Michael Andrew Set For History With Entries In Breaststroke and Freestyle

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Michael Andrew is now the first-ever U.S. Olympian to qualify for the Olympics in both breaststroke and non-individual medley events, according to SwimSwam data guru Barry Revzin.

Andrew placed 2nd in the 50 free final Sunday night with a time of  21.48, just behind Caeleb Dressel who tied the American Record. Andrew bumped five-time Olympic gold medalist Nathan Adrian to 3rd place:

50 Free Final Results (Top 3)

  1. Caeleb Dressel (GSC), 21.04 =AR
  2. Michael Andrew (RPC), 21.48
  3. Nathan Adrian (CAL), 21.73

Andrew has already qualified for the 2021 U.S. Olympic team in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM. He won both finals races, the first on Monday and the second on Friday.

It’s important to note that Team USA’s Jessica Hardy qualified for the Olympics in the 50 free and 100 breast in 2008, before she was removed from the U.S. Olympic team after she tested positive for the prohibited substance clenbuterol.

This feat is not unheard of internationally, though. Spain’s Mireia Belmonte Garcia started off her Olympic career in 2008 with breaststroke and IM events, but she has transitioned into a mid-distance freestyle. In 2012, her three specialties overlapped, similar to how Andrew’s specialties are overlapping this year.

Non-IM events include strokes. For example, Australia’s Judith Hudson and Linda McGill have qualified in breaststroke, IM, and butterfly events.

Most often, however, the non-IM events that breaststrokers qualify in seem to be freestyle events. This was the case for Bulgaria’s Mihail Alexandrov, Canada’s Allison Higson, Netherlands’ Marcel Wouda, Iceland’s Anton Sveinn McKee, Lithuania’s  Rūta Meilutytė, and Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson.

Notable Swimmers Who Have Qualified in Breaststroke and Non-IM Events

*note that this is not a complete list of every swimmer who has done this feat

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sbr waver rider
2 years ago

has anyone else checked out ma swim academy on michael’s cap? very strange response on the q & a page?!?!?

Tim Morrison
2 years ago

His training alone seems like a loss /disadvantage til you consider that most premier athletes in a club end up doing that anyway.
It’s you/coach vs the clock, not another swimmer. Consider Jim Ryan and Bob Timmons, Ben Johnson and Charlie Francis, on a and on.
Same with the top swimmers in most clubs.
The out of training banter might be an issue but Andrew had that

Last edited 2 years ago by Tim Morrison
Tim Morrison
2 years ago

He’s trained his entire career solo? Really?

Last edited 2 years ago by Tim Morrison
AnEn
2 years ago

Didn’t Wood qualify in 200 free and 200 breast?


Also: I think SMOC would have had a chance to qualify in 200 free and 100 breast if the olympics would have fallen differently. Seto probably as well (in the 200 free, 200 fly and 100 breast (where his PB is 59.79)). Not sure if Reitshammer from Austria qualified in multiple events, but his times this year are 1:59.56 (200 IM), 59.93 (100 breast) and last year he went 53.76 in the 100 back.

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  AnEn
2 years ago

The article is aboit US swimmers where in general it is hardest to qualify for the Olympics by some margin (ridiculous QTs from national selectors who want to handpick swimmers aside)

AnEn
Reply to  The unoriginal Tim
2 years ago

Maybe i read a different article, but in the article i read there was a list of swimmers from all over the world (Spain, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Netherlands, Iceland, Barbados, Lithuania, Jamaica, Hungary) who accomplished that feat …

Last edited 2 years ago by AnEn
The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  AnEn
2 years ago

Sorry the headline said US but there is a list of others below.

AnEn
2 years ago

Didn’t Gorbenko qualify in 100 breast, 100 back and 200 IM?

Austinpoolboy
2 years ago

I was looking for Tracy Caulkins on this list. Surely she had the potential to do it, at very least as relay swimmer. It would be event selection choices if nit, right?

Austinpoolboy
Reply to  Austinpoolboy
2 years ago

In the 1980 Olympic US Trials Tracy Caulkins was 1st in 100 br/200br/200IM/400 iM. And 2nd to Mary T in the 100 fly. I think that counts!

In 1979 Pan Ams she medaled in 400 free as well as breastroke

Austinpoolboy
Reply to  Austinpoolboy
2 years ago

MA is first US MALE to qualify

manoj ghimire
2 years ago

He is not swimming 100 free from long time in any championship.May be after 2017 . watching his progree in 200 im and all other .100 strokes . it can be belived he can go 47 mid in free 100 .

ooo
2 years ago

Jessica Hardy in breast and free ?

About Annika Johnson

Annika Johnson

Annika came into the sport competitively at age eight, following in the footsteps of her twin sister and older brother. The sibling rivalry was further fueled when all three began focusing on distance freestyle, forcing the family to buy two lap counters. Annika is a three-time Futures finalist in the 200 …

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