I’ve seen the video you linked and, like I said before, I disagree.
I addressed short course. Because you spend twice as much time underwater and thus have frequent, relatively long periods with no oxygen intake whatsoever and an extremely high oxygen demand, I think it’s more important to breathe often during the swim.
It’s true that Sarah Sjostrom has had great success in the 50m fly by not breathing, but let’s not ignore world record in the 100m fly this summer– breathing every stroke.
Four of the eight finalists in the 100m fly in London breathed every stroke, and three of them medaled. Average the second 50 times of… Read more »
Sven, we’ll never get to the answer without continuous O2 sat monitoring, or something of the sort, during races or direct comparison of those people racing with different breathing patterns. I still think that Phelps has either shown every one the genius of breathing so often or it is something that uniquely applies best to him or a few (Olympic medalists). Maybe he could even be faster if he did, as you say, bury his head the last 10-15 meters and not breathe. Off course Phelps breathed every stroke all the way to the wall to beat Cavic, either ruining generations of swimmers’ finishes or showing the best way to get to the wall.
Thirty years ago, Mary T.… Read more »
Michael Andrew did use a different breathing pattern (every other) when he swam against Ryan Hoffer, and did a 47.38. By the way, Ryan Hoffer set the record at that time with a 46.42 breathing every stroke. Maybe it’s not about the breathing as much as it is about the body and hip position.
That last wall killed him he could have easily broken 46 if not for that
That pool looks slow/ gross, and those turns looked awkward. He’ll be right around 45 low 44 high before he’s done with SCY this season (probably around march/ april).
It’s not gross, but it’s 6’6″ at the start end and 4′ at the turn end, so definitely slow compared to many pools.