2018 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, July 25 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
- William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
- Prelims 9 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
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Reported by Lauren Neidigh.
MEN’S 200 BREAST:
- World Record: Ippei Watanabe, 2:06.67, 2016
- American Record: Josh Prenot, 2:07.17, 2016
- Championship Record: Josh Prenot, 2:07.17, 2016
- U.S. Open Record: Josh Prenot, 2:07.17, 2016
- GOLD: Josh Prenot– 2:07.28
- SILVER: Andrew Wilson– 2:08.71
- BRONZE: Will Licon– 2:08.72
- FOURTH: Nic Fink– 2:09.24
Andrew Wilson was out like a light, under World Record pace in 1:01.08. On the 3rd 50, American Record holder Josh Prenot made his move, hitting the final turn under his own American Record pace. He fell just slightly off the pace on the final 50, touching just a tenth behind the mark in 2:07.28 for the 2nd fastest American performance ever.
The field crept up on Wilson down the final stretch, but he still managed to hold off teammate Will Licon by a hundredth at the finish as they touched in 2:08.71 and 2:08.72 respectively. That was Licon’s fastest swim since 2016, when he put up his lifetime best 2:08.14 at Trials.
Kevin Cordes, the 2nd fastest American ever in this event, was 5th in 2:09.71, just ahead of junior star Daniel Roy, who was just 3 hundredths off his lifetime best and NAG Record. Roy won the Indianapolis Pro Swim earlier this year, breaking the 17-18 NAG in the process in 2:09.73. Before Roy first broke the Mark, Cordes owned it. Cordes still has a good chance of qualifying for Pan Pacs in the 100 breast later on. His Worlds teammate Nic Fink of Georgia hit the wall just ahead of him tonight for 4th in 2:09.24, running him down on the back half.
Good advice from Tom Shields. With that detail oriented, analytical approach to training in mind, it makes sense how he went from being only good at short course to an international medal threat in long course. Not a lot of guys can make that transition.
Prenot is such a ~bro~