Michael Andrew Blasts Through 51-Second Barrier In 100 Fly, Lowers PSS Record

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – INDIANAPOLIS (#4)

One day removed from lowering his personal best time twice in the 100 breaststroke, culminating in a new U.S. Open RecordMichael Andrew did it again in the 100 fly.

Coming into the day with a best time of 51.33, Andrew brought his PB down to 51.31 in the morning before rocketing to a time of 50.80 in the final, taking down Caeleb Dressel‘s Pro Swim Series Record of 50.92 in what was a massive half-second PB.

It’s a big double milestone for Andrew to get under the 59-second barrier in the 100 breast and the 51-second threshold in the 100 fly at the same meet. One month out from the Olympic Trials, those accomplishments will be a major confidence booster.

Andrew took full advantage of his early speed, blasting out in 23.38 on the opening 50 before closing in a solid 27.42 on the way back. In the prelims, Andrew split 23.82/27.49.

The 22-year-old jumps up into second in the world rankings for the 2020-21 season, trailing only Hungarian Kristof Milak (50.47). Meanwhile, at the Atlanta Classic, Dressel swam a season-best time of 51.15 to rank fifth in the world, also lowering the Meet Record.

2020-2021 LCM Men 100 Fly

2Kristof
Milak
HUN49.6807/31
3Matthew
Temple
AUS50.4506/17
4Noe
Ponti
SUI50.7407/31
5Michael
Andrew
USA50.8005/14
View Top 26»

In the historical rankings, Andrew is now the fifth-fastest American of all-time and 14th overall, overtaking, among others, 2019 World Championship silver medalist Andrei Minakov (50.83).

All-Time U.S. Performers, Men’s 100 Fly (LCM)

  1. Caeleb Dressel, 49.50 – 2019
  2. Michael Phelps, 49.82 – 2009
  3. Ian Crocker, 50.40 – 2005
  4. Maxime Rooney, 50.68 – 2019
  5. Michael Andrew, 50.80 – 2021

Andrew is also now ranked third among American men inside the Olympic Trials qualifying period, trailing Dressel and Maxime Rooney.

Based on what we’ve seen from Andrew in the 100 fly and 100 breast, his prospects for Saturday’s 200 IM are exciting, as he enters as the top seed with his best time of 1:56.83. He’s also scheduled to race the 50 free on the meet’s final day.

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Anonymous
2 years ago

Maybe my head is in the sand, but I had no idea Rooney had thrown down such an impressive fly time.

Last edited 2 years ago by Anonymous
NOT the frontman of Metallica
2 years ago

Has any other swimmer gone sub minute in all strokes?

Swimmerb
Reply to  NOT the frontman of Metallica
2 years ago

Seto

NOT the frontman of Metallica
Reply to  Swimmerb
2 years ago

Thank you. I was trying to think of more people to do it but forgot about him.

Matterson
2 years ago

Not to take away from Andrew’s performance but there’s some missing names from the top 100 fly list:

Joe Schooling 50.39
Kristof Milak 50.47
Chad LeClos 50.56
Janes Guy 50.67

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  Matterson
2 years ago

Anyone who can swim 50.67 deserves to be known on their own merit and not just as someone’s partner. Also, you forgot the apostrophe.

Admin
Reply to  Matterson
2 years ago

None of those are U.S. performers…

Matterson
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Fair enough, I didn’t notice the US performers part. Thanks Braden!

Mikeh
2 years ago

That is an absurd time, especially for someone who hardly seems to have a second kick.

Swammer
Reply to  Mikeh
2 years ago

László Cseh likes this

Jack
2 years ago

He is now in a predicament where he is more likely an individual medal threat in the fly but for the relay he is more needed in the breast so what does he focus on particularly leading into the Olympics assuming he makes the team in both.

I would say if he is splitting his training even more than just for the IM, he is risking the possibility that those training for just 1 stroke will outswim him in his 100s at the olympics and (worst case scenario) both doesn’t medal in the 100 fly and lets the team relatively dow in the relay with his breast split. Olympics isn’t really the time to first swim loads and loads… Read more »

swimfast
Reply to  Jack
2 years ago

Both..?

Caeleb’s left suit string
2 years ago

I wonder how this’ll shape up for him at trials. Iirc, isn’t the 100 fly final right before the semifinals of the 50 free? I’m not sure if he’d wanna take chances being tired in that event,especially when back to back events don’t (respectfully, he’s a monster again) seem to be his strong suit, but I could be mistaken.

anonymous
Reply to  Caeleb’s left suit string
2 years ago

I think he shouldn’t just swim a event for qualification

not saying he should take things for granted but I think he would prefer the 50 free over the 1fly purely because of better medal chances
especially since adding an extra event could ruin all of his events

SwimmerFan99
2 years ago

FL: 22.80, 50.80
BK: 24:39, 53.40
BR: 26.84, 58.67
FR: 21.46, 49.46
IM: 1:56.83

There has never been as versatile a swimming sprinter in world history as Michael Andrew. Dressel is a beast, but he doesn’t compare in the 200IM (current PB 1:59.97), could probably do well in Breastroke (but has no LCM times so who knows the comparison), and backstroke likely wouldn’t compare. In terms of actual swum times, Andrew is unmatched in versatility. Wish he’d swim another rested 100FR though; his PB is from mid-2018.

dresselgoat
Reply to  SwimmerFan99
2 years ago

Nicely said! A monster!

