Disclaimer: Dolfin Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The Dolfin Swim is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.
Well known around the world as a backstroker, Australia’s Mitch Larkin was the best 200 IMer in the entire world last season, with a swim he put up one year ago today.
The 25-year-old Larkin won Australia’s World Swimming Trials in the 200 IM, blasting a 1:55.72. That shattered Australian and Commonwealth records. It also launched Larkin to the #1 ranking in the world for the 2018-2019 season.
And throughout the rest of the summer, not a single swimmer surpassed Larkin’s time. World Champs gold went to Daiya Seto in 1:56.14, and Larkin finished the year as the only swimmer in the world to break 1:56 in the event:
2018-2019 LCM MEN 200 IM
LARKIN
1.55.72
| 2 | Daiya SETO | JPN | 1.56.14 | 07/25 |
| 3 | Jeremy DESPLANCHES | SUI | 1.56.56 | 07/25 |
| 4 | Duncan Scott | GBR | 1.56.65 | 04/20 |
| 5 | Shun WANG | CHN | 1.56.66 | 03/28 |
In the calendar year since that swim, only Seto (1:55.55 in January) has surpassed Larkin’s time.
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Mitch went 4.16 in the 400 im at 16 . Then he moved to St Peter’s & did the reverse of Stephanie . She went in as a 100 backstroker & came out as a 400 Imer. That’s swimming !
He was 17 . Close
He was stupid good at everything as a kid, he won Australian age medals in breaststroke events.
A 1:55 mid to low might win the Olympics. Michael ought to give it one last go and see if he can get the 5-peat.
Really interested to see what he does next year – 200 IM and 200 back are the same day I think .
Lochte is still recovering from that double in 2012