Chase Kalisz Swims 3:33.42, Breaks Own U.S. Open Record in 400 IM

2017 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, March 22 – Saturday, March 25
• IUPUI Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
• Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
• Defending Champion: Texas (results)
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live stream: Wednesday/Thursday Prelims & Finals, Friday/Saturday Prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPN3
• Event Previews
• Live Results

Georgia senior Chase Kalisz blasted a 3:33.32, crushing his own three year-old US Open and NCAA record in the 400 IM.  Kalisz’s previous best was a 3:34.50 from the 2014 NCAA Championships that looked other worldly at that point in time, but he hadn’t really come close to that time, appearing to be more focused on the big pool in 2015 and redshirting last year in preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympics, in which he won a silver medal in the long course version of this event.

In the post-race interview, Kalisz called his swim tonight his “last 400 IM in short course ever,” and he sure made it memorable.  He was ahead of record pace the whole way, and while he wasn’t in the lead the whole time, Kalisz looked very relaxed through the first half of the race and brought it home with his signature back half, knocking over a second off his swim from three years earlier.

There was a lot impressive about such a swim, but one stat in particular stuck out: Kalisz’s first 50 of his backstroke leg was a 28.88 after splitting 28.86 on the breast leg of the 200 IM yesterday evening.

Kalisz’s swim capped a historically fast day in this event.  This morning it took a 3:40.64 to make finals.  Andrew Seliskar needed every bit of that time, placing 8th this morning, but he made it pay off, finishing 2nd in a time of 3:36.18 that pushes the California sophomore to 4th all-time and moves him ahead of the great Michael Phelps.  Florida’s Mark Szaranek‘s time of 3:36.31 now ranks him 6th all-time, and Georgia’s Gunnar Bentz‘s 3:36.60 this evening puts him 8th all-time.

Kalisz’s splits, 2014

r:+0.74
23.56
50.04 (26.48)
1:17.50 (27.46)
1:44.16 (26.66)
2:13.63 (29.47)
2:43.57 (29.94)
3:09.34 (25.77)
3:34.50 (25.16)

Kalisz’s splits, 2017

r:+0.72
23.31
49.78 (26.47)
1:17.16 (27.38)
1:43.68 (26.52)
2:12.56 (28.88)
2:42.29 (29.73)
3:08.26 (25.97)
3:33.42 (25.16)