2017 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES – INDIANAPOLIS
- Thursday, March 2nd-Saturday, March 4th
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Psych Sheets
- Live video
- Saturday finals heat sheet
- Live Results
17 year-old Michael Andrew set a new world junior record tonight with a time of 1:59.12 in the 200 IM while swimming the final day of the 2017 Arena Pro Series – Indianapolis meet. Â He had qualified for the finals of the 100m breast this morning, but chose to scratch that event tonight to focus on the 200 IM, and that move paid off.
Andrew’s got off to a great start tonight, building a roughly one second lead halfway through the race, but couldn’t hold off Josh Prenot, who ran Andrew down over the final meters for a narrow win. Â Still, Andrew’s time lowered the existing world junior mark of 1:59.44, which was set by fellow national teamer Gunnar Bentz at the Junior World Championships back in 2013. Â Andrew had previously tied that record at last summer’s Olympic Trials.
Comparative Splits:
Bentz, 2013: Â Â Â 25.79Â / 30.93 /34.52 / 28.20 = 1:59.44
Andrew, 2016: 24.99 / 30.36 / 34.21 / 29.88 = 1:59.44
Andrew, 2017:Â 24.83 / 30.10 / 34.23 / 29.96 = 1:59.12
Compared to last year, Andrew took it out faster over the first two legs while going just a tad slower on the final 100.  Bentz, meanwhile, has long employed a race strategy where he has a lightning fast free leg.  He actually split a 27.9 in the finals of this event at Olympic Trials last year, while going 1:59.36 overall.
Tonight’s swim makes Andrew the 2nd fastest American ever in the 17-18 age group, behind only Michael Phelps. The four-time Olympic champion in this event swam a time of 1:55.94 back in 2003, but that was before FINA began keeping track of junior world records.
Andrew also currently holds the short course world junior records in the 50 breast and the 100 IM, both times coming from last year’s short course world championships.
Prenot and Andrew have the top two times among US swimmers this season, and the US will be looking to some fresh faces to swim this race at this summer’s World Championships, as longtime stalwarts Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are retired and suspended, respectively.
It is unreal that as good as Andrew is, the 17-18 NAG is still 4 seconds faster than Andrew’s time here. By none other than the maestro, who threw down a 1:55 and change. Phelps was so far ahead of his time as a teen, it is mind boggling… Perhaps Andrew will get down into the 1:57’s before he reaches 19??
Correction
1.55.94 by MP was a new world record in 2006 at pan pacs.
MP 200 IM best time in the 17/18 age group was 1.56.04 in the world final at 2003 Barcelona world championships, 27 days after his 18th birthday. Unforgettable race. He had already broken the world record in late June not tapered in 1.57.94 (world record was 1.58.16 since 1994!) and broke it again in semifinals with a big ease. And then in final he destroyed Ian Thorpe and the entire field to put the world record at an amazing level in 1.56.04 winning by 3.62 s! He has put IM swimming in another world that day and transformed it forever.
Race video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwFhABusFII
MP 18th birthday was on June 30, 2003.
That 200 IM world final was 25 days later on July 25, 2003.
Great memories of sport.
While searching MP times before 2002 in the USA swimming database I’ve remarked that 4 other Michael Phelps were registered as USA swimming members apart from the most famous one. Funny to be named like the greatest while being a swimmer too. Not easy at the same time…. 🙂
Bentz 200 IM world junior champion in 1.59.44 in 2013
1.59.19 in 2014
2.00.04 in 2015
1.59.36 in 2016
No progression
Same remark about his 400 IM
I thought he had a big potential a few years ago. Big disappointment so far.
I had forgotten Phelps’ 17-18 record was that fast. Wow. Nevertheless, MA’s time was outstanding, and he still has a whole more year in the age group. A swimswam commenter once suggested that he could try to adopt more of the long, loping recovery and technique on freestyle favored by many swimmers in 200s and up. His technique works great in his 50 free, but can it work on the longer distances? Not knocking him at all. He’s unbelievable and I’m behind him 100%. The sky is the limit for his IM potential.
I’m not a specialist like you but I don’t like his freestyle technique. It’s not beautiful. It was enough for the 100 IM in short course and he held off Seto there but in the big pool he needs to change something to improve efficiency.
I agree Bono his freestyle technique is poor. His hands and elbows recover too far outside and he doesn’t extend as he should. Not sure if he drops an elbow or not but I wouldn’t be surprised.
That’s so stupid from FINA to not take the old times as records. MP has the fastest junior time ever. And by far.
About MA, his meet was weird. His 100s were awful. His 50 free was good. And his 200 IM was very good. It would be interesting to watch an interview of him to hear if he has recently changed something in his training to take some endurance and help his 200 IM in long course.
Wish granted. 🙂
If I’ve well understood, he confirms he does more yards in training to improve his endurance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkQuDtfrNh4
It seems to be more a matter of what the event is. Because his endurance didn’t seem to bother him with his two IM but yet his 200 free in comparison was not good at all. I think it’s because his flip turns in freestyle are so poor versus his open turns in the IM which she seems to be much more comfortable with.
He has improved his 400 IM PB by 12.37 s last January in 4.26.24.
He still struggled in the last 100 in freestyle in “only” 1.03.82.
Gonna take some man muscles or something to get under ol Phelpsie’s 1:55.9. Another level or 3. I won’t be surprised when he does it. It may not be when we expect it, but it will come. That 100 IM in Windsor made me have alot of confidence for his future.
MA isnt getting fast enough fast enough
Aside from 100 breast I’m afraid I’d have to agree. The good news is there’s still tons, and I mean tons, of room for improvement. From his underwaters to putting on more muscle to have a longer stroke… his overall technique is sound, but it could definitely use some improvement.
He needs an actual coach then
Having watched his freestyle and underwater dolphins, I would argue that his overall technique is not sound at all. Those two things must get fixed. He is immensely talented and a hard worker so the ability is there.
Agreed he kicks air in breaststroke occasionally
Big difference in underwaters between Prenot and Andrew. I hope he can work on dolphin kick with his USRPT training.