Jake Foster Blasts Lifetime Best 100 Meter Breast, 1:01.34, in Mission Viejo Prelims

2023 PRO SWIM SERIES – MISSION VIEJO

• May 17-20, 2023
• Marguerite Aquatics Center, Mission Viejo, California
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets (updated)
• All The Links
• How To Watch
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap

At the 2023 Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series, Jake Foster didn’t wait for finals to drop a blistering lifetime best time. The Mason Manta Rays swimmer chopped half a second off his fastest 100-meter breast time in prelims, clocking a 1:01.34 to take down his previous best time from the 2019 Summer Nationals (1:01.85). He also cracked the 2024 Olympic Trials qualifying cut of 1:02.19.

Foster, an IM specialist who just completed his senior year at Texas, made all the difference on the first 50. His blistering opening split of 28.50 on the first length was .45 faster than his first length in 2019. He improved on his finishing speed as well, shaving .06 off his final 50-meter split.

Split Comparison

Foster’s best 100-meter breast time had been sitting at 1:02-low in this event from August 2017, when he swam a 1:02.38 at the 2017 Summer Junior Nationals, up until the 2019 Summer Nationals when he broke 1:02.0 for the first time. This prelims swim in Mission Viejo marks his second time ever breaking 1:02.00 in the event.

Foster 100 Meter Breast Progression

Breaststroke is one of Foster’s biggest strengths in IM races. At the 2023 NCAA DI Championships, the only person with a faster 50 breast split than him in the 200 IM ‘A’ final was first-place finisher Leon Marchand. This is especially impressive considering he placed 8th in the race overall. Foster also notched the second-fastest breaststroke split in the 400 IM ‘A’ final at the same meet, where he ultimately placed 7th.

In pure, breaststroke-only events, Foster is typically stronger at the more endurance-heavy 200 breast rather than the 100. This large improvement in a sprint breast event could mean a lot for his 200 IM and 400 IM, the latter of which we’ll see him race on Friday. He is the top seed going into the Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series 100 breast final later tonight, ahead of Olympian and 2022 World Championships bronze medalist Nic Fink who swam a 1:01.68.