Michael Andrew of Team Andrew Indie Swimming capped off his first run at the summer Junior National Championships with a pair of National Age Group Records on Friday night.
First, in the men’s 200 IM C-Final, he swam a 2:05.13, which knocks almost a second-and-a-half off of Michael Phelps’ old record of 2:06.50 from the year 2000. Note that this is the same year where Phelps would later, at 15, qualify for the Olympics in the 200 fly.
Andrew’s coach, who is his father Peter, has been raving about some of the incredible swims that Michael has been doing in practice, but that hadn’t quite translated to meets the way they’d hoped coming into the U.S. Open and Junior Nationals: by far the two biggest meet he’s swum in thus far in his young career.
Things all came together in this 200 IM, though, which somewhat justifies that an almost exclusive diet of ‘high intensity race pace training’ can be effective in longer races.
Comparative splits between Andrew’s swim and Phelps 2000 record:
| Phelps ’00 | Andrew ’13 |
| 26.93 | 26.85 |
| 33.19 | 31.05 |
| 37.06 | 37.32 |
| 29.32 | 29.91 |
| 2:06.50 | 2:05.13 |
Phelps’ old record was done in a runner-up performance at the 2000 Cadillac Swim Challenge Series stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
What immediately jumps out is that Andrew attacked the backstroke leg much harder than Phelps did, and remember that Phelps was a very good backstroker as a younger swimmer. Andrew didn’t close quite as well as the old record splits, but still did so nicely considering how hard he went out in the first 100 meters.
Andrew would add to that a second record in his more traditional event, the 50 free, where he was a 23.38. That broke his own record of 23.47 set earlier this year. The old record of 23.50 was set by Bolles’ Caeleb Dressel in 2011, which Andrew has now cleared twice. (Incidentally, Dressel has been having an incredible meet himself, breaking multiple NAG Records as well).
For those curious, Phelps got his time to a 2:00.86 by the time he finished in the 15-16 age group, and Dressel’s newest 15-16 record in the 50 free, done in the prelims of the event, was a 22.39.
Overall a good summer for Michael Andrew. He is right on par in his LCM times compared to his SCY times. I expect some incredible SCY swims from him in the 2013-2014 winter season.
Probably 19.80 in the 50 free, 44 low in the 100 free, 48.50 in the 100 back, 55 high in the 100 breast, sub 2 minutes in the 200 breast, 47.50 in the 100 fly, 1.46 in the 200 IM and 3.52 in the 400 IM.
All these times before he turns 15.
Ok, I’m perhaps a little too optimistic but we’ll see.
I think his backstroke will be stronger than a 48.5…
A 19.8 50 free as a 14 year old would be a sight to see. I am not quite as optimistic but I would love to see it.
I wonder if he will swim SCY much this next season. He’s a pro now, no chance at college so no need for SCY, right?
Does Michael Andrew get a bonus from his endorsement company for breaking NAG records?
If so, how much?
Definitely the backstroke was the difference maker. Conratulations to Michael.
That is the way to swim IM. Smooth and fast fly, then attack the backstroke leg; then fast, long with long walls breast. Without two strong inside legs, there is no good IM. Everybody is fast in fly and free, but not many in both back and breast legs of IM.
Congrats Michael.
He has also broken his 50 free 13/14 NAG record after the 200 IM in 23.38.
Fresher, he can swim under 23 before he turns 15.
What was also interesting about the race is he swam crooked in the backstroke leg starting from the middle of the lane line and angled off towards the lane line in the middle of the leg. He probably could have taken another 2 tenths of a second off if it weren’t for that.
Also, the week as a whole was impressive and it’s no surprise, given how strong he is in the individual strokes, that he has a strong IM.
He was within .50 seconds of the current NAGs on 3 events and .75 on another.:
100m Free
Current NAG 51.59 Andrew Junior Nat Time 52.00
100m Fly
Current NAG 54.80 Andrew Junior Nat Time 54.99
100m… Read more »
Correction – 100 back – 57.39 (Set by Benjamin Ho)
Other notes – Top 14 year old times I can come up with – if you have any additional information, please make note!
50 free – Darren Lim – Singapore – 22.73 – 6/25/2013; Shehab Youkes, – Ireland – 23.16 – 7/12/2012
100 free – Kyle Chalmers – Australia – 50.86 – 4/8/2013; Darren Lim – Singapore – 51.25 – 6/25/2013
200 free – Suleman Butt – Great Britain – 1:53.34 – 7/22/12; Kyle Chalmers – Australia – 1:53.48 – 4/8/2013
400 free – Evan Pinion – USA – 3:57.61 – 8/10/2009; Michael Phelps – USA – 3:58.80 – 5/26/2000
800 free – Evan Pinion –… Read more »
Whoknows..
Thorpe was 1:50:07 and 3:49:64 at 14, much faster than everyone else..
Probably he was faster too at 800 but can´t find it..
Can´t find Sun Yang times as 14.. but as 16 he was already 14:48 at 1500.. so I would bet at 14 he would be the fastest too..
He swam a 8:08.12 in the 800 and 3:56.11 in the 400 as 15 year old at 2007 World Champs (did not swim the 1500 that year) – not sure he would have swum the 1500 as a 14 year old.
Thanks… I look and found the Australian all time top performances…
http://www.swimming.org.au/customdata/index.cfm?fuseaction=CustomItem&ItemID=5588