Video by Mel Stewart
Report by Hannah Hecht
Clark Smith posted a 4:08.82 in the 500 freestyle tonight at the University of Texas Invitational, breaking Cristian Quintero‘s Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center pool record of 4:10.02 and Michael Klueh‘s Longhorn record of 4:09.32. His swim was the fourth-fastest in history, just missing the American record 4:08.54 set by Peter Vanderkaay back in 2008.
Smith hit the wall nearly six seconds ahead of the second place swimmer, teammate Townley Haas, who swam a 4:14.07.
Both the pool record and Klueh’s school record are huge accomplishments. The Texas Swimming Center has stood since 1977, playing host to eight NCAA Division I Championships, including the meet two years ago in 2014. The pool has also been the host of multiple Grand Prix and Pro Swim Series meets, so its records are some of the fastest in the country.
Smith’s swim tonight was only slower than Vanderkaay’s 4:08.54 in 2008, Vanderkaay’s 4:08.60 in 2006, and Tom Dolan‘s 4:08.75 in 1995.
Smith, a junior, was reportedly shaved and tapered for this meet, but we can only expect him to go even faster, perhaps taking down Vanderkaay’s record, come March at NCAA’s, where his Texas team will be the defending champions. With times like this, hopefully this will even foreshadow an amazing swim from Smith in the 400 distance this summer in Omaha.
Check here for live results from the Texas Invitational as the meet goes on.
Amen, Justkeepswimming! Hook ’em!
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Even with how good Smith has gotten, I can not get over when I saw him swim at the High School State Championships and he didn’t get on the podium because he added time in Finals and didn’t set the national record. This comes along with rumors that he threw away his medals in the locker room his junior year at the meet and things I’ve heard from his teammates at Regis that he the coach excused his extremely poor sportsmanship because of his talent.
He is undoubtedly a spectacular swimmer, but I will never be able to root for him.
I am honored to know what a humble and great guy Clark is. He is awesome in and out of the water and one of the hardest workers I know. I think it is disgusting that a former anybody feels it is necessary to bring up RUMOR from HIGHSCHOOL to TRY to take away from what this great guy has worked for. Well it can’t! You go Clark!
Attention “Former Competitor”… please take a moment and look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself:
“What kind of person writes what I just posted, after someone accomplishes something great? First to base judgements on some false rumors and then to judge a man and decide he is not worthy because of his behaviors as a high school student?!?!?” Hummmmmm – something to think about!!!!!!!!!
Congrats CLARK! Some people like to throw rock at things that shine! Keep up the hard work and 2016 is going to be something special!!!! And you have a ton of your brothers cheering for you all the way!
When Smith destroyed the 1000 free NCAA and American records tonight, he had every reason to celebrate – yet he showed very little emotion afterward even with Eddie Reese standing at the starting blocks clapping for him as he got climbed of the pool. Smith did not revel, gloat, or do anything that would detract from his amazing accomplishment. In fact, he was very quiet and humble and did not really want attention that he certainly deserved for his monumental accomplishment.
Smith’s teammates and coaches say that he works incredibly hard to achieve his goals, and Coach Reese has commented in the press that Clark is the type of athlete that coaches don’t need to get paid to coach… Read more »
Incredible swim & he’s only getting faster.
Mel,
When you’re recording what’s likely to be a special swim consider these video tips:
+ Place yourself and the camera in a spot that provides an unobstructed view of your subject. Preferably up in the stands.
+ use a tripod to provide maximum stability & minimum shake, move the camera enough to always contain your subject in focus, only shoot the subjects, announcers aren’t subjects unless you’re doing a documentary on announcers.
+ zoom in to the extent that the frame contains the subject in focus along with a body length ahead & behind the subject, except on turns.
+ have proper lighting, but that isn’t… Read more »
Agree completely – this definitely will be a keeper. Smith will go for the 1000 free American record during the 1650 swim during finals Saturday night.
Is it just me or does it look like he is breathing every stroke into the turns? Like Yang does. Is that new for Smith?
Taking a page out of Ledecky book and double breathing into most turns when he goes in on his off side. She does the same thing.
The 500 free spirit is alive on the women’s side too. Leah Smith checked in with a 4:30.8 prelim swim today. Good shot at being the 2nd under 4:30 tonite.
That has to be the smoothest 47:48 that I’ve ever seen at the 100 yrd mark. What a efficient stroke!
I wonder what sun yang’s times would be if he swam collegiate it in the US.
Since they have drug testing in the NCAA’s, probably not too good!!
This is just a question that I’ve always discussed with my swimming friends and thought I’d pose it to the people here. Do you think we will see somebody go under 4:00 in the 500 in the next decade or so?
In next decade? No.
Considering that in the last *two decades* the record has gone from 4:08.7 all the way to . . . 4:08.5. Maybe in the next 50 yrs.
SwimGeek – in 16 years, the women’s 500 free record went from 4:34.3 to 4:33.3, from Evans to Ziegler. In the decade before, it had only improved two seconds. Since then….Ledecky, Ziegler, and Hoff have dropped it to 4:26.
With that being said…I still don’t think we’re close to seeing a 4:00. But who would’ve thought we’d see a woman going 4:26?
I do not think we will see this occur, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be athletes swimming who are capable of it. In my opinion, yards focus is diminishing for top level athletes in the US, and the top level international athletes simply don’t encounter it. For example, the Yannick Agnel who swam 3:32 SCM 400 would be capable of a sub 4:05 500, and I have no doubt that the suited Biederman or Thorpe in his prime would have been there too given a SCY focus. Tom Dolan was an exceptional athlete swimming at a period in US swimming where SCY was still a heavy focus as the top level national teamers were still in or recently… Read more »
The cool thing about Vanderkaay’s record is that it was done in an age group meet
When pigs fly
Thanks for indulging my question guys. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with this next generation of swimmers coming up through the Age Group ranks right now. As Braden pointed out, who thought we’d see a woman going 4:26? With the massive improvements we’ve seen across the sport, I think it’s possible we’ll see people pushing the record lower and lower. Clark Smith is only a Junior, Townley Haas is only a Freshman, and then you have a High School Junior like Matthew Hirschberger already going 4:16.