Daniel Diehl Blasts 53.40 For A New 15-16 NAG in Boys’ 100 Back

2022 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 24-27, 2022
• Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center
• Honolulu, Hawaii (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time)
• Prelims 9:00 AM / Finals 5:00 PM (GMT-10)
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Streaming
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

BOYS 100 METER BACKSTROKE

• Jr World: 52.53 – Kliment Kolesnikov (2018)
• Jr Pan Pac: 54.07 – Jack Conger (2012)

A-final qualifiers:

1. Daniel Diehl, USA – 53.40
2. Josh Zuchowski, USA – 54.70
3. Hidekazu Takehara, Japan – 56.34
4. Matthew Magnussen, Australia – 56.45
5. Fergus McLachlan, Australia – 56.73
6. Tristan Jankovics, Canada – 57.05
7. Loic Courville-Fortin, Canada – 57.05
8. Gabriel Koo, Singapore – 57.53

Daniel Diehl hit the ground running at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships. In prelims on the first day, the 16-year old dropped 53.40 in the 100 back, eclipsing his own National Age Group record in the 15-16 age group.

Diehl claimed ownership of the record in March 2022, clocking 53.59 and breaking Ryan Murphy‘s old record of 53.76, which had stood since 2012 Olympic Trials. Coming into that meet, Diehl held a lifetime best of 54.70. With his prelims time, he’s cut 1.30 seconds off his personal best so far this season.

During the race, Diehl zig-zagged down the lane quite a bit. If he can straighten himself out for finals, we could see him drop even more time. He was out in 25.69, the only boy in the field out under 26 seconds, and one of only two under 27. Coming home, he split 27.71, also the fastest in the field.

He easily qualified first for finals, obliterating the Junior Pan Pacs record. That mark had stood since 2012 as well, when Jack Conger went 54.07.

Murphy owns the  17-18 boys’ 100 backstroke record in 53.38. Diehl, who won’t turn 17 until October 26, is only two-hundredths off that mark now, which puts him in a strong position to eventually claim that record as well.

With his March swim, Diehl became the fastest 16 and under boy in history, passing South Africa’s Pieter Coetze. With this time, he further cements himself as the fastest backstroker of that age.

1. Daniel Diehl (USA), 53.40 – 2022
2. Pieter Coetze (RSA), 53.62 – 2021
3. Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 53.65 – 2016
4. Ryan Murphy (USA), 53.76 – 2012
5. Conor Ferguson (IRL), 54.41 – 2016

Additionally, Diehl is now tied with Michael Andrew as the sixteenth-fastest American of all-time.

As we said above, he’ll have a second opportunity to drop even more time in finals. If the U.S. opts to use him as the lead-off for the mixed 4×100 medley relay, he could even have a third.