2023 PLEASANTON SEAHAWKS SHORT COURSE SENIOR OPEN
- November 3-5, 2023
- Pleasanton, California
- Short Course Yards (25y), Prelims/Finals
- Results on Meet Mobile: “Pleasanton Seahawks SC Senior Open”
14-year-old Luka Mijatovic, in a weekend of unbelievable swims across the country, may have just taken the cake in Pleasanton.
He swam 4:17.07 to win the 500 free. That took five-and-a-half seconds off his own National Age Group Record in the event which was set in March 2023 at 4:22.50.
The second-best swimmer in age group history and former record-holder is Lleyton Plattel, who in 2017 swam 4:24.79.
Mijatovic’s time is so fast, in fact, that it would rank 7th in the 500 free all-time in the 15-16 age group.
| Luka Mijatovic | Luka Mijatovic | Lleyton Plattel | |
| New Time | Old Record | #2 in Age Group | |
| 100y | 49.03 | 49.49 | 50.43 |
| 200y | 52.33 | 53.48 | 53.96 |
| 300y | 52.84 | 54.02 | 54.30 |
| 400y | 52.27 | 53.84 | 53.54 |
| 500y | 50.60 | 51.67 | 52.56 |
| Total Time | 4:17.07 | 4:22.50 | 4:24.79 |
That swim is Mijatovic’s second national record of the weekend. He swam 8:55.41 in the 1000 free earlier in the meet, taking almost four seconds off his record in that race.
Mijatovic is now six-for-six in best times at this meet:
- 1000 free – 8:55.41 (Previously: 8:59.29)
- 200 back – 1:48.74 (Previously: 1:50.79)
- 200 IM – 1:49.08 (Previously: 1:49.93)
- 200 free – 1:37.57 (Previously: 1:38.21)
- 500 free – 4:17.07 (Previously: 4:22.50)
- 200 fly – 1:49.25 (Previously: 1:52.73)
Well, throwing out a prediction: Laon Kim and Luka Mijatovic are going to be the Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe of the 2020s (albeit from different countries).
Laon Kim isn’t anywhere near Luka’s level. There are many sub 17 YOs that are more impressive than Kim.
Both at 14 Years Old:
Laon Kim:
50FR – 23.55
100FR – 51.05
200FR – 1:52.39
400FR – 3:56.79
800FR – 8:17.16
1500FR – 15:56.21
Luka Mijatovic:
50FR – 25.03
100FR – 52.28
200FR – 1:50.40
400FR – 3:52.01
800FR – 7:59.64
1500FR – 15:27.38
As overall freestylers, they’re actually quite comparable, with Laon having more speed, and Luka having more endurance, but both being stellar in all regards for their age. They are also the Top 2 14&U worldwide all-around Freestylers of 2023 (of course, Kim aged up to 15 in August I believe). To describe Kim as not being “anywhere near Luka’s level” is just silly, objectively.
Um yea sorry boss those sets of times are a mile apart and just so you are aware, Luka did those times 3 months after turning 14 while Kim was on the verge of turning 15. Luka will set a wave no new best times in December and the gulf will be enormous between the two
Let’s not forget Laon was also faster in almost all other non-Freestyle events at 14 too.
wtf is going on in this world? These kids make Chas Morten look like Chas Morten.
decent joke, but I need to get the spelling right MORTON.
He’s probably the next Ian Thorpe and may win Olympics medal next year
if he beats hafnaoui and short in the 400 in Paris I’ll eat 2 of my fingers
He doesn’t have to beat both Short and Hafnaoui to win bronze.
Check my comment again: I said “medal”, I didn’t say “gold medal”
It took 3.42.2 to win bronze this summer, that’s 10 seconds off Luka’s PB in the next 8.5 months (and that is assuming Winnington doesn’t get back to his best and Märtens doesn’t PB, etc). Probably a bit steep, as phenomenal as Luka is
I generally agree with you and I’m NOT predicting Luka is medal-caliber in 2024. But the dude just lopped 5 sec off his 500 PR. I think it’s safe to say he’s not a 3:52 400 swimmer anymore. For 14-yr-old boys, 3-4 months can mean massive improvement. Let’s watch him go 3:48 at US Open in December…
I completely agree with you on this. PLUS where he is now and in December, given his current trajectory, may not even be where his progress settles for the year. He could be even dirtier come summer, and I imagine he will be. We’ll have to wait and see! I certainly wouldn’t rule out a berth
RemindMe! 9 months
I think winning the 400 at trials would be a more realistic goal
He is going best times, as 14 year olds should. Congratulations
Dropping time at random meets like a 14 year old but going times that most college swimmers would dream of. The ceiling is unknown!
