18 Year-Old David Curtiss Hits 21.87 Personal Best in Richmond PSS Prelims

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – RICHMOND

• January 14-17, 2021
• Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Richmond, VA
• Start Times (Eastern Time): Prelims: 9:00 a.m. / Finals: 7:00 p.m.
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Info (Both Sites)
• Schedule/Initial Timelines
• Live Stream (USA Swimming)
• Psych sheets
• Heat sheets
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2021 TYR Pro Swim Series – Richmond”

Just because you don’t have to swim fast doesn’t mean you can’t swim fast. Coming into the prelims of the 50 free this morning at the Richmond PSS site, 18 year-old David Curtiss was tied with Michael Chadwick as the fastest man in the field, sporting a 21.95 lifetime best.

With only 16 men even scheduled to compete, Curtiss was guaranteed an evening swim. And considering it only took a 23.92 to make the A-final, Curtiss could’ve been well off of his lifetime best and still comfortably been in contention to win tonight.

Rather than cruise, though, Curtiss ripped a new lifetime best, clocking a 21.87 that was the fastest time of the morning by 0.67s. That time keeps Curtiss at #3 all-time in the 17-18 age group among US swimmers, behind only Caeleb Dressel (21.53) and Michael Andrew (21.75). It also moves Curtiss out of tie with Chadwick for 18th all-time among US swimmers of any age, ahead of Jason Lezak (21.90), and into a tie with Ryan Held for 16th all-time.

Pending results from the San Antonio site this morning, Curtiss is now the fastest US man in the 2020-2021 season, moving ahead of Nathan Adrian, who went 21.98 at the Stanford Invite back in November.

Curtiss, who swims for Hamilton Y Aquatic Club, will have a chance to further improve that time in tonight’s finals, and he’s also scheduled to swim the 100 free tomorrow.