To see all of our 2019 Swammy Awards, click here.
2019 Breakout Female Swimmer of the Year: Maggie MacNeil, Canada
Maggie MacNeil, courtesy Michigan Athletics
Canadian Maggie MacNeil went from one of the top junior swimmers in the world, to a NCAA All-American, to World champion all in just one year. The teenager showed many successes at the 2018 Junior Pan Pacs, and followed through into her successful collegiate debut. She then transferred her sprint talents and relay viability to Team Canada at the World championships, where she sealed her name in history at the senior international level.
At the 2019 Big Ten Championships, the Michigan Wolverine newcomer picked up 2 individual titles (50 free/100 fly) and 2 relay titles (200/400 FR-R). She then contributed to Michigan’s 3rd place finish at the 2019 Women’s NCAA Championships, picking up All-American honors in all 7 of her events including a 100 fly runner-up finish.
The teen switched gears to the LCM Canadian Swimming Trials in April 2019, where she saw massive time drops. There, MacNeil’s 100 fly lifetime best dropped from 58.38 to 57.04 with her impeccable back-half turnaround. That performance set MacNeil up for a successful senior international debut at the 2019 LC World Championships.
In Gwangju, the young Canadian qualified second into the 100 fly final at 56.52, which seeded her next to defending Olympic champion Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom. In the final, MacNeil bust out her impressive back-half skills and upset Sjostrom for a surprising world title, becoming the 3rd woman in history to break 56 seconds. MacNeil wrapped up her first LC Worlds meet with 2 bronze relay medals in the 400 free relay and 400 medley relay.
MacNeil returned to Michigan for her 2019-20 season campaign not only as a sophomore, but as a NCAA veteran and World champion. At an October intrasquad meet, MacNeil threw down the 4th-fastest SCY 100 fly in history at 49.57. Two months later at the Minnesota Invite, MacNeil tied the 100 fly NCAA/U.S. Open record at 49.26, sealing her name yet again in the history books.
MacNeil is the second Canadian to win this award behind 2017 winner Kylie Masse. MacNeil was also the 2019 Swammy winner for Canadian Female Swimmer of the Year.
Editor’s note: why did we choose MacNeil over Regan Smith, who clearly had a better year of the two thanks to her 3 World Record outburst at the World Championships? Simply put: MacNeil’s breakout ‘amplitude of breakout’ was bigger. To use geographical terms: Smith had a higher peak, but MacNeil had a higher prominence. Smith came into the year as a double World Junior Champion, as a Pan Pacs medalist, and having already raced a World Championship final in 2017. Prior to her freshman year at Michigan, MacNeil was best known internationally as ‘the swimmer who declined a spot at Pan Pacs for a spot at Junior Pan Pacs.’
Honorable Mentions
in no particular order
- Regan Smith, USA — The 17-year-old Smith qualified for just one event for her second Worlds meet of her career. However, unlike her 2017 meet run where she only finished 8th in the 200 back, Smith walked out as one of the world’s fastest backstrokers in history. During the semifinals of the 200 back, Smith broke Missy Franklin‘s 2012 world record (2:03.35) After confirming the world title in the 200 back, Smith replaced Kathleen Baker for the USA’s 400 medley relay. She then led off the relay with a new 100 back world record (57.57). Just 3 minutes later, Smith along with teammates Lilly King, Kelsi Dahlia, and Simone Manuel broke the event world record, making it Smith’s 3rd world record to her name.
- Ariarne Titmus, Australia — After earning 2 titles at the 2018 SC World championships, the Aussie teen burst out into the long course Gwangju pool to snag 4 LC Worlds medals in July. She started her meet by upsetting American Katie Ledecky in the 400 free. She then picked up 200 free silver and 800 free bronze, along with contributing to the world record-setting 800 free relay. Titmus later joined the ISL’s Cali Condors, where she contributed 2 season wins (400 free), one of which aided in her team’s 3rd-place finish at the ISL finale.
