Josh Prenot Breaks American Record in 200 Meter Breaststroke

2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS

Josh Prenot has broken the American Record in the 200 meter breaststroke and swum the 2nd-fastest 200 breaststroke in history on day 5 of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Prenot swam a 2:07.17, which is the fastest time ever done by an American and the fastest time ever done on U.S. soil (U.S. Open Record).

Prenot had a big final split of 32.98, which is 1.5 seconds faster than runner-up Kevin Cordes was coming home in what went from a big Cordes lead to a comfortable Prenot victory over the last 50.

Splits:

Final
Prenot ’16 (new record) 29.21 1:01.67 1:34.19 2:07.17
Shanteau ’09 (old American) 29.10 1:01.69 1:34.72 2:07.42
Cordes ’16 (old U.S. Open) 28.89 1:01.07 1:34.00 2:07.81

Prenot came within a hair of the World Record in the split, and even though he did a ton of damage over the last 50, he still wasn’t quick enough to hold off the theoretical World Record line of Akihiro Yamaguchi, who split 32.23 on the last 50 of his 2:07.01 World Record swim from 2012.

That swim from Yamaguchi is the only one in history that’s been faster than Prenot’s 2:07.17.

The new top 5 fastest times in history:

  1. Akihiro Yamaguchi, 2:07.01, 2012
  2. Josh Prenot, 2:07.17, 2016
  3. Daniel Gyurta, 2:07.23, 2013
  4. Daniel Gyurta 2:07.28
  5. Ross Murdoch, 2:07.30

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Track
7 years ago

Shaping up to be a great race in Rio. Cordes is yet to get his strategy right in this race. Gyurta is a big question mark. The Japanese were good in April, but we haven’t seen them recently. Koch is the world champion and the favorite after his near WR in the short course 200 breast and his 2:07s early in the year. Prenot just had a great swim last night that puts him in contention. Then my dark horse is Dmitriy Balandin, great in 2014 with a surprise Asian games win the 200 breast in a 2:07. He had decent 2015 and is still very young, so he could break out in rio.

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Wonderful race. The men’s race of the meet so far.
I knew that Prenot could bother Cordes.
Unlike Cordes he managed better his prelims and semi.
And unlike Cordes he can change gear in the last 50.
USA sends 2 medal contenders in Rio.
I feel bad for Licon too. He has definitely proved he could swim in long course. It must be tough to be so close but no doubt his time will come. Hopefully he continues swimming until 2020.

Race video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Rwcy0QuC0

Luke davies
7 years ago

Marco koch will win the 200brst in Rio. He went a 2.07.6 in January not tapered.

Swim mom
7 years ago

Great race by Will Licon. Heartbreaking to miss out on the Olympics by 0.14 sec.

Pa swimmer
7 years ago

Love America being relivent in breastroke, but still don’t think we are going to see a wr

Swammer
Reply to  Pa swimmer
7 years ago

Just wait for Rio. You may be proven wrong.

pmd
Reply to  Pa swimmer
7 years ago

On what basis? Josh just missed it by .1 after swimming 4IM, 3×100 Breast, and 200 IM in the previous 4 days. He has a 2:06 in him for sure.
Roll on you Bears

Pa swimmer
Reply to  pmd
7 years ago

Because he had Kevin cordes pulling him along, i don’t think he will be that lucky in rio, if either where to get it I would say it would be Kevin.

Swimer
Reply to  Pa swimmer
7 years ago

I disagree. If he used Cordes to “pull him along” than he would’ve been much faster at the start. He wasn’t even in contention to get 2nd until around the 3rd 50. That race was all Prenot, Cordes had nothing to do with it.

Penguin
Reply to  Pa swimmer
7 years ago

3 men will be under world record this summer. one at 2:05.9

Pvdh
7 years ago

Cordes was out way to fast. Prenot used him perfectly as a rabbit.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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