Brendan Hansen Gave Michael Andrew Breaststroke Advice Before his Triple (Video)

2018 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, July 25 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
• William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
• Prelims 9 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
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^{Reported by Lauren Neidigh.}

MEN’S 100 FLY:

• World Record: Michael Phelps, 49.82, 2009
• American Record: Michael Phelps, 49.82, 2009
• Championship Record: Michael Phelps, 50.22, 2009
• U.S. Open Record: Michael Phelps, 50.22, 2009

1. GOLD: Caeleb Dressel– 50.50
2. SILVER: Jack Conger– 51.11
3. BRONZE: Michael Andrew– 51.68
4. FOURTH: Jack Saunderson– 51.88

If there were any questions about Caeleb Dressel at this meet, he put them to rest tonight. Dressel, who finished 6th in the 100 free earlier in the meet and took a narrow loss to Michael Andrew in the 50 fly, busted through the back half here to get the job done. Dressel is now on the Pan Pacs team, winning with the 10th fastest American performance ever in 50.50. That’s 3 tenths faster than he was last summer, and give how litte he seems to have rested for this, that Phelps World Record is in danger at Pan Pacs.

Jack Conger also finally secured his Pan Pacs spot. He was just a tenth off his lifetime best from march. After tying for 3rd in the 200 fly, Conger can have rest assured that he should make the Pan Pacs squad. After qualifying for Worlds last night with a win in the 50 fly, Andrew may have picked up a Pan Pacs spot here. We cant be 100% sure yet, but he’s in good shape with his lifetime best 51.68 for 3rd place.

Towson’s Jack Saunderson, who swam his lifetime best 51.48 this morning to qualify 1st, was a few tenths shy of that tonight in 51.88 for 4th. Cal’s Tom Shields, who swam both butterflies in Rio, was also sub-52 tonight in 51.94. Shields is out of Pan Pacs after placing 5th in both the 200 fly and 100 fly. Zach Harting, who qualified for Pan Pacs with a 2nd place finish in the 200 fly, clipped his best again tonight for 6th in 52.00.

MEN’S 50 BREAST:

• World Record: Adam Peaty, 25.95, 2017
• American Record: Kevin Cordes, 26.76, 2017
• Championship Record: Michael Andrew, 26.86, 2018
• U.S. Open Record: Michael Andrew, 26.86, 2018/Adam Peaty, 26.86, 2017

1. GOLD: Michael Andrew– 26.86
2. SILVER: Devon Nowicki– 27.12
3. BRONZE: Ian Finnerty– 27.19
4. FOURTH: Kevin Cordes– 27.21

23 minutes after his lifetime best 100 fly, Michael Andrew broke the U.S. Open Record in the 50 breast, breaking the tie he shared with World Record holder Adam Peaty to touch 1st in 26.84. He was just 8 hundredths shy of Kevin Cordes‘ American Record and put up the 4th fastest American performance ever. He’s also now the lone 2nd fastest American performer ever, breaking his tie with Olympian Mark Gangloff.

American Record holder Cordes was back in 4th tonight, swimming a 27.21. Cordes, who swam all 3 breaststroke events at 2017 Worlds, was slightly off his prelims time, as were most of the top guys in this heat. He and Ian Finnerty will look to make the Pan Pacs squad in the 100 breast later on. Finnerty, who broke 27 this morning to become the 4th fastest American ever, placed 3rd in 27.19, a few hundredths behind Devon Nowicki. Finnerty is here to make a statement in long course after becoming the first man to ever break 50 seconds in the 100 yard breast at 2018 NCAAs.

Also looking to secure a Pan Pacs spot is 2017 Worlds breaststroker Nic Fink the 10th fastest American ever in this race. Fink finished 6th tonight in 27.49. He has a shot at making Pan Pacs already, but isn’t a sure thing since he placed 4th in his signature 200 breast earlier in the meet.

MEN’S 50 BACK:

• World Record: Liam Tancock, 24.04, 2009
• American Record: Randall Bal, 24.33, 2008
• Championship Record: Justin Ress, 24.41, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: Junya Koga, 24.36, 2015

1. GOLD: Ryan Murphy– 24.24
2. SILVER: Justin Ress– 24.31
3. BRONZE: Ryan Held– 24.60
4. FOURTH: Michael Andrew– 24.62

Olympic backstroke champion Ryan Murphy had an off year in 2017, but he’s back. After a very good 200 back, Murphy brought in another title tonight with a new American Record. He’s well on his way to sweeping the backstrokes at this meet. Murphy broke the 10-year-old mark in 24.24, crushing his former best time by 4 tenths. He also cleared the U.S. Open Record and Meet Record.

2017 national champ Justin Ress was also under the former record, clipping his best by a tenth in 24.31. Ress has a good chance of qualifying in the 100 back later on, as does Matt Grevers. Olympic champ Grevers took 5th tonight in 24.63. Grevers, the bronze medalist in the 50 back at 2017 Worlds, was about a tenth shy of his best ever. Since Murphy is already swimming the 50 back, he could still qualify to swim the 50 back at Worlds if he either has the fastest or 2nd fastest time in the 100 back between Worlds and Pan Pacs.

In his 3rd race of the night and 6th race of the day, Michael Andrew was just .03 off his best time from prelims, touching in 24.62 for 4th place. Ryan Held was just a hundredth off his best from prelims, out-touching Andrew for 3rd in 24.60.