Reported by Lauren Neidigh.
MEN’S 100 BREAST
- American Record: 50.04, Kevin Cordes, 2014
- U.S. Open Record: 50.04, Kevin Cordes, 2014
Meet Record: 51.04, Cody Miller, 2017Pool Record: 51.04, Cody Miller, 2017
- GOLD: Nic Fink, Athens Bulldog Swim Club, 50.80
- SILVER: Cody Miller, Sandpipers of Nevada, 50.98
- BRONZE: Reece Whitley, Penn Charter Aquatics, 51.81
It was a tight race between Nic Fink and Cody Miller, with Fink taking the lead by a fingernail at the halfway point and outsplitting Miller down the stretch to win it. Fink hit the wall in 50.80, erasing Miller’s Meet Record and Pool Record from this morning, while Miller followed in 50.98. That was Fink’s first sub-51 swim in the event and marked the first time he’s swum a best time in the race since 2015. Miller was within 2 tenths of his best time and put up his fastest swim since 2015.
Junior stars Reece Whitley and Michael Andrew battled for the bronze. Andrew was out faster than Whitley, but Whitley closed in on him through the back half, getting his hands to the wall ahead of Andrew to take bronze in a personal best 51.81. Andrew was just a tenth shy of the podium with his 51.95 for 4th as he held off WEST’s Nick Zito (51.96) by a hundredth. Zito knocked a second and a half off his time today as he broke 53 for the first time this morning.
Adam Peaty generates great speed with a really quick turnover. Whitley is focusing on distance per stroke. It is interesting to watch these opposite styles. Peaty can bench a massive 286 pounds for 2 reps and is likely only going to compete at the 50 and 100. Whitley is 6’10” and what he lacks in front end speed, makes for with his second half. Whitley can compete at all breaststroke events and IMs.
In the Olympics, Peaty took 26 strokes on his second 50. At the World Junior Championships, Whitley took only 17.
Peaty is also roughly 3 seconds faster and half a foot shorter at least
He is also 5 years older. I don’t think Peaty was as fast as Whitley at age 17.
You were comparing their most recent times which is why I didn’t mention the age gap but yes in five years Whitley could be doing some very special things. Peaty has had exponential improvement since 2014 and at 20 he was a 57.9 LCM so we will see where Reece is in a couple years. Whitley and Peaty next to each other don’t even look like the same species so it’s hard to make a direct comparison between the two and the way they swim their races.