Michael Andrew had a few more attempts at 13-14 National Age Group Records. Friday, April 18th, 2014 is his 15th birthday, but per USA Swimming rules, because he started the 2014 NASA Showcase Classic at 14, he gets to finish the meet at 14. This is the same rule we saw in effect at Worlds over the summer, where Simone Manuel broke 15-16 National Age Group Records after her 17th birthday.
On Friday evening, though, were that rule not in existence, it wouldn’t have mattered. Andrew swam a 46.95 to win the boys’ 14-year olds 100 yard fly, which is faster than both his own 13-14 record of 47.23, and also faster than the 46.99 done by Alexander Valente earlier this year that is the 15-16 record.
So whether we count this as ‘jumping an age group’ or not, it’s clear that Andrew will certainly be able to hold-his-own with his age group when he races at the Mesa Grand Prix next weekend, for the first time as an official 15-16.
So for now, Valente’s record stands among 15-16’s. It’s very rare for this to happen in the men’s pool, though we’ve seen it quite frequently in the last few years with some of the young women’s stars like Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky.
The other day I remarked that MA, with his hair going backwards, looked more and more like Gary Hall Junior.
But on that butterfly picture above, he looks like Mark Spitz. Without the mustache. 🙂
I think you might be on to something, Bobo… I’m piecing it together and my theory is that MA was created in a lab like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Twins… A little Gary Hall, Jr and a little Mark Spitz, a little Matt Biondi, a little Lenny Krazylberg, and finally a little Mark Barrowman.
🙂
http://twitter.com/HulkSwim/status/457423712430456833/photo/1
😆 😆 😆 😆
Little correction my dear HULK : It’s lenny Krayzelburg . Thanks for mentioning of the great names from 88′ and 92′ Olympics .
Like all my grade school teachers would tell you- I rushed my work.
As I was typing the names out, I got the idea for the mustache picture so I just got sloppy.
He has defenetly something from Spitz with the stache on the picture . Well observed
LOOK AT THE RESEMBLANCE! 🙂
IT’S HUGE!
http://www.sport-legends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mark-spitz-7.jpg
Hopefully we can get MA to race a fly without goggles. Then perhaps we can see if he was actually of Spitz blood somewhere along the lines.
We have our 46!
Congrats to Mr Andrew!
He has again read me! 🙂
Scratch the 200 breast to focus on the 100 fly if you want to swim a 46.
He did it!
Great accomplishment!
This kid is something else and his ability to swim fast meet after meet is simply amazing.
He really is extraordinary. It will be interesting to watch him develop in the next few years.
Thinking back many, many years, I can’t recall an age-grouper(maybe Caulkins or Jesse Vassallo) who broke records at this rate and with this kind of versatility.
I’d love to see him back up these times in long course so we can get an accurate picture of where he is relative with other swimmers his age who don’t swim yards
You will get your wish starting next week. We are long course from now ’til August in the US.
Again, this has been the plan all along. We knew he was going to pound yards meets ’til this date. One more day. Makes no sense to keep questioning something they’ve addressed repeatedly.
If anything, his long course times might be more impressive than his short course ones once the season gets going. No way of knowing now, but you can’t read an article about him without someone mentioning his turns and underwaters (I tend to think the weakest aspects of his swims are in and out of the walls as well, although some people seem to think they’re terrible where I just think they could use some touching up).
I think we’ll see some crazy times this summer from Mr. Andrew.
I agree, I find MA’s greatest record is actually a LCM: 200 IM.
Scary to think that MA’s 100 fly time as a 14 year old at 46.95 is only a little more than a second slower than Ugur Taner’s 100 FREESTYLE nag 100 free time way back in 1989
when Taner went 45.75 in the 100 free. Doesn’t that just boggle your mind?
Did he not already turn 15?
He’s considered 14 for the whole meet. Which I think you know, and aren’t happy about. It makes sense for competition reasons, but I can understand not allowing it as a 14 record. But the rule is what it is.
HULK, I think you are becoming sensitive, especially on anything related to MA, is not so becoming for someone named as awesome as HULK. Why wouldn’t I be too happy about MA breaking records? I think it’s awesome when young swimmers break records left and right.
I am not saying MA did not break the record, which according to USA Swimming he did. What I was trying to correct is that people say MA breaking 15-16 as a 14 yo. MA’s record is legit, but it does not change the fact he has turned 15.
See Sven’s comments above. We all get that he is 15. But the record will forever be as a 14 year old. Pointless to debate. We knew this month’s ago when they said this would be his last meet of the SCY season.
As for me being defensive about him… not him per se… just people who want to lessen anyone’s accomplishments because they weren’t done the ‘right’ way or in the ‘right’ course…
Fast is fast, and there are no rules to going fast. High volume, high intensity, something inbetween. It can all work and has.
It also bothers me when people post how he or others SHOULD be doing it… coach your own kids. If their coaches need your help, they need only log in and ask.
