Watch: Daniel Diehl Lowers 17-18 NAG Record from Prelims with 53.07 100 Back in Final

2022 U.S. OPEN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

FRIDAY FINALS HEAT SHEET

Daniel Diehl lowered his own boys’ 17-18 NAG record from prelims in the men’s 100-meter backstroke final on Friday night, clocking a 53.07 to shave .04 seconds off his mark from this morning. 

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

  • World Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, ITA (2022)
  • American Record: 51.85 – Ryan Murphy (2016)
  • U.S. Open Meet Record: 52.51 – Nick Thoman, USA (2009)
  • U.S. Open Record: 51.94 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
  • 2024 Olympic Trials Cut: 55.69

PODIUM:

  1. Daniel Diehl (CUY) – 53.07
  2. Evangelos Makrygiannis (UN) – 54.41
  3. Tommy Janton (ND) – 54.96

Diehl won the race by over a second ahead of Evangelos Makrygiannis. Notre Dame’s Tommy Janton touched third, only .06 seconds off the lifetime best he swam at YMCA Nationals in July 2022.

Diehl, who recently turned 17 in October, was out a bit slower than he was in prelims, turning in 26.00 before coming home in a blazing 27.07. His swim this morning broke a nine-year-old NAG record set by Ryan Murphy in 2013 (53.38), but that mark lasted less than a day.

Split Comparison

Diehl, Junior Pan Pac prelims Diehl, Junior Pan Pac final Diehl, U.S. Open prelims Diehl, U.S. Open final
25.69 25.57 25.87 26.00
53.40 (27.71) 53.27 (27.70) 53.11 (27.24) 53.07 (27.07)

When asked after the race about his goals for the next year, Diehl said he has sights set on the world junior record of 52.53 belonging to Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov.

“52.53 — that’s the world junior record. That’s what I’m looking for,” Diehl said.

“This was the focus meet for a while,” he added. “I’m just excited to be here.”

Diehl also posted a personal best in the 200 IM on Thursday night when he clocked the first sub-2:00 time of his life and placed third with a 1:59.89. He’ll have a chance for another personal best on Saturday in the 200 back. 

In the boys’ 17-18 NAG rankings for the 100 back, Diehl now stands more than three-tenths of a second clear of any other swimmer ever.

All-Time U.S. Performers, Boys 17-18 100 Backstroke (LCM)

  1. Daniel Diehl, 53.07 – 2022 U.S. Open
  2. Ryan Murphy, 53.38 – 2013 Summer Nationals
  3. Michael Taylor, 53.77 – 2016 Olympic Trials
  4. Gunner Grant, 53.89 – 2019 World Juniors
  5. Jack Aikins, 54.03 – 2021 Olympic Trials Wave II

Diehl, a YMCA of Cumberland product, maintains his spot as the 14th-fastest American of all-time.

All-Time U.S. Performers, Men’s 100 Backstroke (LCM)

  1. Ryan Murphy, 51.85 – 2016 Olympic Games
  2. Aaron Peirsol, 51.94 – 2009 Summer Nationals
  3. Hunter Armstrong, 51.98 – 2022 World Championships
  4. Matt Grevers, 52.08 – 2012 Olympic Trials
  5. David Plummer, 52.12 – 2016 Olympic Trials
  6. Nick Thoman / Shaine Casas, 52.51 – 2009 U.S. Open / 2022 Speedo Southern Sectionals
  7. Randall Bal, 52.59 – 2008 Eindhoven Open
  8. Justin Ress, 52.73 – 2022 International Team Trials
  9. Bryce Mefford, 52.87 – 2021 Olympic Trials Wave II
  10. Jacob Pebley, 52.95 – 2016 Olympic Trials
  11. Michael Phelps, 53.01 – 2007 Summer Nationals
  12. Ben Hesen, 53.03 – 2012 Olympic Trials
  13. Daniel Diehl, 53.07 – 2022 U.S. Open
  14. Ryan Lochte, 53.37 – 2008 Olympic Trials

After placing 31st in the 100 back at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials at the age of 15, Diehl has made a massive leap over the last year and a half. After his 15-16 NAG record swim in March, he finished eighth in the 100 back at the International Team Trials in April, and then won the event at the Junior Pan Pacs in August while adding three more gold medals on the American relays.

Fastest 17-Year-Olds, Boys 100 Backstroke (LCM)

  1. Ksawery Masiuk – 52.58 (2022)
  2. Kliment Kolesnikov – 52.97 (2018)
  3. Daniel Diehl – 53.07 (2022)
  4. Ryan Murphy – 53.38 (2013)
  5. Isaac Cooper – 53.43 (2020)

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Flatlander
2 years ago

Kid is a beast.

Foreign Embassy
2 years ago

Gunner grant is not a name I would have remembered for top 5 LCM 100 bk at that age. I looked him up. He’s a junior at Harvard now. 46.3/1:41.2. 53.8/1:59.9 lcm. Didn’t even make ncaas last year since Dean was their backstroker on relays. Now I know…

Glory days
Reply to  Foreign Embassy
2 years ago

Unfortunately, this happens more often than most like to admit. Some swimmers who are insanely fast during their high school years, tend to not improve much or some not at all in college. Of course, there’s always exceptions, but there are a lot of college swimmers who are still trying to beat their high school times.

Davide
2 years ago

Masiuk went 52.58 at worlds this year, anyway Diehl looks amazing.

In Paris there might seriously be 7 guys going 51 (Ceccon, kolesnikov, Masiuk, Coetze, 2 of the Americans big 4, Christou) 😲

Last edited 2 years ago by Davide
Drewbrewsbeer
2 years ago

Daamnnn, Daniel!

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Drewbrewsbeer
2 years ago

when that was last relevant, michael phelps was still swimming

Last edited 2 years ago by Emily Se-Bom Lee

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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