- Freya Anderson, Great Britain — At the 2019 World Championships, Anderson qualified for her first major individual final in the 100 free, where she placed 8th. Yet Anderson didn’t walk empty-handed, as she contributed to the bronze medal-winning mixed 400 medley relay. At the 2019 European SC Championships, Anderson took the continental title in the 100 free (51.49) and 200 free, setting the British record (1:52.77). She also took home a silver medal as a member of the Commonwealth record-breaking mixed 200 medley relay.
Broken Records Among Nominees
Maggie MacNeil (CAN)
- 100 Fly: 55.83 — Commonwealth/Americas/Canadian records
- 400 Free Relay: Sanchez, Ruck, Oleksiak, MacNeil, 3:31.78 — Canadian record
- 400 Medley Relay: Masse, Pickrem, MacNeil, Olekisak, 3:53.58 — Canadian record
Regan Smith (USA)
- 100 Back: 57.57 — World/Americas/American records
- 200 Back: 2:03.35 — World/Americas/American records
- 400 Medley Relay: Smith, King, Dahlia, Manuel, 3:50.40 — World/Americas/American records
Ariarne Titmus (AUS)
- 200 Free: 1:54.27 — Commonwealth/Oceania/Australian records
- 400 Free: 3:58.76 — Commonwealth/Oceania/Australian records
- 800 Free: 8:15.70 — Oceania/Australian records
- 800 Free Relay: Titmus, Wilson, Throssell, McKeon, 7:41.50 — World/Commonwealth/Oceania/Australian records
Freya Anderson (GBR)
- 200 Free (SCM): Freya Anderson (GBR), 1:52.77 — British record
- 200 Free Relay (SCM): Hopkin, O’Connor, Davies, Anderson, 1:36.18 — British record
- 200 Medley Relay (SCM): Davies, O’Connor, Anderson, Hopkin, 1:45.65 — British record
- Mixed 200 Free Relay (SCM): Scott, McLay, Hopkin, Anderson, 1:28.64 — Commonwealth/British record
Past Winners
- 2018 Swammy — Wang Jianjiahe, China
- 2017 Swammy — Kylie Masse, Canada
- 2016 Swammy — Penny Oleksiak, Canada
- 2015 Swammy — Bronte Campbell, Australia
- 2014 Swammy — Sharon van Rouwendaal, Netherlands
I feel like Regan was the pick here.
I think it’s a reasonable choice, and to a degree it comes down to what’s meant by “breakout”. Smith went from elite (world finalist) to stratospheric. MacNeil went from decent enough but nowhere near elite to world’s best. Then it depends on where you place those leaps on the “breakout” spectrum. I think there’s certainly a decent argument to be made that MacNeil’s leap is bigger, so have no issues with the decision.
I’d argue that the likes of Titmus and Anderson have actually been on a steady progression over the last few years so not sure they quite qualify for breakout status. Titmus won SC world medals in 2017 and dominated at Commonwealth 2018. Her 3:58 is a fantastic… Read more »
I’m not so sure about Hopkin. I think she has certainly broken out in the NCAAs but I don’t think she has properly broken out in SCM or LCM and I think she can do a lot better at both of them than what we have seen so far.
Actually agree with this call. MacNeil dropped almost 3s from her 100fl PB and turned over one of the hottest gold medal favourites in one of the biggest shocks in World Champs history. Smith was more impressive on the clock, but people were calling it long before Worlds, most predictions on the Swimswam preview had Smith as the winner, and all of them had her medalling… MacNeil came out of nowhere.
That’s what seals it for me, too. When our staff drafted potential 2020 Olympians in 2018, Regan Smith went #2 overall in the U.S. draft. Maggie MacNeil went undrafted through 72 picks of the international draft. She was as true an ‘out-of-nowhere’ breakout as there is.
For me “breakout” doesn’t have to mean “out-of-nowhere”. We all kind of believed Regan could break out but she still had to actually do it. And so I still would give the award to her.
No, it doesnt, but the biggest breakout doesnt have to mean the fastest swimmer either. Relative to pre-2019 times, and expectations, MacNeil was a bigger breakout imo.
