Men’s 50 Meter Freestyle – US Nationals Preview – Adrian leads ‘splash-and-dashers’ into action

Men’s 50 Meter Freestyle – US Nationals Preview

  • Day 5, Sunday, August 10
  • Defending national champ: Nathan Adrian, 21.47
  • Defending U.S. Open champ: Karl Krug, 22.19
  • Time to make the 2013 US National Team (#6 Nationally at selection meets): 22.15 – Karl Krug

Since bursting onto the scene with double national championships in 2009, Nathan Adrian has pretty much been the reigning king of American sprinting. He’s won a national title in either the 50 or the 100 every year since, including dual titles in 2010 and 2013. So to say he’s the prohibitive favorite here is probably an accurate statement. The caveat, of course, though, is that in the shortest race in all of long course swimming (a race that lasts just about 21 seconds), the smallest details can affect the outcome in the most substantial ways. Unpredictability is what the 50 thrives on.

The 50 free is the drag race of professional swimming. One length of the pool, no flip turns, no pacing. It’s a race about straight-line speed and the ability to get a hand on the wall first. That’s an environment in which Adrian has thrived this season. His 21.66 from the Monaco Mare Nostrum meet is currently the fastest time put up by an American in the world this year. In fact, he’s the only U.S. swimmer to crack 22 on the season so far, and checks in at 4th in the world in the event.

Adrian has probably had more success in the 100 as of late, evidenced best by his 2012 Olympic gold medal in the longer race, and if there’s one caveat on his front-runner status, it’s that perhaps his training has been geared more towards 100 speed, which could temper his dominance in the 50. Still, speed is speed, and Adrian has it in droves.

One of the biggest upset bids is Adrian’s own Cal Aquatics training partner Anthony Ervin, himself an Olympic gold medalist, though that was now 14 years ago at the 2000 Sydney Games. Ervin has been knocking on the door of 21 seconds, going 22.09 at the Mare Nostrum tour’s Barcelona stop. At 33 years old, Ervin is a unique mix of veteran savvy and freshness after an extended retirement that took up most of his 20s. In most events, a swimmer on the wrong side of 30 would be widely expected to see a sharp decline, but Ervin has always been a special case. Consider him a legitimate title contender as well as this field’s top wild card.

In contrast to Ervin, who combines a tall, thin frame with a surprising amount of power, is New York Athletic Club’s Josh Schneider. Schneider, a former football player, brings the build of a mack truck to the splash and dash, but manages to be remarkably efficient for a man of his size. Schneider is what you’d consider a pure 50 freestyler – this will be his primary, perhaps only, focus of Nationals, meaning he’ll be spending the first four days watching, waiting and loading up his speed for this one race.

Jimmy Feigen is another rising young swimmer who looks ready to make the next step in his career. Already an accomplished relay member at the international level, Feigen finally broke through as an individual last summer, beating out Adrian for the silver medal at the World Championships in the 100 free. The former Longhorn is probably better in that slightly-longer distance, but seems to really be coming into his own as of late – could that maturation include a breakout 50 free this summer? It’s certainly possible.

There are plenty more names to keep an eye on. Karl Krug was the U.S. Open champion last summer, with many of the U.S.’s top athletes away at Worlds. He’ll try to earn his own right to swim at Worlds this summer by repeating that performance against the big dogs here. Count out SwimMAC’s Cullen Jones and you’ll get burned, or at least that’s what we all learned at the 2012 Olympic Trials. 6’8″ Matt Grevers is perhaps the world’s best backstroker, but those long levers make him an imposing force in this race as well. He finaled in the 50 at last summer’s nationals.

Stanford pro Alex Coville seems to be gaining steam with age, and has the 6th fastest time of any American this season with his swim at the Mesa Grand Prix. Some other former college standouts to watch: Florida’s Brad deBorde and Minnesota’s Derek Toomey broke 19 in the short course yards version of this race back in March and are beginning their post-graduate careers this summer. Utah’s Nick Soedel is one of the top college swimmers in the nation heading into his senior year, and though he wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school, he’s developed very, very well at Utah.

Caeleb Dressel, after some time off, hasn’t returned to form yet, which 8 months ago would have shocked everyone. Those looking for a young swimmer to make a breakthrough, though, need look no further than Auburn’s newest talent, Kyle Darmody, who turned into a freshman revelation for Auburn this season, though he’s got plenty still to prove in the long course pool. Incoming Michigan freshman Paul Powers is an extreme talent and one of the nation’s best young sprinters. Santo Condorelli is headed to Russia to train with Vlad Morozov, and if he gets the same bump from that training as Morozov gets, we could actually see Condorelli move as high as making Pan Pacs.

