2023 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 27 – July 1, 2023
- Indianapolis, IN
- Indiana University Natatorium
- LCM (50m)
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- Psych Sheet (updated version, 6/26)
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Thomas Heilman started off his 2023 World Championships Trials campaign strong with a 1:55.11 in the 200 butterfly to become the second-fastest 15-16-year old in American history. Heilman is now #2 boy in the age group, sitting behind record-holder Michael Phelps. Phelps’ national age group record in the event is more than two decades old, sitting at a 1:54.58 from the 2001 World Championships.
Heilman was formerly #4 in the age group, having held a best time of 1:56.52, which he swam at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. Heilman won a silver medal at Junior Pan Pacs with that time, coming second to Aaron Shackell who hit a 1:55.81.
Split Comparison
| Heilman – 2023 | Phelps – 2001 | Heilman – 2022 | |
| 50 | 25.68 | 25.64 | 26.77 |
| 100 | 54.39 (28.71) | 54.81 (29.17) | 56.37 (29.60) |
| 150 | 1:24.45 (30.06) | 1:24.71 (29.90) | 1:26.41 (30.04) |
| 200 | 1:55.11 (30.66) | 1:54.58 (29.87) | 1:56.52 (30.11) |
Heilman currently holds one NAG in the 15-16 age category; the 100 butterfly. He swam a 51.98 to get that record last year and will race the event later this week at US Trials. He also currently holds the 13-14 NAG in the long course 50 free (22.95), 100 free (51.12), 200 free (1:5127), and 100 fly (53.27).
US 15-16 Rankings – Men’s 200 Butterfly
- Michael Phelps (2001) – 1:54.58
- Thomas Heilman (2023) – 1:55.11
- Luca Urlando (2018) – 1:55.21
- Andrew Seliskar (2013) – 1:56.42
- Matt Fenlon (2019) – 1:57.39
- Justin Lynch (2013) – 1:57.80
- Justin Wright (2013) – 1:57.90
- Dan Madwed (2005) – 1:58.15
Heilman took more than a second off his best time during a prelims swim and will head into the final as the second seed behind Carson Foster. Foster notched a 1:54.30 in prelims, which is slightly slower than his best time of 1:53.67 from July 2022 at the Speedo Southern Sectionals in Austin, Texas.
Foster is the favorite to win the final tonight but Heilman will be in contention for a spot on the podium as well. Heilman will be gunning for a spot on his first-ever World Championships team here. Heilman cracked the FINA A cut of 1:56.71 already but will need to fend off the rest of the field in order to get into the top 2 and onto the team.
Third place during prelims was Olympian Zach Harting who posted a 1:55.48 to slightly trail the 1:54.92 PB he swam at Tokyo 2020. Harting narrowly missed out on qualifying for the World Championships team in 2022 when he swam a 1:55.09 for third place at Trials. Last year, Luca Urlando and Trenton Julian went 1-2 in the event and repped the USA at the 2022 World Championships. The other men who qualified for the A final are Jack Dahlgren (1:55.72), Mason Laur (1:55.97), Julian (1:56.38), Chase Kalisz (1:56.44), and Aiden Hayes (1:56.71).
If he can control himself from the nerves/excitement and not go out TOO fast tonight, I think he holds off Harting and makes the team.
To add to the discourse, Phelps in 2000, when he first qualified for his first Olympics in Athens, was a 1:57.48 at US Trials for 2nd.
Then he got 5th in Athens with a 1:56.50
5th in Sydney
wait i have a question, if thomas makes the worlds team, does he also makes the junior team? or is he limited to just one team?
They aren’t letting swimmers do both this year (even if it’s only a relay at Worlds).
oooh okay. that’s a bit stupid ngl
If they qualify for individual swims at Worlds, I don’t think it’s stupid to keep them off the junior team since they made the senior team. I do agree it is stupid to keep relay-only swimmers off of Junior team
USA Swimming Don’t Do Something Stupid With Selection Criteria Challenge [IMPOSSIBLE]
That won’t change as long as Lindsey Mintenko is in her current role. I’m really excited to see what kind of idiocy they can drum up for 2024 worlds selection. They should offer spots to 2023 individual medalists first, relay gold medalists next, then use US Open in December for selection of the remaining spots (and based on who declines).
I think Heilman is taking this record down later. He drops usually quite a bit between prelims and finals in lots of races. Hope the pressure isn’t a problem for him later because he is the 2nd seed for tonight but it’s gonna likely take a new NAG record for him to make the team here.
I’m gonna take a wild guess and say Phelps was not opening a 200 fly in 51.8 at 16 years old 😂 and definitely not splitting a 26.1 on the 2nd 50 of a 200 fly.
Also a question…if Heilman books a spot at worlds is he allowed to swim at junior worlds in September?
51.81 was the wr in 2001 lmao
Are those… really the Phelps splits? 25.6, 26.1, 32.9, 29.8???
They were 29.1 and 29.9 in the middle hundred.
Yeah that makes a lot more sense. 51.81 would have tied the world record in the 100 fly at the time.