Conor Dwyer, Olympic and World Champion, is fit, the fittest I’ve ever seen him. Training at Bob Bowman’s NBAC super swim team and living with roomie Michael Phelps is clearly the reason why.
Conor Dwyer at the 2014 Arena Grand Prix in Mesa (courtesy of Rafael Domeyko)
The NBAC Elite Diet
They mow chow from Whole Foods, often hitting up the highend grocery store twice in one day. Dwyer adds that they also eat everything, meaning they consume as many calories as they possibly can. Bowman’s mantra is “add more base,” so you know they’re doing honest, hard, long workouts. Calories are essential for recovery.
Dwyer Drills Down On 200 Free
Dwyer’s 200 freestyle silver medal at the 2013 FINA World Championships is telling. Sure he dropped a 1:45.32 for the hardware, but it’s how he got it that’s dangerous. Dwyer was 5th at the 150, coming home in 26.59, the fastest split on the 4th 50.
Dwyer’s experiencing every step needed to win gold in the 200 free at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. He’s landed Olympic gold, the 4×200 free relay in London, so his appetite has been wetted to get back on the podium individually. He’s training with the 2008 Olympic Champion, Michael Phelps, and 2012 Olympic Champion, Yannick Agnel, so the fear of going head to head has been muted to nothing. The silver in Barcelona was a mere stepping stone. Expect Dwyer to land gold this summer at the Pan Pacific Championships, adding another layer to his confidence.
Dwyer Prediction
Dwyer will be challenged this summer in the 200 free, but he’s shown too much speed on the front end and too much muscle on the back to lose. Dwyer wins 200 free at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships going 1:44.7 or faster.
In Rio, Dwyer dances with the 200 free 1:43 barrier, gets on the medal podium with gold or silver.
What’s your Dwyer Prediction for the 200 Free?
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com.
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Just meant this summer’s nationals. PanPacs/WC Trials.
He also has the 2nd fastest time in the 400 IM for US men. I’m guessing he swims 100/200/400 free and both IM events at nationals. All five are on different days.
Are you talking about the PanPacs/World Champ Trials or the Olympic Trials, because I thought the men’s 400 free and IM were on the same day?
Maybe my favorite GMM yet, pretty funny throughout.
Will Dwyer’s success translate over into other events? Bowman is no stranger to producing distance swimmers, or IMers. Can Dwyer get down to 3:44-3:41 in his 400 and around 2:56 in his IM, and maybe sub 4:09 in his 400 IM?
For that matter, will Agnel become the 400 threat to challenge Park, and even Yang, under Bowman’s tutelage?
I think Dwyer’s pretty focused on the 2-free…but, yes, knowing Bob, Dwyer will have a mean 400 free in his back pocket.
I think the 200 and 400 free are tough events, so different. When you train for the 400 free, it kills your speed. I think you have to have speed, 50 point or 51 low going out, to win the 200 free.
Mel , I beleive as we have seen these last 2 years with Dwyer that the 200 free is his major Priority . He has the best 200 free in the Us right now , isn’t it ? In Barcelona , he did a great job to get that silver medal and starting the 800 free relay . I see him also around maybe 1.44 something this year . Who can be a threat for him at Pan Pacs for the gold ? MC Evoy and Park Tae Wan . His 400 is probably also under a good training .
He also has a very decent 100 free and a decent 200 IM in him defenetly . he is… Read more »
That’s another thing that makes Ledecky so special! How can she be so fast in the 200 free while at the same time breaking 1500 free records? That requires stroke adjustments, right? I’ve heard adjustments are necessary between 50 and 100 free, so there must be big changes here!
The USA team has been hurt for years by the double taper caused by trials being too close to the Olympics. That is why Lochte et al struggled in London.
EASYSPEED — this has always been an issue for me. I can’t believe US Trials isn’t in Jan/Feb to give the US O Team a full training cycle before heading into the O Games. I think the reason is money. I’m not 100% sure, but I think TV contracts are better in the summer for “swim” than in Jan/Feb. It seems the broader media – the US audience – doesn’t care about the summer games until 90 days out. Also, I bet it’s tough to get the Omaha spot, temp pool, at another time… Thinking about this now, I think I’d go with the US Trials closer the O Games if the above are factors. I love the US O… Read more »
I’ve heard it’s because of NCAA seasons. Since historically (until really the 2000s) obviously a very large amount of Olympians were current college swimmers, or just turning pro after graduating. It disrupts the NCAA cycle. I’m not saying that anyone with a good shot at the Olympics would do NCAAs over the Olympics, but on the other hand having it a good bit after NCAA season means that you get the best of both worlds, which has historically been even more important.
I guess the other reason is that there’s never been any impetus for change. The US has had pretty dominant Olympiads since the advent of professionalism, so “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.”
Australian Trials are generally held last week of March or first week of April – if Aussie swimmers are swimming for a College in USA typically they will have to choose between NCAA Champs or Trials or at best fly back straight into LC competition direct from College SC season. Also, I wonder if the Aussie Team have historically been better prepared for O Games, certainly not for London 2012 where most of the Team did not swim faster than they did at Trials. It is an interesting Dilema.
Mel- you and I aren’t the only ones. There was a poll not too long ago on another swim site re: when trials should be held. An overwhelming majority thought they should be at least 6 months out. Having the trials so close to the games places an enormous burden on swimmers; they have to decide whether to swim trials not tapered (or do a partial taper) and risk not qualifying in an event (e.g. Adrian 50 free 2012), or go all out for trials to get a spot on the team but then struggle at the Olympics (e.g. Hansen 2004). As for the reason, I remember when the switch was made USS (as it was called back then) gave… Read more »
The switch from March to August for U.S. Olympic swim trials happened in 2000. Anyone know the history on who was involved in the decision to move it from March to August? Interesting to know the actual history of who moved it, and why.
if NBAC tapered for a meet as a team. They could swim under the world record in the 4x200m freestyle relay. NBAC swimmers went 1-2 at world champs last year in the 200m free, Too bad a WR wouldn’t count.
I can see Conor Dwyer in Rio where Lochte was in 2012, same with Clary. Lochte peaked late because of Phelps. I predict that Dwyer and Clary will also peak late.
In 1975 at US Nationals, P66 Long Beach broke the WR in the 800 FR with their club team. This was when teams actually swam relays at Nationals. It helped that the team had both Furness brothers and Tim Shaw on the team.