Short course world champ Michael Andrew revealed his busy event lineup for U.S. Nationals on Instagram live yesterday, along with another key piece of news: he and his family are moving to California.
The 19-year-old Andrew is four-time World Junior champ and holds three world junior records: the 50 free, 50 fly and 50 back. He was the 2016 short course world champ in the 100 IM, and will look to qualify for his first Pan Pacs team later this month. The versatile Andrew has a wide range of event options, and laid out his full lineup on Instagram live yesterday as he was answering questions from fans.
Andrew said he would swim the 50 and 100 freestyles, 50 and 100 butterflys, 50 and 100 breaststrokes and the 50 backstroke in Irvine later this month. That lineup doesn’t include the 200 IM, where he was the 7th-fastest American last season. We speculated as much in our 200 IM preview last week, noting that the 200 IM comes on the same day as the 50 free, arguably Andrew’s best shot at a major international team roster spot. Andrew confirmed as much on Instagram, noting that he “really [hasn’t] been training for the 200 IM,” focusing instead on sprints.
That lineup would have Andrew swimming only one event a day for most of the meet, with a notable exception of an event triple on Friday. Andrew would swim the 100 fly, 50 breast and 50 back that day, though he could realistically scratch one or more of those events the day of the meet or even after seeing how prelims go. Andrew did say that lineup could still change.
- Day 1: 100 free
- Day 2: 50 fly
- Day 3: 100 fly, 50 breast, 50 back
- Day 4: 100 breast
- Day 5: 50 free
Andrew also mentioned in his Instagram live that his family is moving to Encinitas, California, just north of San Diego. Andrew has traditionally trained out of a pool in his family’s backyard in Lawrence, Kansas. He said the move was a family decision, noting that the new environment would provide good training opportunities for him and surfing opportunities for his sister. The family will likely move in January, Andrew says.
A few other tidbits from Andrew’s Instagram live:
- Andrew says he plans to do all of the World Cup stops in 2018.
- Asked how many times he practices each week, Andrew said he practices 9-10 times a week in the water.
- Andrew hinted that his family is setting up a website where people can request swim camps in their area, along with specific focuses of the camps.
- On a less swimming-centric note, Andrew said he sold all his gaming equipment, saying that he was addicted to the game Fortnite and it took up too much of his time.
- Andrew said he’s never done cupping therapy and likely wouldn’t in the near future, citing dangers associated with the technique.
- Andrew said he doesn’t regret turning pro and giving up college swimming. “I don’t think I’ve missed anything skipping college,” he said, going on to say that his feelings were only personal preference in his situation and not a blanket statement about college swimming.
- Andrew said he prefers to swim outdoors – part of why he’s excited to move to California.
- Andrew’s father and coach joked that Andrew’s practices only lasted a half-hour, though Andrew said they were closer to two hours in the morning and about an hour in the evening.
I’m sure that whatever MA swims he will swim well. I’m going with consistency and a strong track record. He needs to make sure he purchases an English to Japanese, Japanese to English dictionary!
Michael is kind of a square kid and San Diego is less evangelical than Kansas. Michael would have liked it back in the 1970’s during the Jesus Movement.
We have attended an awesome Evangelical church in Encinitas for the past 2 decades. They are many great churches in the area. Also, many nice pools. I swim masters in Encinitas and am thrilled he is moving out here.
Maybe he will decide to train with the greatest and most humble coach in the world; Davido Marshito?
One has to wonder how much energy he’ll have left for that 50 Free on Day 5 after a loaded meet schedule of 25 Fly, 25 Breast, 50 Back, and 100 Freestyle Relay (timed final) in the days prior.
Poor kid!
If he makes the national team and travels with them this summer and next summer, how do you think the coaches will manage Michael during their pre-meet training trip? His training is very different than most others.
Any USA coach can read, comprehend, and execute a USRPT workout given to them by Michaels dad ( coach).
Michael has to do 8K practices for a month.
There is only like a week between meets this summer so not really an issue. His father (and any home coaches) would be allowed to attend camp in California. So he will be fine….if he makes it.
Stunningly, no 200s….
It’s not his main distance. I don’t see anyone telling Chase Kalisz he needs to start sprinting.
No, but we should be telling him to start swimming the 200 Free cause we need his 1:45+ split
No we don’t. But we might need Dressel’s (1:44 spit).
You mean his 1:56.35 split? that is his best recorded 200 free LCM.
We really need Kalisz in the 50, where is he?!?
I’ll bet you haven’t made that snide comment about any other sprinter, ever. MA owns NAGs in the 200 back, 200 fly and in the 200 IM and held the 400IM NAG. He has nothing to prove. What’s on your resume’?
His better events come later in the meet.
Day 3 is looking challenging. He could make the finals in all 3, but that might not work to his best advantage. He may have to drop one event to improve his chances.
The 100 breast is a very competitive event. And so is the 50 free. It looks like the pressure builds up all week to Day 4 and 5.
He’s reached the top of USA swimming, where the battle for the top 2 spots is fierce.
Not discounting what you say, that the battle for the top 2 spots is fierce, but don’t forget that for Pan Pacs, top 3 spots make the team!
Yes, top 3 for that meet. Maybe Michael will qualify in several events with that extra spot open.
Top 3 does not count for Non Olympic Events I Think
i thought it was top 4?
nope
It’s top 4 if the roster doesn’t hit max capacity.
Yep you’re right – top 4 if there’s room.
Well, it is only the top 4 if there are enough doubles. At 26 total athletes allowed, there has to be doubles to even fill out the top 2 spots (remember that 100 and 200 automatically get the top 4 as first priority).
I got third one year and there were not enough doubles and I didn’t make the team.
This is also true. I think, by-and-large, top two are a lock. Looking at 2014, looks like top 3s made it, 4th didn’t. I have some trepidation that coaches and athletes are starting to get too “smart” about this, and the potential multi-event qualifiers aren’t going to push as hard in all of their events: just make the team in their primary, and either lay low, focus on relays, or swim off races.
I think 4th place in men’s 100 back made it in 2014.
And remember that 1Q time gets him to Pan Pacs where he can swim whatever he wants
I’m honestly a bit surprised that he’s swimming 100free. I guess he’d have nothing on the first day if he didn’t, but it’s by far his worst event of the 7 he’s entered in.
That’s what i thought at first but it makes sense. Sort of a good lower pressure event to warm up with. He surely will have a lot of nerves, might do wonders if he has a good swim
If he pops off and get top 4-6 I bet he’ll just get better as the meet goes on. Hell if he goes 49 mid to low (which won’t be good enough for top 6 imo) I bet we’ll be in for a treat spectator wise.
Exactly, all he needs to do is make a relay spot. It won’t be the easiest thing in the world but there’s a reason he’s going for the 100 and not the 2IM
Ya, I would expect that it will take something similar to last year (48.2-48.3 I think it was) to be top 4. If MA’s stroke translated better to the more frequent breathing in the 100, then he’d be easily under or around that standard, but he hasn’t been able to figure the event out yet.