Bjorn Seeliger Swims 18.27 50 Free Leading Off Relay, Now #2 Performer All-Time

2022 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

To close off day two of the 2022 D1 Men’s NCAA Championships, Bjorn Seeliger became the fastest man not named Caeleb Dressel in the 50 free. Seeliger, who came in this morning as the top seed in the individual free with an 18.45, lost in finals by three-hundredths to LSU’s Brooks Curry and added from his prelims time to go 18.59. Then, just 45 minutes later, he redeemed himself by swimming a 18.27 leading off of Cal’s 200 free relay to overtake his former teammate Ryan Hoffer as the #2 performer of all time.

Seeliger’s prelims swim had him as the third-fastest of all time before he moved up the rankings tonight.

Top Performers Of All-Time, Men’s 50 Yard Freestyle:

  1. Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 17.63 (2018)
  2. Bjorn Seeliger, Cal – 18.27 (2022)
  3. Ryan Hoffer, Cal – 18.33 (2021)
  4. Cesar Cielo, Auburn – 18.47 (2008)
  5. Matt Targett, Auburn – 18.52 (2009)

Although Seeliger became the second fastest performer of all time in the 50 free, his time is only the eighth-fastest performance ever, behind seven of Dressel’s swims. Because of Seeliger, Dressel now holds the top seven instead of the top eleven fastest 50 freestyle times ever.

Top Performances Of All-Time, Men’s 50 Yard Freestyle:

  1. Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 17.63 (2018)
  2. Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 17.81 (2018)
  3. Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 18.11 (2018)
  4. Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 18.20 (2016)
  5. Caeleb Dressel – 18.23 (2016) / Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 18.23 (2017)
  6. Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 18.24 (2016)
  7. Bjorn Seeliger, Cal – 18.27 (2022)

Despite Seeliger’s leadoff putting the Golden Bears in the lead, they ended up finishing in second to Florida, going a time of 1:14.36 compared to Florida’s 1:14.11.

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chinnychenchen
2 years ago

wow I did not expect him to surpass Hoffer’s 18.33 already

unfortunate that he didn’t get it done in the individual but he’s got 2 more years!!

NC Fan
2 years ago

How does Nyls 18.04 split stack up all time?

KPS
Reply to  NC Fan
2 years ago

5th fastest split of all time, behind Dressel’s 17.30 and 17.37 from the 2018 medley relays, Morozov’s 17.86 from the 2013 200 free relay, and Gkolomeev’s 18.00 from the 2016 200 medley relay

PVK
2 years ago

Me, 11 hours ago: “Seeliger is going 18.2 today.”

Swimfan
2 years ago

Remel is built different.

comment image

jeff
Reply to  Swimfan
2 years ago

this would be less bad if it was actually accurate

HJones
2 years ago

Why did Curtiss not swim the relay?

Hswimmer
Reply to  HJones
2 years ago

Did you see how he swam the individual? Slower each time

Dan
2 years ago

Dressel still has 11 out of the 13 fastest 50yd Free times with Bjorn Seeliger in 8th and Ryan Hoffer in 11th. https://www.usaswimming.org/times/data-hub/all-time-top-performers

Swimfan
Reply to  Dan
2 years ago

GOAT.

SoCal Swammer
2 years ago

And he still has at least two years to sub 18..

Swim nerd
Reply to  SoCal Swammer
2 years ago

He’s an older sophomore, so take that into account

jeff
Reply to  Swim nerd
2 years ago

he’s the age of a typical senior- Seeliger is actually half a year older than Dressel was when he set his legendary 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly records. Seeliger just turned 22 a couple months ago and Dressel was about 21 and a half at NCAAs

I think that’s what’s particularly insane about Sates, that even as an international freshman, he’s the same age as a typical American freshman, or even a little younger than average.

Last edited 2 years ago by jeff
Swimmer
Reply to  Swim nerd
2 years ago

Why does that matter? No one gets faster after 22?

Willswim
2 years ago

What was Vlad’s best time? I remember being blown away when he went 17. something with the flying start so I just assumed his flat start was near or sub 18.5.

Foreign Embassy
Reply to  Willswim
2 years ago

I believe his rolling start best was 17.8 which was insane and still is. But I think his flat start was only 18.8?

Dan
Reply to  Willswim
2 years ago

18.63 according to USA-Swimming db

BearlyBreathing
Reply to  Willswim
2 years ago

USA Swimming db says 18.63 at 2013 NCAAs

Foreign Embassy
Reply to  BearlyBreathing
2 years ago

Incredible it was almost a decade ago!

KSW
Reply to  Willswim
2 years ago

18.63 flat start
17.86 rolling start

About Yanyan Li

Yanyan Li

Although Yanyan wasn't the greatest competitive swimmer, she learned more about the sport of swimming by being her high school swim team's manager for four years. She eventually ventured into the realm of writing and joined SwimSwam in January 2022, where she hopes to contribute to and learn more about …

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