14-Year-Old Luka Mijatovic Scares 400-Meter Free NAG Record with 3:58.85 in Prelims

2023 GEORGE F. HAINES INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEET

The U.S. boys’ 13-14 national age group (NAG) record in the 400-meter freestyle looks like it might be on borrowed time.

Pleasanton Seahawks 14-year-old Luka Mijatovic clocked a personal-best 3:58.85 during prelims on Saturday morning at the George F. Haines International Swim Meet in San Jose, California, moving up to third in the NAG rankings behind only Michael Phelps (3:58.80) and record holder Evan Pinion (3:57.61).

U.S. Boys’ 13-14 NAG Rankings

  1. Evan Pinion – 3:57.61 (2009)
  2. Michael Phelps – 3:58.80 (2000)
  3. Luka Mijatovic – 3:58.85 (2023)
  4. Dare Rose – 3:59.02 (2017)
  5. Nick Silverthorn – 3:59.24 (2010)
  6. Trey Freeman – 3:59.64 (2015)
  7. Andrew Abruzzo – 4:00.16 (2014)
  8. Braeden Haughey – 4:00.46 (2018)
  9. Maximus Williamson – 4:00.52 (2021)
  10. Sean Green – 4:00.85 (2021)

Mijatovic shaved more than three seconds off his previous-best 4:02.14 from April, finishing less than a second behind 22-year-old Belgian Lucas Henveaux (3:57.96) in the morning heats. In the process, Mijatovic took down the Pacific Swimming 13-14 LSC record of 3:59.24 set by Nick Silverthorn back in 2010.

He split 27.68 on the opening, then strung together splits of 29.85, 30.29, 30.34, 30.47, 30.51, and 30.30 before ultimately coming home in a blazing 29.40.

Mijatovic needs to drop another 1.25 seconds during tonight’s final to break his fourth 13-14 NAG record in the past six months, albeit his first in meters. He first broke the 500-yard free mark last December before adding records in the 1000-yard free (8:59.29) and 1650 free (15:00.95) in March.

Notably, Mijatovic’s morning swim was his second of the day after placing fifth in the 200 back heats (2:10.98) earlier in the prelims session. On Friday, he threw down a personal-best 1:51.70 in the 200 free, which ranks second in his age group behind only Thomas Heilman (1:51.27). On Thursday, Mijatovic kicked off the meet by shaving almost a minute off his best time in the 1500-meter freestyle with a 15:47.19, just about 16 seconds away from Jesse Vassallo’s legendary 13-14 NAG record of 15:31.03 from way back in 1976.

In other highlights from Saturday morning’s prelims in San Jose, Santa Clara Swim Club 13-year-old Shareef Elaydi dropped nearly two seconds in the 100 fly with a time of 57.01, placing fifth in prelims behind 14-year-old Tim Wu (56.73). Wu snuck under his previous-best 56.76 from last August to tie for 25th in the boys’ 13-14 NAG rankings. Elaydi, whose previous best was a 58.91 from last July, moved up to 56th in the 13-14 NAG rankings at age 13. Leading the 100 fly prelims was 17-year-old Stanford commit Ethan Harrington, who was just .02 seconds off his best time from last July with a 55.65.

Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA) 15-year-old Kelsey Zhang posted a new lifetime best in the 100 fly, taking .16 seconds off her previous best from last July with a 1:01.17 en route to the third seed in prelims.

After winning the 100 breast (1:02.26) on Friday, 34-year-old Brandon Fischer kept his momentum going with a top-seeded time of 2:16.68 in the 200 breast prelims. Spanish 24-year-old Hugo Gonzalez wasn’t far behind, though, firing off a 2:17.07 that was less than a second off his personal best from 2018.

Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 15-year-old Raya Mellott was nearly seven seconds off her best time in the 200 breast (2:36.71), but she still cruised to the top seed in prelims by more than two seconds.

Bjorn Seeliger led the men’s 50 free prelims in 22.22, about half a second off his personal-best 21.71 from the 2021 Sette Colli Trophy.

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whoisthis
1 year ago

3:56.36 – 26.96 29.54 29.80 30.29 30.32 30.49 29.87 29.09… what

Michael Andrew Wilson
Reply to  whoisthis
1 year ago

That looks just like a Katie Ledecky split line. Her first 50 would be a tad slower but otherwise spot on.

Last edited 1 year ago by Michael Andrew Wilson
Summer is Titmus’ Sleep Paralysis Demon
Reply to  whoisthis
1 year ago

Oh! So he broke the record?? Nice!

Neffry
1 year ago

Phelps casually going 3:58 with 2000 suit technology… 🤯

Swimguy94
Reply to  Neffry
1 year ago

Almost as good as Thorpe going 3:49 in 1997 at 14

Ceccon - Kamminga - Milak - Popovici
Reply to  Swimguy94
1 year ago

In briefs!

PFA
1 year ago

Maybe he can go faster than Laon Kim’s time from Canadian trials tonight

Swim2win
Reply to  PFA
1 year ago

Even if he doesn’t he’s still got the entire summer of meets. He’s only just turned 14 and faster than Kim 800/1500 and 200 I believe the he will be faster in the 400 sooner rather than later.

Scuncan Dott v2
1 year ago

Weren’t Huske, Curzan and Ruck meant to race in this meet?

Meh
Reply to  Scuncan Dott v2
1 year ago

Huske was there the first day but did not show up today and has no events for the rest of the meet, Curzan scratched from the whole meet, Ruck has not scratched all her events but has not shown up to any of them, so guessing she’s not going to be there at all.

USA
Reply to  Scuncan Dott v2
1 year ago

Curzan pulled out due to finals, Ruck pulled out due to her hand, not sure about Huske.

bubo
1 year ago

Super suited fraudulent record?

124swim
Reply to  bubo
1 year ago

This brings up the question, I would love to know from someone who swam in the 2008-2009 era how many young swimmers used bodysuits?

Beverly Drangus
Reply to  124swim
1 year ago

There was still a lot of uncertainty about the suits until the Rome World Champs. Even in Beijing, the 200 fly, for example, about half the field was wearing legs only. I’d put 90% odds a 13-14 going for a NAG would have worn some type of lazer or better, but they might not have wanted to wear the full shoulder to ankles.

Grungus
1 year ago

Crazy that loan Kim goes 3:56, dude faster then the us💀

bobthebuilderrocks
1 year ago

Mijatovic’s been making those Cal guys sweat all weekend, haha.

Henry
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
1 year ago

Might be prelims but it must be hella humbling to get smoked by a 14 year old lol. can’t wait for finals to see how many college guys he beats

Joe
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
1 year ago

Hopefully they’re doing some post race recruiting lol

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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