One other name worth mentioning is Texas sprinter Matt Ellis, who gets to train with Feigen every day. He had an easy summer last year, and so maybe fell out of the spotlight, but this year he’s back full-steam and settled in Austin. We like his chances at making a final in the 100 free more than this 50, but he’ll be hungry to remind the country of when he was the future of American sprinting after the 2012 Olympic Trials.

All that combines for a crowded 50 free crew in a race that can change in the blink of an eye. Start getting excited now, because this race will cap off U.S. Nationals in an absolute blur.

My picks:

1. Nathan Adrian (Cal Aquatics)
2. Jimmy Feigen (Longhorn Aquatics)
3. Josh Schneider (New York Athletic Club/Cincinnati)
4. Anthony Ervin (Cal Aquatics)
5. Karl Krug (SwimAtlanta)
6. Cullen Jones (SwimMAC)
7. Matt Grevers (Tuscon Ford)
8. Alex Coville (Stanford)

Note: Athletes are listed under the college/club that, to the best of our knowledge, they’re currently training with.

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Flyin'
10 years ago

Can somebody fill me in on what happened with Caeleb? First I heard from someone he swam with that he got injured, but then Braden said he wasn’t. Now everyone apparently knows he took time off and isn’t swimming well. What happened?

Mac
Reply to  Flyin'
10 years ago

He stepped back a bit to enjoy his senior year of high school before going off to high school.

Mac
Reply to  Mac
10 years ago

*University, my mistake.

Speedy
10 years ago

Braden: thanks for telling me. I always thought he was maybe sick or injured and that’s why I didn’t see him. Those splits aren’t great for him considering he was 19.3 and 42 as a junior. He was fantastic in long course last summer and I believe he can pull a 48.6 or 48.7 in that 100 free

Speedy
10 years ago

Zack turk retired? What ever happend to Danny Tucker at the end of year for NCAAs? I totally agree with all the sprinters you named that have a shot but you have to take Into account who are better short vs long course swimmers. A handful of those guys were splitting 18 mid to lows this year but we will have to see how they perform long course because of no turn.

Admin
Reply to  Speedy
10 years ago

Speedy – Tucker actually wound up just barely missing qualifying for NCAA’s as an individual. Hard to say if he’s just that much better in long course, or if his taper was mis-timed. He split 19.70 on a relay at NCAA’s and 43.10.

10 years ago

Will it be Josh Schneider’s time finally?

Floppy
10 years ago

Jared Anderson, you make an interesting point about Anthony Ervin vs. Josh Schneider

Anthony Ervin is listed at:
6’3″ – 170 lbs, a featherweight of a sprinter.

Josh Schneider is listed at:
6’0″ – 220 lbs, a real bulldog.

swimminator
Reply to  Floppy
10 years ago

yeah, Josh is 6’4, not 6′

Floppy
10 years ago

The top 3 are important, but the USA has a lot of talent… a score of sprinters are looking to step up from Good-NCAA-Swimmer to Potential-Olympian.
Examples:
Krug (Atlanta), Darmody (Aub), Stubblefield (Cal), Messerschmidt (Cal), Fleming (Cal), deBorde (Flor), Paul Murray (FSU), Weber (FSU/MAC), Powers (Mich), Toomey (Minn), David Williams (NCSt), Held (NCSt), Schnur (OSU), Shane Ryan (PSU), Tucker (Purdue), John Murray (Tex), Ellis (Tex), RInggold (Tex), Virva (UNLV), Condorelli (USC), Soedel (Utah), (and I believe Zack Turk is retired)?

Looking further out: Ryan Hoffer, Michael Andrew and a few others could be advancing from Great-Age-Grouper to Adult-National-Competitor

I doubt any of these guys will make Pan Pacs, but sprinters can improve well into their 20’s. Anyone who… Read more »

ERVINFORTHEWIN
10 years ago

I will go with Adrian and Ervin for the 2 first spots but have no idea in which order . They both train at Cal , anything can happen at Nationals . It’s likely that Adrian has the edge because of his very solid times this year in season ; but if Ervin has imporved his start and diving skills , he will be very dangerous on top of course . Feigen will be in the mix and maybe a youngster surprising like Paul Powers . I would love to see young guns doing something this summer .

bobo gigi
10 years ago

Already 2 previews and I’m surprised to still not see Michael Andrew in your top 8! :mrgreen:
More seriously, it’s interesting to see if at swimswam you will pick MA at least one time in a top 8. I don’t see in which event but it’s interesting.

floppy
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

50 Fly. Maybe 50 breast.
A loong shot in the 100 fly, 100 breast, or 200 IM…. but you never know with that kid…

Flyin'
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

Haha, give him a couple more years I think

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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