Michael Andrew continued his incredible weekend at the TYR Pro Swim Series Indianapolis, throwing down a 50.80 in the 100 butterfly on Friday night as he is now second in the world and first in the United States as he is looking stronger and stronger for the Olympic team in Tokyo. After nearly breaking the American record in the 100 breast last night, Andrew lowered his lifetime best and broke 51 seconds for the first time as his time was also a new TYR Pro Swim Series meet record, lowering Caeleb Dressel’s 50.92 from March 2020 in Des Moines.
Andrew was out in 23.38 and back in 27.42 as he is now 14th all-time in the 100 butterfly and leads Dressel in the national rankings for 2021 as he was a 51.15 earlier tonight in Atlanta.
Andrew on his time: “It was pretty much exactly what I planned on doing this evening. I would have liked to go 50.5, but the race execution was great. I knew that this morning I finished really well, so this evening I just wanted to put in as much speed as I could going out, and I think I was to the wall in 23.3 and then I closed nicely. It was a good race, there are details to adjust and overall it was just really strong into the closing. I feel like this whole weekend is just building confidence going into (the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming).”
2021 World Rankings Men’s 100 Butterfly:
- 50.47, Kristof Milak, HUN
- 50.80, Michael Andrew, USA
- 51.00, Takeshi Kawamoto, JPN
- 51.03, Naoki Mizunuma, JPN
- 51.15, Caeleb Dressel, USA
- 51.17, Andrei Minakov, RUS
- 51.40, Mikhail Vekovishchev, RUS
- 51.44, James Guy, GBR
- 51.44, Jakub Majerski, POL
- 51.47, Katsuhiro Matsumoto, JPN
Zach Harting finished in second at 52.22 ahead of Missouri’s Danny Kovac (52.26) and Arizona State’s Evan Carlson (52.37).
Youssef Ramadan of Egypt was fifth at 52.51 ahead of Turkey’s Kaan Ayar (52.72) as they missed the FINA A standard of 51.96 but they were under the B cut of 53.52.
Results:
- Michael Andrew, 50.80
- Zach Harting, 52.22
- Danny Kovac, 52.26
- Evan Carlson, 52.37
- Youssef Ramadan, 52.51
- Kaan Ayar, 52.72
- Miles Smachlo, 52.76
- Dylan Carter, 53.13
In one of the races that we highlighted as a can’t miss race at the TYR Pro Swim Series, Regan Smith took the 100 butterfly over a stacked field with a 57.68 as she finished just ahead of Kelsi Dahlia (57.75). Both of them got under 31 seconds on the back 50 as Smith tied her time from this morning and Dahlia broke 58 for the first time this season as they are still sixth and seventh in the nation heading into next month’s Olympic Trials.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Smith on her race: “It was really similar to this morning (during prelims), so I was hoping to pull something a little faster here, but I’ll take it. It was a tough double tonight and it was a great race, we were all right on top of each other so to come out with the win is great.”
Dahlia won the 100 butterfly at the 2016 Trials and has been the top butterflyer in the country each of the last few years but will have her hands full with a number of teenagers. Virginia’s Kate Douglass, who was NCAA runner-up this year and led here at the 50 with a 26.75, finished third at 57.76 as she has been quicker this year but still made the race interesting with her opening speed.
Beata Nelson (58.37) and Linnea Mack (58.48) finished in fourth and fifth as the strong underwater kickers each lowered their season bests. Nelson is now ranked eighth nationally and Mack is ninth. Farida Osman of Egypt finished sixth at 58.71, missing the FINA A standard of 57.92 but she has already been a 57.8 this year.
Results:
- Regan Smith, 57.68
- Kelsi Dahlia, 57.75
- Kate Douglass, 57.76
- Beata Nelson, 58.37
- Linnea Mack, 58.48
- Farida Osman, 58.71
- Kelly Pash, 59.09
- Leah Gingrich, 59.52
