Today on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Lukas Martens’ huge world record in the 400m Free, 50s of stroke in the Olympics, and USA Swimming announcing Greg Meehan as the new US National team director.
Coleman Hodges
by Coleman Hodges 9
April 14th, 2025 College, International, National, News, Podcasts, Video
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About Coleman Hodges
Coleman Hodges
Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …
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Men’s 50 free at Paris had three 50 specialists on the podium. I will be very surprised to see someone sweep the 50, 100, 200 of anything… as good as Kaylee is. And with the rise of 50 specialists will we see someone win two 50’s before we see someone sweep 50-100-200?
If they had stroke 50s in 2024, Sjostrom likely would have won 2 50s as she had in 4 different WCs (including the most recent 3). Dressel did it in 2019. Manadou in 2015. All of these in free+fly. I’m sure there are others as well. The double 50 gold is certainly more common at WCs historically than the 50-100-200 sweep (though this has happened 3x across the past 2 WCs?).
Only 2x really because Doha was in no way competitive enough for that sweep to mean anything.
Yeah, when the sweeper didn’t make international championships in those events before or after (yet, at least).
Had a chance to look at wikipedia for the 50s double gold. The only WCs that there *weren’t* a 50 double gold were 2007, 2009, and 2017! All have been free-fly. 2001, 2003: de Bruijn; 2005: Schoeman; 2011, 2013: Cielo; 2015: Manadou; 2019: Dressel and Sjostrom; 2022, 2023, 2024: Sjostrom. So at 10 of 13 WCs since introducing stroke 50s, there was at least 1 double 50 gold winner. I guess that makes it more likely than not that it will happen in 2028.
I think you underestimate Kaylee. Most people do.
I’m a huge Kaylee fan… and if this were Paris I’d absolutely have backed Kaylee for the sweep… but this is three+ years time, it’s really hard to stay dominant, and previously 50’s have kinda been an add on, now there is space for someone to go all in as a 50 specialist… and if they do they’ll lose something in the 200.
Ironically, Kaylee’s 50 back is where she has the biggest % buffer between her and the next best active swimmer.
I agree it’s very unlikely Kaylee will sweep, but not because of the 50, more because it’s never been done. No one has ever swept a stroke at the Olympics 3 times. Not even Phelps.
The thing is McKeown could win the 100/200 again in LA (unlikely but possible), but with the focus on 50s someone will come along who only does 50s and that could be difficult to overcome.