Column: By Earning World Champs Bid, Teen Star Thomas Heilman Joins Elite Company
A trawl through history on the topic uncovers some of the biggest names the sport has seen. Michael Phelps. Aaron Peirsol. Ian Thorpe. Murray Rose. All shined on the international stage as 17-year-olds (or earlier), hardly an easy task for a male athlete, who tends to surge in later years. Yet, vast skill sets propelled these standouts into the spotlight ahead of the conventional curve.
Most recently, David Popovici disrupted the typical timeline. The Romanian superstar first qualified for a pair of finals as a 16-year-old at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, just missing a medal in the 200-meter freestyle. A year later, he was a double world champ in the 100 freestyle and 200 free and owned the world record in the shorter event.
When the United States National Championships got underway on Tuesday morning at the famed Indiana University Natatorium, ample storylines emerged. There was Caeleb Dressel’s return to major competition. There was the speed flashed by Abbey Weitzeil and Kate Douglass in the 100 freestyle. There was Regan Smith looking smooth and controlled in her first race of the competition. And there was the morning effort of Thomas Heilman in the 200 butterfly.
While Carson Foster comfortably nailed down the top seed for the final, Heilman checked in with the No. 2 performance of the session. Coached by Gary Taylor, Heilman delivered a mark of 1:55.11, making him the second-fastest performer in the history of the 15-16 age group in the 200 fly. The only guy faster? Phelps, whose best outing in that age bracket was a world record of 1:54.58 at the 2001 edition of the World Championships.
Of course, there was considerable focus on Heilman during the evening, and the day only got better for the 16-year-old.
At night, Heilman placed second to Foster, with both athletes qualifying for the World Championships. Foster touched the wall in 1:54.32, with Heilman going 1:54.54 to break Phelps’ NAG record of 20-plus years. More, the way Heilman earned his runnerup finish was dazzling, as he reeled in Trenton Julian over the final 50 meters and gave Foster all he could handle. Down the last length, Heilman clocked 30.04, the fastest split in the field by nearly a half-second.
The names mentioned at the onset of this column were initially prodigies, then developed into Hall of Famers whose distinguished careers included Olympic glory. What Heilman may achieve in the years ahead is unknown. However, what is indisputable is the ahead-of-the-norm talent that will bring Heilman to next month’s World Championships in Japan.
Mid-teen stars are commonplace among women. For men, it is much more unusual to witness a 16-year-old hanging with the Big Boys – college-aged guys or beyond who boast enhanced power and experience. But here Heilman stands, ready to follow an appearance at last summer’s Junior Pan Pacific Championships with action at the World Champs, a meet that ranks only behind the Olympic Games in the competition hierarchy.
Over the past few years, Heilman has shredded the National Age Group (NAG) record book, his work with Taylor at Cavalier Aquatics obviously paying dividends. From freestyle to butterfly to the individual medley, Heilman has flourished, and his presence at Nationals was highly anticipated. The moment he dropped his personal best in the 200 fly from 1:56-mid to 1:55-low, however, changed all expectations. Heading into the night session, Heilman was immediately a leading contender for a berth to the World Championships – and he delivered.
The United States regularly produces impressive crops of rising talent. Heilman is part of a current group that suggests continued greatness for Team USA, as he’s joined by the likes of Maximus Williamson, Kaii Winkler and Daniel Diehl. For now, Heilman is the headliner of the group, thanks to his invitation to Fukuoka and the opportunity to test himself against the global elite.
It’s obvious this teen has the goods necessary to be a longtime contributor to the American cause in international duty. He features a physique beyond his 16 years and the way he has handled the attention thrust upon him, along with the pressure of performing in the spotlight, it’s clear his mental approach is on point.
How will Heilman fare at the World Championships? Will he advance out of the preliminary heats? Can he secure a spot in the final? Those answers will come in time. We will also learn whether Heilman’s talent leads to a bid to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
For now, simply celebrating his invitation to Fukuoka seems appropriate. It seems right to tip the cap to what he managed in Indianapolis: That he is a 16-year-old who excels like a veteran and is providing a bolt of excitement to a sport that savors this type of boy-wonder storyline.
