Katie Meili of the United States absolutely shocked the crowd when the stopped the clock in 1:05.64 during heat two of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.
Dropping almost an entire second off her previous personal best time of 1:06.50, Meili managed to take a huge chunk of the Pan American Games record as well.
The previous record was set by Canadian Annamay Pierse at the 2007 games in Brazil with a time of 1:07.78. Meili grabbed a jackhammer and took off a whopping 2.14 seconds from that mark.
The time also ranks Meili second in the world this year behind only 100m breaststroke world record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania.
2014-2015 LCM Women 100 Breast
MEILUTYTE
1.05.46
| 2 | Yuliya EFIMOVA | RUS | 1.05.60 | 08/03 |
| 3 | Katie MEILI | USA | 1.05.64 | 07/17 |
| 4 | Alia ATKINSON | JAM | 1.06.21 | 08/03 |
| 5 | Jinglin SHI | CHN | 1.06.28 | 08/03 |
Meili is now the fastest American this season by 1.29 seconds. The closest American to her is Lily King who swam at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju South, Korea.
She’s also the second fastest American performer in the last two seasons. Only Jessica Hardy’s 1:05.18 swim from the 2013 World Championships is faster.
The swim for Meili puts even more emphasis on the fact that some of the United States’ best swimmers are not heading to the World Championships this year due to the way they selected their roster a year out.
Rather than Meili, Jessica Hardy and Micah Lawrence will be swimming the 100m breaststroke later on in Kazan, Russia.
Any video of the swim available online?!
Great going, Katie. Keep up the good work. I’m sure you’re family is very proud of you!
Gentlemen they are women not girls I’m sure you refer to the males as men not boys.
Great time Meili – Let’s not hope Casey Barrett studies her progress 🙂
He won’t be interested, because Meili had gradual improvement in her only 2-3 events that accelerated a bit when she graduated from Columbia U and joined the more competitive training environment at MAC. Not excelling in almost every event at every meet swimming events back to back to back to back, week after week after week all over the globe.
You mean like Katinka – first college (USC) and then pro. swimming.
And yes, she is a versatile swimmer posting world class times like ever other world class medley swimmers: Phelps, Lochte, Hagino, Belmonte, etc.
By the way, what is that American bad habit of swimming useless crazy fast times in prelims?
She easily qualified with a 2-second slower swim.
Not the first time I note that. It’s more and more common.
Yesterday Worrell. Today Meili.
Calm down girls. Keep your energy for the most important race. And destroy your best times when it counts the most.
I generally agree with this sentiment — but when the race is only 50 or 100 distance, there is no semi-finals, and the athlete doesn’t have a busy schedule, I see no problem with going all-out in the morning. It gives the swimmer TWO chances to do something special.
It is.. but that backfired on Coughlin.. but these girls are young.. so their recovery is much better.. but even so.. it is risky.. Olympic champions know when and how to race (Just check when Gyurta swim fasts, never expect when he really needs to).. Seebohm made the same mistake on London at 100 back.. They must be careful to not repeat this kind of mistake..
I just hate watching someone swim slower in final! 😆
That’s the way it is. You’ll not change me. 🙂
Imagine if she swims one second slower in final and loses the race. It will made her look a little bit stupid.
That’s what it could have happened to Kelsi yesterday.
We are at an international meet where we win medals. And places are more important than times. You have to be smart to swim your best when it counts the most.
It’s not just a question of physical energy but also of mental energy.
But in the case of Meili, I didn’t watch the race, perhaps she was in total control and will break the world record in final! 🙂
My theory for some of the swimmers is that they are practicing racing hard in both prelims and finals ( and sometimes semis), for Worlds, Olympic Trials, and Olympics, where nobody except the very top swimmers can afford to hold back much in prelims or semis. If you look at it that way, for some it may not be an “American bad habit” as you say but an American good habit, since we still usually win Worlds and Olympics or very close. And it’s not just Americans. I notice Hozzu, among others, does it too, and I get the feeling that’s why she’s doing it. Although in her case she’s gotten so good, maybe she doesn’t realize that she is… Read more »
Haha! Sorry but I have to laugh again. 😆
After Kelsi Worrell, here comes Katie Meili. 2 of the biggest absences of the US squad for worlds because of….
Hopefully for the US medley relay that Hardy is at her best. If not, goodbye the gold.
I wrote several times that Meili was on fire and ready for huge times this summer. When you swim around 1.06.50 not tapered in season, it looks good. And we have seen.
Good to know that it’s going to take a 1:05 low to make the Olympic team next year. I see the women’s 4×100 medley team going 3:51 or even 3:50 in Rio.
3.51 is plausible but not sure about 3.50. Franklin was 58.50 in the current WR and I can only see her going a few tenths better. How much can they cut off Soni’s 1.04.80 ? Worrall would have to take a couple of quantum leaps forward to match Vollmer’s 55.48 let alone better it. Schmitt’s 53.25 can probably be reduced but by how much has yet to be ascertained.