2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
- Budapest, Hungary
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Dutchman Arno Kamminga won’t swim the 50 breaststroke at the upcoming World Championships that begin on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
Kamminga has been the world’s second-best breaststroker for the last two years in both Olympic events, posting among the fastest times in history. In the 100 breaststroke, he’s been chasing the World Record holder Adam Peaty, and in the 200, he sits behind the World Record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook. He won silver medals in both races at last year’s Olympic Games.
With Peaty injured, though, Kamminga has a big opportunity to move to the top of the podium in the sprint breaststrokes. He is the top seed in the 100 breast in 57.80, which puts him .34 seconds ahead of American Michael Andrew and .48 seconds ahead of Italian Nicolo Martinenghi by seed time. He is the second-fastest swimmer in the history of that event.
While it seems like he should hold a higher stature, then, in the 50 breaststroke, his best time is only 26.80, done at the Eindhoven Olympic Qualifier meet in April 2021. Owed largely to the number of 50 breaststroke specialists around the world, that only ranks him as the 15th-best man in history.
That would have put him as the 5th seed heading into this week’s meet, about four-tenths behind the top seed Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy, which is a relatively-big margin for a 50 meter race.
Actual Top 8 seeds, men’s 50 breaststroke, 2022 World Championships:
- Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy – 26.39
- Michael Andrew, USA – 26.52
- Nic Fink, USA – 26.55
- Joao Gomes, Brazil – 26.62
- Emre Sacki, Turkey – 26.83
- Simone Cerasuolo, Italy – 26.85
- Itay Goldfaden, Israel – 27.05
- Felipe Silva, Brazil – 27.11
Netherlands has entered a mixed 400 medley relay but not a men’s 400 medley relay at the meet, which means Kamminga likely has three events to race throughout the 8 days of competition.
Michael Andrew is smiling
Everyone knows the 50M form stroke events are Mickey Mouse. Years from now it won’t matter in the slightest what he did or didn’t do in a superfluous event like the 50M breaststroke. Reputations are made or lost in the traditional events so I’m all for Kamminga for giving it the thumbs down.
The real Mickey Mouse event is the 1500m. If they need to cut to commercials in the middle of your race, is it really a race?
Only in the US do broadcasters have so little respect for their content.
As a former miler this made me laugh. You’re not wrong!
If he had dropped the 100 or 200 there would have been a flood of comments. This story has hardly rated a mention. I rest my case.
Eh, it’s not like he has a ton of swims to manage.
I wonder if swimming 50s messes up his tempo for the longer races tho, breaststroke really does depend on that rhythm more than most strokes.