Peter Andrew, the father and longtime coach of Olympic gold medalist Michael Andrew, has announced his next move.
Andrew will head up a group at a club in Oahu, Hawaii where he will strictly run USRPT (Ultra Short Race Pace Training) workouts, hoping to document the progress his swimmers make throughout the season to show that this training program can work with a group.
The move comes aftter Michael revealed last fall that he was moving on from his father and joining coach Herbie Behm at Arizona State University.
Andrew announced his next venture on Instagram and dropped a six-minute YouTube video going more in depth on this new project.
Andrew discusses the success he had with Michael using the USRPT method until after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when he says that he “started veering away” from science. “That’s when things went wrong,” he said.
“The biggest drawback in our training is that, people have looked at us and said well it can’t work in a group. So I’ve decided I would like to do this with a group and show that this works, with a group, and it’s even more impressive.
“My challenge was finding a team that would work with me, where I would have free rein to be able to do what I’ve done with Michael, and not have kick back.”
Andrew says he’s made the move to Oahu and has found a team that will let him work with a group using solely USRPT training, though he didn’t specifically mention the name of the club.
“I found a program that is going to let me run USRPT with a team, and my goal now is to track everything we do so I can show you, step by step, and then show you with footage on the athletes, how we work with them, why we work with them. I’d like to put this on YouTube and as many avenues as I can so I can share and teach and show the world that, you know what, science is the way to go.”
The South African native also said “swimming is done incorrectly” when noting how the vast majority of swimmers have shoulder injures, and that he would like to document and show “how science should dictate how we train our bodies.”
Andrew has coached a team once in the past, the Aberdeen Aquaholics in South Dakota, before moving to Kansas when the club became Indie Swimming and ultimately the Race Pace Club, which was primarily Michael training USRPT.
Peter and Michael had an impressive run of success through the U.S. age group ranks throughout the 2010s, with Michael rewriting the NAG record books and making the surprising announcement that he would turn pro at the age of 14.
He then started making waves on the international stage, winning five medals at the 2015 World Junior Championships, including gold in the 50 backstroke, and then winning the 2016 short course world title in the 100 IM at the age of 17.
He then won three World Junior titles in 2017, setting new World Junior Records in the boys’ 50 free (21.75), 50 back (24.63) and 50 fly (23.22), the former of which still stands.
Success continued in 2018 as he won gold in the men’s 50 free at the Pan Pacific Championships, his first senior international long course title, and then added six more medals at the Short Course World Championships in Hangzhou, including four relay titles.
Andrew qualified to represent the U.S. at the World Aquatics Championships for the first time in 2019, making the final of all four 50s while winning a silver medal in the men’s 4×100 medley relay.
In 2021, he qualified for the U.S. Olympic team by winning the men’s 100 breast (58.73) and 200 IM (1:55.44) and placing 2nd in the 50 free (21.48) at the U.S. Olympic Trials, having set a new American Record of 58.14 in the semis of the 100 breast.
Peter was named to the U.S. Olympic team staff as an assistant after Michael qualified.
After finishing 4th in the 50 free and 100 breast and 5th in the 200 IM at the Tokyo Olympics, Andrew won gold as a member of the U.S. men’s 4×100 medley relay, splitting 58.49 on breast as they broke the world record in 3:26.78.
Success continued in 2022, with Andrew winning five medals at the World Championships in Budapest, including gold on the mixed medley relay and three individual medals in the 50 free (silver), 50 breast and 50 fly (bronzes).
He then narrowly missed the 2023 World Championship team due to roster limits, having won the 50 fly at the selection meet but being bumped out due to the (then) non-Olympic 50 fly being a low-priority selection event.
Andrew then placed 5th in the 50 free, 8th in the 100 breast and 13th in the 100 fly at the 2024 Olympic Trials, which was followed a few months later with the news that he was moving on from his father as his coach.
Does USRPT work? Yes. I did it with my swimmers I coached previously and most of them (age groupers) had phenomenal seasons. However, it should be used as part of a whole. Not exclusively.
Also Peter Andrew is probabaly the wrong guy to be implementing it. If you watch old MA videos you also have to take into account his diet which was low in carbs which are king for performance. That made me scratch my head when he had MA eating a bunch of eggs and almost nothing else.
It would be great to see MA join Bowman’s squad and be among the best ever IMers in training. Imagine Marchand, Casas and MA duking it out in the race of all races and all of them going sub-1:53, now wouldn’t that be something!
‘Science’ comes home in 30.69…..
most amazing is PA found boys and girls willing to let him use them in his weird video posts. strange enough PA did that while coaching his own son esp during olympic trials where MA bombed horribly. but other kids consenting to PA making these videos w/them in ’em is odd
too bad he missed the science of breathing correctly while swimming freestyle.
Also missed it with respect to COVID vaccines!
I think that a comment by Michael on ” Unfiltered Waters” was very interesting. He stated he “couldn’t train like he used to” was he cooked or just tired of training alone. His success is undeniable..still holds the AR in the 100 breast. Wishing him the best in Arizona..he has competition..maybe they can keep his breast kick underwater:)
I like Peter and wish him nothing but success. If the coach and swimmers are locked in on good technique and swimming fast in practice, this method can be very successful. In a lot of cases, time sprinters are determined because they don’t have the discipline and work ethic to be successful at mid-distance on up. With USRPT, the athlete has to be just as focused and disciplined as a distance swimmer, but in a different way.
Reading these comments is a real bummer. It’s a sad statement about the acceptance and tolerance of the swimming community. I’m thinking that most people are repulsed by some of these personal attacks on the Andrew family…I know I am. It’s just juvenile.
I talked with Peter at a meet a few years ago, and he was a genuinely nice guy. Micheal has been a great role model and constantly risen above the fray.
I’ve been an outspoken critic of USRPT on this site since it first became a hot topic. I even got myself blocked from commenting because I incorrectly accused SwimSwam of being on the take financially and supporting the philosophy. I learned that they were just… Read more »
As long as you admit that you’re part of the problem, I can accept this (because you did, whether you meant to or not). 🫡
Part of which problem?
I agree, I find it hard to believe the hateful words..social media anonymous attacks show the worst of humanity..I so hope none of the malicious attacks are from any coaches. I also wonder where the tipping point is. I once commented on the hate spewing, and I got juvenile emojis as the first response..I guess that answers that.
ma is a role model for the life of leisure
You’ve lost me. You lecture about bad behaviour – and reveal exactly that from yourself.
I called out people that are assailing a person’s character over religious, political, personal beliefs. I don’t think that’s the same as actually making those personal attacks.
One is bullying, the other is standing up against the bullies.