It seems some swim fans breakdown by Team Michael Andrew or Team Reece Whitley. Andrew and Whitley battle in breaststroke, but outside of the pool they appear to be great friends. As co-captains of the 2017 U.S. Junior World Championship Team they became leaders of the next generation, roles they embodied with ease.
It’s a long way until 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha. Both should be a threat to make the team, but what will it take to secure a spot in 2020? In 100m breast, to be safe, I think it will take 58.5 or faster. What do you think?
For fun, should Reece go train with Michael? Should Reece commit to a USRPT training camp? I’d like to see it (and capture video). I’d also like to see Michael work through a week of Reece’s training. Something tells me they’d both learn a lot from the experience.
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I think it’s kinda interesting that they both mentioned Carson Foster. Just watching him at the last junior nats meet and you can kinda see that something is the rise there. Him and Drew Kibbler have a really high ceiling.
I think MA will be great at the 50 free and 100 breast. I think Whitley will be great at both breaststrokes and possibly an IM. Actually, I should re-phrase that; both those dudes are already great at those events, but may excel even more.
I am so fascinated by how they are exact opposite swimmers. MA crushes the front-end speed then drags his piano the last 25 meters. While Whitley seems to use the first half of his race as a warm-up, then comes charging home like he’s possessed.
I also like seeing them next to each other. I think MA will be 6’5 and Whitley will be 6’7.
The other interesting dynamic is how there are… Read more »
I think when Reece gets to Cal, he will actually wind up being a butterflier and IMer. I think there’s a strong possibility that his days remaining as a “breaststroker” are few.
The crazy thing is, even if breaststroke remains his best stroke, he might legitimately have a better shot at the 200 IM for an Olympic spot, simply because of how densely packed US breaststroke is at the top. Don’t get me wrong, no one is unseating Kalisz, but depending on Lochte’s comeback and whether or not Devine’s 1:56 was a fluke (he went 1:58 at WCs), that 2nd spot might be easier to get than beating Cordes, Miller, Fink, Wilson, Andrew, Prenot, etc.
If Caleb decides that he is seriously interested in the 200 LCM IM, both spots are taken.
I said it before the 2016 OTs and I will say it again: Dressel will swim the 200 IM in Tokyo.
Caeleb Dressel Tokyo
All 4 relays, gold.
50 free
100 free
100 fly
200 im. Wait… time to change my name lol.
Idk I think Whitley will probably be able to beat out one of those guys in the 200 br come 2020
All eyes will be on Reece after he starts big boy training at Cal. We are pulling for him.
100 breast should be about 58.8 and watch out for Cody Miller, Kevin Cordes, Carson Foster, Andrew Wilson, Fink. Andrew and Whitley event
200 breast Pernot and Cordes and Licon. I say 2:07.4-2:08.2 for first and second. Reece whitley event
Carson Foster in the 100 breast..? Jake in a couple years, maybe.
About the training, it’s only a week or so. No one is asking/expecting them to change their training style completely (okay maybe Andrew). It’s just to experience a different style of training which I think is always valuable.
To be safe you think it will be 58.5? Wait, I actually agree with this.
I didn’t realize this was BuzzFeed
how can i give multiple thumbs down. people are interested. you only make these comments when it’s MA
Well considering there was no misleading title or top 10 list i’d say it’s about as far from buzzfeed as you can get
Not much of a rivalry. One excels at longer distances, the other one maxes out at 50s….
They collide a lot in the 100 breast. Reece also does do the 50 sometimes. They don’t necessarily collide in their major events, though.
Been two years since Andew hit that 100 time….
And the sweet spot is in the middle, Andrew having a narrow 0.3s lead on the 100BR for now.
But they’re really not so disparate. For someone who maxes out at 50, MA is doing pretty well to be 3 seconds off Whitley’s 200BR. Other than that, the biggest differences I can see in their 200s are 4s in the 200BK (SCY) and 4s in the 200IM (LCM), both led by Andrew.
Meanwhile:
SCY 200 IM: 0.8s apart
SCY 200 fly: 1s apart
SCY 200 free: 0.02s apart.
Not seeing any LCM times for Whitley in the 2fly, 2bk, or 2fr
Their SCY 100BR times are within a tenth of eachother. Of the events they’re… Read more »
This will be the new Phelps V Lochte for the next generation of swimmers
Cal seems to be great for IMers, I think that’s where we’ll see Reece really develop in college. If he were going to Texas, I’d agree with you and say that his 200 free would be world class by his junior year.