Instead of using this site as a way to get MORE information and use it to better themselves as coaches or athletes, some come in and use it to dump on coaches and… Read more »
HULK,
Please find a single post by me where I expressed unhappiness towards MA’s record breaking achievements. In fact, I defended MA on several occasions, the latest one was on Kyle Chalmers’ 100 free record article. I think you are confusing me with someone else.
Your defensiveness and rants above are unwarranted in this case as all I ever said is that Michael Andrew has turned 15, I think you are targeting the wrong person.
I wasn’t specifically saying you… I said ‘people’. And even my first post was really agreeing with you- it’s an odd rule. But it is what it is. It was intended to tell you that while it’s a quirky rule, it is the rule. And you posting the obvious on multiple comments won’t change it.
I didn’t say that I disagree with the rule. It is what it is. According to the rule, Michael Andrew broke 100 fly 13-14 age record. According to his birth certificate, he is 15 yo. It is what it is.
What I found a bit inaccurate was the statement that MA broke 15-16 record being a 14 yo.
By the way, as I have commented few times in the past, of all MA’s records, the one I find the greatest is actually a LCM record: 200 IM (which shows that MA can swim LCM). But maybe it’s also because I have difficulty in comprehending how fast SCY times are.
this is awesome. I have been saying for weeks I wanted to see a 15-16 record out of him as a 14 year old and it finally happened… anyone want to ask his parents what time of day he was born?
He had already turned 15.
Take it up with USA Swimming. The rule’s been in place longer than MA’s been around, and I see no reason to change it just because a swimmer happened to break a record. If they gave him both NAGs, then I could see there being an issue, but USA swimming says he’s a 14 year old for the weekend and they’re the ones whose opinion counts.
Relax.
I am not saying he did not break the 13-14 record. I am only saying that he is 15 yo. The odd USA swimming regulation does not change the fact the MA is 15.
There’s nothing wrong with making that distinction, I guess, but what’s the point? Anyone who read the title of this article knows that he is 15 now. The people you corrected know that he is 15. However, for all intents and purposes, he IS 14 for this weekend. So when you see someone talking about a “14 year old” breaking a record, give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they know how to read.
You want me to give the benefit of the doubt to others and yet you failed to give me one. When all I said Michael Andrew turned 15 you wnet on and on:
“Take it up with USA Swimming. The rule’s been in place longer than MA’s been around, and I see no reason to change it just because a swimmer happened to break a record. If they gave him both NAGs, then I could see there being an issue, but USA swimming says he’s a 14 year old for the weekend and they’re the ones whose opinion counts.”
And yes, I could read USA Swimming regulation, thank you very much,
right, and once you clarified that, I dropped it. But that left me with the question that I asked: If you aren’t questioning the rule, then why bother making a distinction that everyone already knows? Again, it’s safe to assume that people on here commenting about Michael Andrew have read the title of the article. So if you know about the rule, and you know that other commenters know he’s 15, then you know why people are calling him 14. So why bother?
A 46, even at 15, is so impressive. Although we take a 46 in high school for granted thanks to Dressel and Schooling last year, don’t forget that 4(?) years ago, the national high school record was a 47.10 by Sean Fletcher
Happy Bday Michael!
You had the greatest year of swimming by a 14 year old ever in the history of the planet!!
Thanks for all your hard work and even more impressive, your willingness to give back. You and your family gladly share how you destroy records and competitors.
Thanks for helping start the USRPT/Ultimate Swimmer Revolution. Thanks for showing us you can be really fast, have a balanced life, love God and love others!
We are excited to support you this next year too. In the meantime, have an awesome day!!!
Sorry but I think Thorpe takes that one. 10 gold and two bronze at australian age nationals including 4 records that are still current- 2:02:22 200 fly, 4:26 400IM, 1:50:07 200 free and 3:49 400 free. Plus all in briefs and senior team representation at Pan Pacs with silver in 400 free and silver in 4×200 free relay.
Great season, but not best ever by a 14 year old
Krisztina Egerszegi was also 14, when she won olympic gold 🙂
I know this is a long time ago but I did find a male 14 year old who won a Gold Medal at the Olympics (quite a few women have). Kuzuo Kitamura of Japan. Kitamura was 14 years, 10 months old when he won gold in the Men’s 1500 meter freestyle at the 1932 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
MarkB,
As far as I know, in modern Olympics only two female swimmers won olympics individual golds at the age 14: Egerszegi in 1988 (at that time the youngest ever olympics female swimming gold medalist), and Kyoko Iwasaki in 1992 (who was even younger at 14 yo and 6 days). Other female swimmers who were 14 and won olympics medals but no individual gold were: Franziska van Almsick and Amanda Beard.
Maybe I missed some more.
I was going to say the same thing. The greatest 14 yo by a female swimmer surely belong to Kriztina Egerszegi: one gold and one silver Olympic individual medals, and she was only 14 yo and 41 days to boot!