As the top American swimmers around the country are winding their way toward the U.S. National Championships and World Championship Trials in Indianapolis from June 3-7, there are little clues everywhere about who might be performing well in the run-up.
One of the most significant clues may have come from a non-official competition, though, where Michael Andrew swam an 8.56 second, touch-pad timed 25 yard freestyle, breaking the Arizona State 25 free touchpad record (a key differentiator given some coaches’ notoriously-fast stop watches).
While the 25 free is sure to elicit eyerolls from some corners of swimming, this is not insignificant at a sprint program in Arizona State that places more training and marketing emphasis on 25 yard times than just about anyone, including hosting an annual 25 yard “World Championship” meet.
That means we have lots of real data points to provide context here, notably Andrew going 9.03 in the November championship after just a few months of training at Arizona State. Jack Dolan won that bracket in an 8.71, and Andrew was .15 seconds faster than that on Friday.
Other comparisons include Gui Caribe splitting 8.65 on the first 25 of his 50 yard free at the NCAA Championships, placing 3rd. It’s not a perfect data point, because Caribe’s time was clocked to the feet on a turn and Andrew’s was to a touch, but it’s still something. Caeleb Dressel split 8.48 en route to his legendary 17.63.
Andrew for the first time this season is training primarily with a coach that isn’t his father Peter Andrew and primarily outside of the bounds of USRPT swimming. Arizona State, which leans heavy into race-speed training, was a logical fit for that transition.
Though Andrew’s training has changed, fans’ expectations have not necessarily kept up. With higher training volumes have come more inconsistent in-season swims. He didn’t break 22 seconds in the 50 free in either Westmont (22.82) or Sacramento (22.04), though a 21.97 in the 50 free in Ft. Lauderdale was a big breakthrough for him.
But now we can expect a more traditional taper drop for Andrew, and about 10 days out of Trials, it looks like that rest is starting to kick in a little bit.
What, exactly, Andrew will swim at US Trials with his new training under his belt we don’t yet know, but this 25 yard free time is, generally, a positive sign, and, more specifically, a positive sign for his 50.
In my previous published writings I stated you can get faster with better technique, better aerobic and anerobic conditioning and increased muscle mass. Of the three increased muscle mass if the hardest usually less than 10% per year. But Adan Peaty is a great example when he lost muscle mass before the 24 Olympics, he was much slower. The “Enhanced Games” performers gain 10% more muscle mass in a month, over time perhaps 25 pounds more muscles. So the implications are there, Caleb, and Andrews etc. can build muscle mass the natural way, with today’s nutrition experts. Almost three years to build 10% more per year. Me loving the short axis strokes I look forwards to a 24 second LCM… Read more »
100+ comments on an article about swimming a 25 is kind of aura though
Just MA Thingz
I figure this is the first time they’ve used touch pads and not just coaches timing? Says Held’s been 7.96 before, I figure that wasn’t with electronic timing?
https://swimswam.com/ryan-held-wins-again-smoliga-beats-manuel-in-25-free-battle-royale/
The anti-fun oldheads are out in full swing on this article
Wanna see Jordan Crooks surprise visit Tempe as a spoiler
In the last NCAA nationals Guilherme flipped first 25 faster than Jordan and Josh
Let me guess… he went out fast and died at the end?
Curious about the headline: I thought Ryan Held had the touchpad 25 record in 8.19 or something like that.
I thought the same thing. Maybe it was with hand timing rather than touch pads.
swimswam reporter/authos of this article….why are you wasting unlimited data and finger muscles on articles like this?
same reason you are right back here commenting – because you can!
We are on a molten ball of rock travelling and mind boggling velocity around a huge thermonuclear blob in a universe filled with so many such objects we may as well be a single spec of dust
Why anything?
Put it on my tombstone bro.