Chase Kalisz on 200 IM: “I certainly think I have a lot more to give in that”

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Reported by James Sutherland.

MEN’S 200 IM FINAL

  • World Record: Ryan Lochte (USA) – 1:54.00 (2011)
  • American Record: Ryan Lochte – 1:54.00 (2011)
  • US Open Record: Ryan Lochte (USA) – 1:54.56 (2009)
  • World Junior Record: Hubert Kos (HUN) – 1:56.99 (2021)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Michael Phelps (USA) – 1:54.66
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Michael Phelps – 1:55.91
  • Wave I Cut: 2:04.09
  • Wave II Cut: 2:03.02
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:59.67
  1. Michael Andrew (RPC), 1:55.44
  2. Chase Kalisz (ABSC), 1:56.97
  3. Kieran Smith (FLOR), 1:57.23

Michael Andrew delivered almost the exact same swim we saw from him last night, except this time it was done with the pressure on.

Andrew blitzed the field on the first 50, out in 23.77, and had subsequent splits of 29.29 and 32.29 on back and breast, putting him five one-hundredths shy of his 150 pace compared to last night.

The 22-year-old was way ahead of the field at that point, more than two and a half seconds, and despite laboring over the final few strokes, he won by over a second and a half in 1:55.44, just off his PB of 1:55.26 from last night.

That adds a second individual event for Andrew in Tokyo, having won the 100 breast early in the meet, and he’ll look to add a third in the 50 free.

Chase Kalisz moved up from fifth at the 100 to second with 50 meters to go, joining Andrew sub-33 on breast in 32.77, as he locks in a second event of his won at the Games with a runner-up finish in 1:56.97.

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Ghost
2 years ago

In other words, I can’t believe MA outsplit me on breast by .5!!!!

Michael Mooney
2 years ago

Chase better at 400. Incredible endurance.. Runs people down. ..See the 200 future with MA..

Eric the eel > Phelps
2 years ago

Cmon chase you’re qualified for a second event at the olympics, stop complaining

Last edited 2 years ago by Eric the eel > Phelps
Akos
Reply to  Eric the eel > Phelps
2 years ago

Athletes at this level always need to feel like there was something they can do better, otherwise they wouldn’t be where they are. It isn’t complaining

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Eric the eel > Phelps
2 years ago

He is the ultimate Debbie Downer.

Cobalt
2 years ago

Always great to see MA dust a guy who does 10x the yardage that he does.

Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
Reply to  Cobalt
2 years ago

MA was doing triples at some point this year. 20×75 x2 16×50 x2 16×25 x2. That’s almost 6 k per day not exactly usrpt

Franck
Reply to  Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
2 years ago

It is exactly USRPT

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Franck
2 years ago

Especially because he quit when he failed, rested until later in the day to recoup, tried again, then rest, repeat. It’s what high volume USRPT can look like. And he was the only one who went b’s out every single race and lived to tell about it. Regan did the same, and it crushed her for the finals of the 200 back.

anonymous
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Like you have said before he has been swimming fast every round at meets all year. Now MA knows he can go three rounds of 1:56 to 1:55.

Khachaturian
2 years ago

Well he will certainly need to go faster if he is to beat Seto

Swimmerb
Reply to  Khachaturian
2 years ago

If seto is on his peak, the race is gonna be insane, i think it will be:
1 – MA
2 – Seto
3 – Scott

With seto and scott trying to catch MA on the final 50

hmm
Reply to  Swimmerb
2 years ago

Scott could easily reel MA in on that last 50. It’s almost the Ideal situation for Scott, with MA just being a hare for him to chase. Remember when he reeled in Nathan Adrian in the 400 medley? He’s built for that. Should be a good race none the less

Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
Reply to  hmm
2 years ago

MA needs to have that feeling between now and the final. I don’t remember the last time he got chased down properly

There's no doubt that he's tightening up
Reply to  Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
2 years ago

Get Litherland in training camp to run him down

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  hmm
2 years ago

The rest of the world including Seto and Scott cannot afford to allow Andrew to build that type of margin after 150. They will adjust their approach. It’s just like Peaty in the 100 breaststroke or Regan in 200 backstroke. Once a gap like that is established it closes from the back. 50 meters is not enough to depend on

Last edited 2 years ago by Awsi Dooger
Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

And then out of nowhere they’re supposed to change their race strategy and go out faster than they’ve ever been before and develop speed that Seto and Kalisz certainly don’t have? How’s that going to work out for them.

