Matt Sates Crushes SC 200 Free WJR in 1:40.65 After 400 IM Earlier in Session

2021 FINA WORLD CUP – BERLIN

South African teenager Matt Sates broke his second world junior record in as many days on Sunday at the FINA World Cup stop in Berlin.

Sates went 1:40.65 to win the men’s 200 free, obliterating Russian star Kliment Kolesnikov‘s previous record of 1:41.75. Sates split 23.58/25.93/25.63/25.51, edging out a very strong swim from Australia’s Kyle Chalmers, who went 1:40.82.

Sates’ 200 free is a South African record, besting Darian Townsend‘s 1:40.89 from 2009, and makes him the sixth-fastest performer in history. Paul Biedermann owns the world record at 1:39.37, also from 2009.

At the South African Short Course Championships in September, where the future Georgia Bulldog won 10 events, he went a then-lifetime best of 1:42.91 in the 200 free.

All-Time Men’s SCM 200 Freestyle Performers

  1. Paul Biedermann (2009) – 1:39.37
  2. Yannick Agnel (2012) – 1:39.70
  3. Danila Izotov (2009) – 1:40.08
  4. Duncan Scott (2020) – 1:40.25
  5. Towley Haas (2020) – 1:40.49
  6. Matt Sates (2021) – 1:40.65

Earlier in the Sunday session, the 18-year-old Sates put up the top time in the 400 IM with a 4:01.98. Seto’s world junior record in the event is 3:59.15.

On Saturday, Sates took out Daiya Seto’s 1:52.48 world junior record in the 200 IM with an event-winning time of 1:51.45. Sates’ swim was more than a second faster than Seto’s former WJR, which he set almost a decade ago in November 2012.

In This Story

42
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

42 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mark Nedza
2 years ago

Looks like UGA has half of the 800 free figured out with Sates and Magahey. Go Dawgs!

Dawg Dad
Reply to  Mark Nedza
2 years ago

Luca is the 3rd slot. So, in reality, they have three-quarters figured out…..

Paul
2 years ago

Sates, Popovici, Hwang Sun-woo. That’s incredible.

Snarky
3 years ago

I guess that answers the “will his LCM success translate to yards for UGa?” question. Wow!

Last edited 3 years ago by Snarky
Swammer
3 years ago

I know that conversions aren’t a spectacular metric, but Sates’ 200 PBs from this weekend convert to 1:40.4 (200IM) and 1:30.6 (200 free). He could be historically fast in the NCAA

Bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Swammer
3 years ago

I’m glad he’s going to be coached by Bauerle. I trust that man to get Sates to an OP level.

Corn Pop
Reply to  Bobthebuilderrocks
3 years ago

Bio says he will be coached by Neil Viersfeld ( sp?) who is also from his SA swim club .

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Swammer
3 years ago

SCM to SCY are usually pretty accurate.

PVK
3 years ago

What do we think is an equivalent swim in SCY? 1:30 high?

Tommy Schmitt
Reply to  PVK
3 years ago

Make that a second faster

Uhhh
Reply to  PVK
3 years ago

Lol try 1:28 high

Murica
Reply to  Uhhh
3 years ago

Hol up so Agnel could’ve gone 1:27.9?
20.4, 22.5 (x3)?

HJones
Reply to  Murica
3 years ago

I’m nearly certain London-form Agnel could’ve gone 1:27. For a guy who had pedestrian underwaters and a below average start (honestly you can’t blame him, big guys just aren’t great at those aspects of the race), he was a tremendous SC swimmer. He knew how to carry his speed off the walls and get up and stroking as effectively as he could.

PFA
Reply to  PVK
3 years ago

If Sates goes to Georgia later this year he might give Kieran a run for his money at both SEC’s and NC’s. Starting looking like a real possibility that he’s gonna break 1:30 and potentially become the youngest to do that. Does sates also have US citizenship? Because if he does he could destroy the 17-18 NAG.

AW Fan
3 years ago

Chip on his shoulder after getting clowned by sussy

Joe
3 years ago

Georgia gonna be lit this year

Just give the trophy to the condors already
3 years ago

I giggled seing SS article about he could be the next phelps , but I changed my mind now

Swimm

Phelps had 6 golds and multiple WRs at 19. Sates may be an incredible swimmer and could potentially break a WR or 2 in the future, but him not medaling this past summer makes it impossible for him to be the “next Phelps.” The person taking over that title would be medaling in multiple events as a teenager.

coachymccoachface
Reply to  Swimm
2 years ago

He’s honestly on more of a Lochte path swimming wise

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

Read More »