World Championships: Thomas Heilman Flourishing on Global Stage – and Just Getting Started

Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment.

World Championships: Thomas Heilman Flourishing on Global Stage – and Just Getting Started

There are many ways to describe Thomas Heilman. Here’s three: Precocious. Unafraid. Hungry.

The final of the 200-meter butterfly at the World Championships in Fukuoka was another episode of the Leon Marchand Show. The French star dominated the event at the Marine Messe Hall, vaulting to the No. 3 performer in history behind Olympic champions Kristof Milak and Michael Phelps. Consider it the latest evidence of Marchand’s generation talent.

Perhaps lost in Marchand’s excellence was what unfolded behind him, specifically the fourth-place tie between teenagers Ilya Kharun of Canada and the United States’ Thomas Heilman. The 18-year-old Kharun and 16-year-old Heilman produced matching times of 1:53.82, putting both only .03 off the world junior record of Milak. More, they finished just .16 off the podium.

While Kharun is bound for Arizona State University, where he’ll work under the watch of coach Bob Bowman, Heilman has two years of high school remaining. He is an anomaly in the sport, a male who is logging international experience in his mid-teen years. Prior to Heilman, who trains under Gary Taylor with Cavalier Aquatics, the last 16-year-old to represent Team USA in international waters was Larsen Jensen at the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships.

Heilman is no mystery to swim fans, having set a plethora of age-group records over the past few years. He was also a major figure at last summer’s Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii. But what he has achieved this summer is stunning. Heilman is faster than the legendary Phelps as a 16-year-old and his ability to get quicker through the rounds at a World Championships speaks to his mental toughness and poise.

In the final of the 200 fly, Heilman followed his pre-race gameplan perfectly. Sitting fourth at the first turn, Heilman dropped to sixth at the midpoint of the race. But the teen knew his back-end speed was a weapon, and he trusted his skill. By the 150-meter mark, Heilman sat fifth and then moved into the tie for fourth at the finish. Over the last lap, Heilman split 29.70, an effort bettered only by Marchand (29.28) and Kharun (29.15).

“It’s one of the most painful races I’ve ever experienced,” Heilman said. “(I’m) just happy to be here, happy to be able to race the best in the world and just had a lot of fun right there. I felt like that was one of my strengths, being able to close the last 50-100 meters. I was just trying to get out and utilize my strength at the end and just came up a little short of getting a medal.”

Heilman figures to be a longtime fixture on the global scene for Team USA and this week’s experience is only going to benefit him, particularly heading into an Olympic year. Yet, as much as the future is bright, this kid is also the present. Heilman has the 100 butterfly ahead in Fukuoka, and contending for the podium is a reality. The fact that Heilman cut more than a half-second off his personal best in the 200 fly from last month suggests a drop is impending in the 100 fly, too.

Whatever else unfolds over the next few days, Heilman continues to impress. And he’s just getting started.

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