What was the Secret to Abbey Weitzeil’s 20.90 50 Free? (Video)

2019 MINNESOTA INVITATIONAL

• Wed. Dec. 4 – Sun. Dec. 8, 2019
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center / University of Minnesota / Minneapolis, MN
• Wed. Timed finals 6 PM
• Thu.-Sat. Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM / Diving 12 Noon
• Short course yards (SCY) format Wed.-Sat. (LCM format Sunday)
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^{Reported by Karl Ortegon.}

In a feat never done before, Abbey Weitzeil, Cal senior, has become the first woman ever under twenty-one seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. Clocking a time of 20.90 tonight to win the A-final at the 2019 Minnesota Invite, Weitzeil blew away the field with a stunning swim.

More importantly, she takes over a full tenth off of her old best, and the old American, NCAA, and U.S. Open records, which stood at 21.02. According to USA Swimming, she owns four of the top ten performances ever in this event. Further, she owns the top three performances of all time, and she is now a full quarter-second quicker than anyone has ever been (Erika Brown, the second-best performer ever, has been as fast as 21.15).

Race Video:

It was only last calendar year that we saw the first man under eighteen seconds in this event, and now we’ve seen the first woman under twenty-one. Funnily enough, this is also the same pool that Fred Bousquet dropped an 18.74 at the 2005 NCAA Championships to become the first man under nineteen seconds over a decade ago.