This feels like we’re watching the launch of a male Ledecky … but she didn’t break the 13-14 500 NAG by nearly that much (and then she won gold in London the next summer). This is unreal!
Or the launch of the next Ian Thorpe.
Thorpe won 400 silver in 1997 Pan Pacs as a 14 yo and won 400 gold in 1998 Worlds as a 15 yo.
Luka might win Olympics medal next year as a 15 yo.
It would be incredible to see, and who knows what he could do next summer, but he is 10s off the best Americans who are in turn 4-5s off the medals. I wouldn’t bet against this kid but it’s a big ask. Making the team would be huge and looks possible.
No, he’s 10s off the medals – 3:52.01 in the 400
and a year ago he was 4:07…
He was a 3:52 this summer. He dropped 15 seconds from the year before. That’s definitely not going to happen again but based on these swims we are probably in for another large slash in times and if he swims the us open in December he could be under Thorpes 14 YO mark of 3:49.4
Agree with your larger point but based on what he did this weekend, he’s a good 4 or 5 seconds faster than he was this summer and thats just in 3 months, at a random mid-season meet. So not nearly so far as you say.
10 off the best Americans? IDK about that, the best Americans be popping off 345 +/- 1 sec on their GOOD days. He’s more like 5 seconds off the Americans, which he just lopped off. I think its not a stretch to say he is in the conversation for an Olympic spot. And depending on how much more time he lobs off, maybe he can even be internationally competitive come Paris. We’ll see. Maybe it’ll be a touch too early a la phelps in sydney. Regardless, he has a hot hand and hes young I wouldn’t write off anything just yet.
If this was 8-9 years ago when distance swimming was pretty stagnant I’d say maybe. But considering the talent and depth that’s come around in the past 2 years it’s near impossible
girls peak faster than guys. Most 13-14 nags aren’t even fast enough to be a trials cut let alone make the team. I think he hasn’t an infinite ceiling and could snag a spot on the team, but the Ledecky comparisons are insane and unfair
Bro what 😭😭
Yikes!
he could be a legitimate threat to make the olympic team… at 15…
4:17 is a long way from 4:06 which is what the best LCM guys are doing. Impressive yes, but let’s not get carried away.
Which is what the best American LCM guys are doing*
*None of whom made the final at Worlds this year.
So? As long as he qualifies, he’ll be in the Games. Still a huge accomplishment for a male at 15.
American male phenom in the Games at age 15. Sounds kind of familiar….
And lighten up a bit, Braden. Americans making the final at Worlds was not the issue under consideration; being a legitimate threat to make the Olympic team at 15 was. And that even includes meeting the Olympic standard ala Jake Mitchell; even after his 2nd place outside the standard, he made the standard in the time trial and then went on to final in the Games. A big strapping 14 year-old kid like Luka has a real chance for substantial improvement in the same way Phelps developed at 15. Or more recently, Heilman. Don’t be such a sourpuss on the current state of American middle distance.… Read more »
Having the goal of just making the team is what has been wrong with USA Swimming recently. The goal is to win medals. If he isn’t fast enough yet to contend for a medal next summer Team USA is better off with the older guys.
So we should just skip over trials and subjectively pick the older guys? And who says the older guys are good enough to medal in the 400? U.S. Men’s 400 Free has been lacking for a while.
No we shouldn’t just skip over Trials. I’m just saying wanting him to make the the team at 15 just to say he made the team is not what we should be cheering for. We should be cheering for anyone with the potential to medal to make the team. Let the kid develop in his own time and stop already with the comparisons to some of the greatest swimmers in history. People wonder why athletes these days struggle with the mental aspect. He’s 14. He’s swimming really fast. Stop piling on the pressure.
Goodness – we’re talking about a 14 yr old male swimmer. I think making the team would be plenty good
It’s been deleted, but there was previously a comment about him being a candidate for medals.
That’s what I was responding to.