The HardCoreSwim of the Week, for the second time in the last month, goes to University of Virginia sophomore Courtney Bartholomew for her performance at the Ohio State Invitational last weekend.
Bartholomew broke ACC Records over the weekend in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes, but the Swim of the Week goes to her performance in the individual 100 backstroke final, where she put in a 50.73 to move to 5th on the all-time NCAA list and within a second of Natalie Coughlin’s NCAA Record.
While that swim far from guarantees her a spot at the top of the podium in March, with swimmers like Cindy Tran, Liz Pelton, Rachel Bootsma, and Missy Franklin lurking (regardless of whether Sarah Denninghoff returns or not this season for Texas, this year’s final should be the fastest 100 yard backstroke race in history). It does, however, insert her into a conversation that had been heavily focused on the west coast until this point.
What was most impressive about Bartholomew’s swim was that it erased any necessity for an ‘asterisk’ or a ‘but’ on the ACC Record book. Bartholomew swam a 50.80 to lead off Virginia’s 400 medley that was negated as the Virginia “A” and “B” relays swam in the wrong lanes.
Now, we won’t debate that rule. It’s a valid rule, with a lot of justifications, not the least of which ‘if swimming wants proper media coverage, the media needs to know who swam in which lanes.’
However, it erased a record-breaking swim that Bartholomew swam legally, and for a disqualification that had no impact on how fast she covered 100 yards on her back within all stroke limitations and specifications. And it would have been a shame to know that her best swim would emerge from the weekend as anything less than a record (kind of like that weird period in 2009 where FINA was recognizing suited records, but USA Swimming was not).
Get pumped up for this year’s women’s NCAA Championship. At a 2013 meet where there were a lot of disappointing swims, the backstroke races still stood out, and they should only get better this year in Minneapolis, where there has rarely been a letdown in the 6 times the University Aquatic Center has hosted the women’s meet.
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Braden, how can you forget Olivia Smoliga in your list of 100 back contenders? 😯
She’s the current short course world champion in that event.
It’s a sacrilege! 🙂
About Missy, many people think she will not swim that race at NCAA’s. If I have well understood, it seems her schedule would be the 500 free on day 1, the 200 free on day 2 and either the 200 back or the 100 free on day 3.
To come back to Courtney Bartholomew, really impressive time. According to the performances of her career so far, we can say she’s exclusively a short course swimmer. She’s a six-time US junior champion in short course yards on backstroke! Double… Read more »