HJones
Reply to  SwimmerFan99
2 years ago

If we make a 400 medley relay of the PBs in the stroke 100s between Phelps, Dressel, and Andrew, they’d be ranked as:

  1. Andrew, 3:32.33
  2. Phelps, 3:32.87
  3. Dressel, 3:33.48

I guess there are a few points of uncertainty with this fun game I’ve made. For Andrew, it’s the 100 free time, since it’s been nearly 3 years since he has swum it rested. For Phelps, it the 100 breast time, as he hasn’t ever swum it with much rest (the 1:02 PB he swam is on youtube and he is unshaved). Dressel’s 100 back PB was also presumably without any/much rest, as if you look at the times he swam at that meet they were quite off his… Read more »

Mustangswimdad
Reply to  SwimmerFan99
2 years ago

Here are Dressel’s times for comparison

FL: 22.35, 49.50
BK: 27.98, 55.80
BR: 27.89, 1:01.22
FR: 21.04, 46.96
IM: 1:59.97

SwimSwam, we need one of your stats geniuses to come up with SPRINT IMR!

Anonymoose
Reply to  Mustangswimdad
2 years ago

that 50 back tho lol

swimfast
Reply to  SwimmerFan99
2 years ago

Ok wait…… Phelps:
49.8
53.0
Breast: no real data but he went 2:11 in the 200 soooo.. prob would break 1:01 at the slowest in 2015
47.5
1:54.1

Not trying to be a fan girl for Phelps but gotta give credit where it’s due

swimfast
Reply to  swimfast
2 years ago

Phelps basically never swam 50s. We have no idea how fast he would be, and my guess is that he’d be pretty darn fast, at least able to break 22 in the free and 23.5 in fly, and back 53.0/2 = 26.5 so he must’ve been out in at slowest a 25.5 to the feet when he went that?

Lockte
Reply to  swimfast
2 years ago

More like 26low/ 26high. He was borderline back halfing backstroke sprints at this time not just a few years after doing 25 low/ 26 low splitting in 100 fly in 2003.

Dude was as bad at 50s as we all make fun of MA for being bad at the 100 free. Just didnt have the stroke mechanics for sprinting. Maaaayybe in his late career…

2015/16 he could possibly have done 22.0 free. He was never gonna be under 23.2 W/O a suit for fly just did not have that kind of stroke. His best 50 would have been Back just based on the way his free and fly strokes were built. Galloping in the 100 free always looked… Read more »

dddddddd
Reply to  swimfast
2 years ago

he broke 23.5 on the opening 50 in the 100 fly in 2009. i think he could’ve gone 22 high at best in the 50

swimfast
Reply to  swimfast
2 years ago

Also, is a sprinter a great 50 swimmer or 100 swimmer, or both equally? Basically every single great 50 swimmer in the past has also been able to hold up for a fast 100 as well. A 100 is by nobody’s definition a long event. You can’t ding Phelps just because his strategy was to not fly and die. I think being great at 100s 100% constitutes you as a sprinter

Anonymoose
Reply to  swimfast
2 years ago

there have been plenty great 50 swimmers who werent that good in the 100s

PFA
2 years ago

Also I just want to point out Murphy is on the verge of becoming only the second ever swimmer to go sub 52 in both fly and back

MX4x50relay
Reply to  PFA
2 years ago

He also has a fast free

KLLRWHLE79
Reply to  PFA
2 years ago

I am drawing a blank on who the first would be. Considering there has only been a handful of sub 52 100m backs, I don’t think any of them were also flyers

IRO
Reply to  KLLRWHLE79
2 years ago

Piersol? Didn’t he randomly pop a good 100 fly late in his career?

HJones
Reply to  KLLRWHLE79
2 years ago

Peirsol went a 51.30 100 fly at the 2009 summer nationals. Murphy would be the first person to *legitimately* go sub 52 in both, as Peirsol’s best 100 fly time outside of 2009 (both pre and post) was a 52.80.

dresselgoat
Reply to  KLLRWHLE79
2 years ago

Peirsol?

frug
Reply to  KLLRWHLE79
2 years ago

Yeah, Murphy, Xu, and Piersol are the only people to ever go under 52 seconds in backstroke and I can’t find Xu or Piersol’s best fly times.

frug
Reply to  frug
2 years ago

Did some digging, it was Piersol who went 51.30 at 2009 WC Trials.

PFA
Reply to  frug
2 years ago

Correct

Jack
Reply to  frug
2 years ago

I watched that race live! Saw his name on the heat sheet in prelims and thought, “Oh that’s cute! He’s gonna see what he can pop in the fly.” Then he went 52-something in prelims. And then he qualified like sixth in the semis. And then he was in second and not *that* far behind Michael for a long time in the final bit really looked like he was gonna qualify for the event, but he got nipped at the wall and finished 3rd.

But think of if he had taken 2nd. Our medley relay would have had one guy swim butterfly on the prelim and back in the final. Absolutely wild. And if he’d swum past 2010, I… Read more »

Enchantedrock
Reply to  frug
2 years ago

Besides being top 3 US in back and fly, Piersol also won multiple World Championship medals in 4X2 free

swimfast
Reply to  frug
2 years ago

Piersol was also on the 800 free relay in 2003 at WC’s in Barcelona. Versatile guy

Last edited 2 years ago by swimfast
dresselgoat
Reply to  swimfast
2 years ago

I’m pretty sure he had a 4:15 ish 500 free as well. Dude was elite elite

KLLRWHLE79
Reply to  frug
2 years ago

Well, that would do it. I figured it would be Piersol but did not know about this.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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