Akos
Reply to  hmm
2 years ago

Scott rode Adrian’s wave hard, nothing suggests he could be anything close to that time normally. MA will have no wave to ride because he can’t get going in the last 50. It will definitely be an entertaining race, but Scott is going to have to come up with a massive time

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  hmm
2 years ago

Big difference: there is zero wake to surf with MA’s last 50. With Adrian on that medley relay, it was a surfer’s paradise.

Attis76
Reply to  Swimmerb
2 years ago

Somehow I got the feeling that my fellow countryman Kos will be on the podium. He dropped 1.5 sec in 5 months. At his age with that yet boyish phisique there’s a lot of room for improvement.

Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

He could give his firstborn child and he’s still not going to beat MA.

anonymous
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

He spots MA 2 meters on the start.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  anonymous
2 years ago

He makes Townley seem like a fast-twitch beast.

ACC fan
2 years ago

CK, “I think I have a lot more to give in the 200IM”
MA, “Not me, I swam the perfect race!”

Curious swimmer
Reply to  ACC fan
2 years ago

I really want MA to break the world record with his style of swim. People will still think he is swimming the race wrong even though he would be the fastest swimmer ever. Currently we can only say he is the fastest swimmer since the Rio final of the 200im, so fastest human in 5 years.

anonymous
Reply to  Curious swimmer
2 years ago

I don’t think he will break WR this year but eventually. He dropped 1.2 seconds this year and that is a lot. He just needs time to work on his free. He is swimming the IM to his strengths and that is the best strategy.

Bignowhere
Reply to  anonymous
2 years ago

I agree, he will get the record eventually. It took Lochte years to get down to 1:54. His 2004 silver medal swim was 1:58. He didn’t go 1:54 until 2011.

Cobalt
Reply to  Curious swimmer
2 years ago

He will someday!

Eagleswim
Reply to  ACC fan
2 years ago

MA smoked him so that makes sense

Siobhan
Reply to  ACC fan
2 years ago

MA better put together the perfect race in Tokyo or Duncan Scott will catch him on the closing freestyle.

Last edited 2 years ago by Siobhan
dddddddd
Reply to  Siobhan
2 years ago

i can see MA blowing a 3 second lead at the 150

Markster
2 years ago

I hope he goes faster than Michael Andrew in Tokyo

Curious swimmer
Reply to  Markster
2 years ago

Probably won’t lol, hope he does well, but i don’t see him beating MA

cynthia curran
Reply to  Curious swimmer
2 years ago

Probably true, unless MA has an off day in Tokyo.

Irish Ringer
Reply to  Markster
2 years ago

If they go 1-2, I’ll be happy, but Chase dropping 1.50 – 1.75 seconds in a month is a lot unless he was bold enough to come in here not tapered.

Last edited 2 years ago by Irish Ringer
Cobalt
Reply to  Markster
2 years ago

Probably not as now MA will have access to
the Olympic coaches, and it seems he’s open to getting some help from other coaches for his free.

Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
Reply to  Cobalt
2 years ago

I think Peter Andrew could help other kids too on the team. People who qualified in one event can use him to lock in stroke counts and stuff

anonymous
Reply to  Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
2 years ago

He is good at coaching starts as well.

Mustangswimdad
Reply to  Markster
2 years ago

I’ve noticed that given a sufficiently long number of comments, Michael Andrew’s name will appear. I’m kinda surprised that it happened on the first comment.

I hope that Chase swims his own race rather than trying to keep up with MA. If he adopts MA’s pace he will certainly lose.

Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
Reply to  Mustangswimdad
2 years ago

Getting kaliszs breaststroke leg down would help him tremendously

Bignowhere
Reply to  Swimlikefishdrinklikefish
2 years ago

Breaststroke is already Chase’s best IM leg. But it is hard to run down the 100 breast AR holder.

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