SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent polls asked SwimSwam readers what the biggest surprises of the U.S. National Championships were:
Question: What was the biggest surprise through the first two nights at Nationals?
RESULTS
- Weinstein runs down Ledecky in 200 free – 39.0%
- Thomas Heilman‘s 200 fly – 21.2%
- Men’s 100 free – Four 47s, no Dressel – 18.8%
- Douglass hits 52.57 100 free – 11.7%
- Lindsay Looney takes 2nd in 200 fly – 9.3%
Question: What was the biggest surprise over the last three days of Nationals?
RESULTS
- Michael Andrew misses team – 44.6%
- Dare Rose wins 100 fly, sub-51 twice – 27.9%
- Seven 21s in men’s 50 free, no Dressel – 15.4%
- Weitzeil hits 24.00 50 free PB – 12.2%
Sixteen-year-old Claire Weinstein running down Katie Ledecky to win the women’s 200 freestyle and Michael Andrew failing to earn a berth on the World Championship team after winning three individual medals last summer emerged as the biggest surprises of the U.S. National Championships.
In what was an exciting five days of racing, we saw several swimmers breakthrough in long course, some we saw coming and some that we didn’t. Gretchen Walsh‘s performance was no surprise, but the swims on the men’s side from Thomas Heilman and in particular, Dare Rose, certainly were.
Through the first two nights of competition, Weinstein mowing down Ledecky to win the 200 free earned 39 percent of votes from SwimSwam readers on what was the biggest surprise of the meet up to that point. Ledecky had numerous 1:54s on her resume coming into the final and had been on a long undefeated run in the event on U.S. soil, not to mention we rarely, if ever, see her passed by someone in the closing meters.
Weinstein, on the other hand, had never broken 1:56 before she dropped a 1:55.26 to earn the win by two one-hundredths.
Heilman’s improvement curve has been so rapid that nothing was out of the question that week, but him dropping two seconds to qualify for the World Championships and break Michael Phelps‘ 15-16 NAG record in the 200 fly in 1:54.54 certainly caught many off guard.
That earned 21.2 percent of votes after two days of racing, while the men’s 100 free result, which saw four swimmers break 48 seconds (but not Caeleb Dressel), earned 18.8 percent.
No one knew what to expect from Dressel at the meet, so it’s fair to say that he could’ve been his usual self, or been well off form (like he was) and no one was going to be especially surprised. He took a long break, and it’s just nice to have him back.
The biggest surprise over the final three days was what happened to Andrew, as despite having his two best Olympic events in the 50 free and 100 breast come towards the event of the meet, he failed to earn a spot on the team.
He didn’t come close to making the final of the 100 breast, and in the 50 free, he was third by one one-hundredth of a second. He did secure a win in the 50 fly, but due to its low priority in the selection procedure as a non-Olympic event, the roster capped out and he missed the cut.
Andrew missing the team earned 44.6 percent of votes, while the other big surprise over the back half of the meet was the triumph of Rose, who wasn’t on the shortlist of contenders in the men’s 100 fly but stunned the field with two 50-point swims to take home the title.
All of a sudden he’s a medal contender at the World Championships, with Dressel and Kristof Milak both out of the mix.
Not unlike the 100 free that had four 47s, the men’s 50 free was a bit of a surprise with seven different swimmers breaking 22 seconds, with Dressel again not one of them. Comparatively, the 2022 Trials only had four 21s and one 47.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: What is the biggest storyline heading into the 2023 World Championships:
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At the age of 16, Alex Shackell qualifying for the W 4 x 200 FR-R is the quintessential definition of “a bolt from the blue”.
Women’s 400 free is shaping up to be the biggest race since Athens men’s 200 free.
Marchand breaking Phelps’ world record will be a much bigger storyline for the media and anyone who doesn’t follow swimming closely
Is anyone really surprised MA didn’t make it?
He was making music videos with a thug, surfing and training in a horrible environment leading to worlds
“Thug?” That’s classy.
Wellllll before everyone makes this a race thing…
https://www.xxlmag.com/nle-choppa-arrested-burglary-drug-gun-charges/
Michael Phelps was arrested. Does that make him a thug too? How about Lochte?
No, because they don’t go around waving guns around on social media like the aforementioned NLE choppa
I would call Lochte a vandal and Phelps a whole lot of things (that would probably get deleted) for their actions (self-centered wreckless so-and-so). But that’s not because of their race, it’s because of the nature of their crimes.
Neither of their crimes involved guns or burglary, and they didn’t promote violence with their songs.
I think there’s some context that’s worth including that NLE Choppa did commit crimes, served time, and did rap about violence.
However, after his arrest, he dramatically changed his approach, and has done a ton of valuable work in Memphis with youth to combat violence and crime, and the song that featured MA had a much more positive and productive message. That should be acknowledged too.