Agree totally with Dee . Maggie wins as the break out . Think of the definition
According to the dictionary, breakout is defined as “of or constituting a sudden increase, advance, or unexpected success”
“Unexpected” being the big point for me. Maggie stunned people at Michigan, then again at Canadian trials (when a few had wondered if she’d translate to LCM), then dropped an atomic bomb at Worlds. We all kind of expected Smith to blitz Worlds.
Totally agree.
Feel like if I am not a US swim fan, I will definitely see Regan as the breakout swimmer from her WR performances. Cause I have been seeing Regan breaking age group records in the last few years in so many events; and her qualifying for World in 2018, and her improvement in 2019 that so many lament that the early selection robbed her the opportunity to represent US in more events… all these made me think of her as a veteran of US swimmer…. And I was just waiting to see how far she can take our expectation to the next level.
But I do agree the shock effect for Maggie’s win at 100m fly at World give me… Read more »
The trash talk downplaying what Maggie did in here is ridiculous.
We all knew the Regan blitz was coming. That was not a surprise.
The Maggie win in the 100 fly against a hot-as-fire Sjostrom WAS.
Get over it.
“Smith walked out as ONE of the world’s fastest backstrokers in history?” emphasis mine – how about THE world’s fastest?
On another note, let’s predict— who will be the “Penny Oleksiak” of the Tokyo Games? A top junior swimmer who then had their breakout at Trials and subsequently landed on the podium? Candidates?
Torri Huske seems like a candidate.
Maybe….. let us see
The US trials bloodbaths will be women’s 100 back and men’s 100 free but women’s 100 fly is tricky— there is room for a young un to sneak in. Rooting for Katie McLaughlin though!
Yes, and let’s look beyond the US— maybe Alba Vazquez in 400 IM?
Two good legs, one superb leg, but her backstroke looks to need taking apart and rebuilding (imo) before she could be swimming times that will be competitive for medals globally. She split okay at World Juniors, but there is only so mucn you can do with the stroke as it is currently.
Elizabeth Dekkers 200fl recently was promising in a fairly weal global event. I’d put forward Anastasya Gorbenko too – Four strong strokes in the 200IM.
Thanks, Dee. Going to check out Dekkers. I agree with you that the weak global events have room for surprises, which is why I wondered about Vázquez and 400 IM but I take your point. Women’s 200 IM is tighter. Gorbenko will need at least a 2:08 for podium so that’s quite a drop.
Dekkers. Good call. And Lani Pallister.
Or the “Kyle Chalmers “ of Tokyo
Right! Re: Chalmers
Thomas Neill – if he can keep reducing his times as he has over the past 24 months. He will be the same age as Kyle was in rio
Probably a long shot but I’m Dutch and really hoping for Kenzo Simons to go damn fast in the 50 free. Since the 50 free is really stacked with a lot of fast people, podium will probably be a long shot, but getting to the final in Tokyo would still be amazing. His JWR from last weeks has me excited for the future.
Dean
Farris or Thomas?
of course Farris.
Pardon me, who is Dean Thomas? lol
Thomas Dean. A couple years younger than Farris, but as fast as Farris’ best 200 freestyle, also a 1.58 LCM 200im and 3.37 SCM 400fr recently.
Smith went from 8th place at Worlds to 3 world records. That seems like a massive breakthrough to me.
And where is Minna Atherton?? Surely a deserving candidate. Especially over Anderson.
Somewhere in the Outback.
Atherton won medals at 2018 World SC. Think that’s probably classed as her breakout.
Eh don’t think of that as a breakout for Minna. And that would also disqualify Titmus, who has medals from 2017 worlds, 2018 pan pacs, and 2018 sc worlds.
2019 was definitely not Titmus’ breakout imo. She swam 3.59 18 months ago and won a World medal (relay) in 2017.
Regan has improved a lot from 2017 World to 2019 World.
look at it this way, by the end of 2018, Regan is 5th in the world in both 100 and 200 back (3rd and 2nd in US only). Maggie’s 100 fly was not even top 25 in the world.
did Maggie set three world records?
asking for a friend….
Regan Smith deserves this?!