Michael Andrew Swims Lifetime Best, Missy Races Again in Day 2 Prelims

2018 MARE NOSTRUM TOUR, CANET-EN-ROUSSILLON

Missy Franklin had a further two races in day 2’s preliminary session at the 2018 Mare Nostrum Series in Canet, France. After swimming the 200 distances on Saturday, she swam the 100 free and the 100 back on Sunday morning.

In the 100 free, where she’s never won an individual medal internationally, she qualified for the B-Final 11th in 56.44. That put her two-and-a-half seconds behind the top qualifiers, which were a pair of 18-year olds Rikako Ikee from Japan in 53.89 and Taylor Ruck from Canada in 53.92.

France’s new National Record holder Charlotte Bonnet qualified 3rd in 54.31, and the 2nd Canadian Kayla Sanchez was 4th in 54.41 before the times dropped off.

In the 100 back prelims, in which Franklin is the 2012 Olympic and 2013 World Champion, she qualified 18th in 1:03.48. Barring any scratches, that will leave her out of both the A and B finals. It was Dutchwoman Kira Toussaint who qualified 1st, ahead of a stacked field that included Danish Record holder Mie Nielsen (2nd – 1:00.41); Russian record-holder Anastasia Fesikova (3rd – 1:00.98), Taylor Ruck (5th – 1:01.65), and Hungarian Record holder Katinka Hosszu (6th – 1:01.67).

Other Noteworthy Day 2 Prelims Results

  • After Yulia Efimova beat out Molly Hannis in the 100 breaststroke final, the American qualified 1st into the 50 breaststroke final on Sunday with a 30.46. Efimova wasn’t far behind in 30.71.
  • World Record holder Adam Peaty just edged-out American Michael Andrew in the 50 breaststroke prelims, clocking a 27.04 to Andrew’s 27.12. That’s a new lifetime-best for Andrew, eclipsing his time of 27.39 from last year’s World Junior Championships, and makes him the 4th-fastest American in history (behind Brendan McHugh, Mark Gangloff, and the American Record holder Kevin Cordes in 26.76).
  • Japan’s dynamic teenager Rikako Ikee topped the 50 fly prelims in 25.68, beating out Belgian-veteran Kimberly Buys, the 2nd qualifier, by more than a second (26.86).
  • Ukraine’s Andrii Govorov topped the men’s 50 fly qualifiers in 23.51, with Andrew again coming in 2nd in 23.69. This time wasn’t a lifetime best for Andrew. Konrad Vzerniak (23.82) and Mehdy Metella (23.96) were also under 24 seconds.
  • Hungary’s breakthrough 17-year old Ajna Kesely topped women’s 400 free qualifiers in 4:14.52. Of note: American Brooke Forde qualified 4th in 4:15.38 and Erica Sullivan was 6th in 4:17.45.
  • Ireland’s Conor Ferguson qualified 1st in a casual men’s 100 back prelims in 55.56. The top 5 were all between 55.5 and 55.8 in the heats.
  • Japan’s Kanako Watanabe qualified 1st in the 200 breaststroke in 2:29.23, followed by Spain’s Marina Garcia in 2:29.93 for 2nd.
  • Dutch breaststroke record holder Arno Kamminga qualified 1st in the 200 in 2:10.77, which put him ahead of the defending World Champion Anton Chupkov (2:11.68) and the Short Course Meters World Record holder Marko Koch (2:12.92). The long course World Record holder Ippei Watanbe from Japan will also race in the A-Final after a 2:13.16 in prelims.
  • Louis Croenen from Belgium qualified 1st in the men’s 200 fly in 1:58.81.
  • Mehdy Metella took the top spot int he 100 free prelims in 49.26, leading a group of 7 swimmers under 50 seconds, including Bruno Fratus (49.32). American and World Junior Championships bronze medalist Daniel Krueger placed 14th in 50.49.
  • Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches was the fastest, by far, in prelims of the 200 IM in 1:59.78. American Kieran Smith was 2nd in 2:03.36.
  • Katinka Hosszu got her only top seed of the day in the 400 IM, where she qualified 1st in 4:42.75. That put her ahead of Turkish breaststroke specialist Viktoria Gunes, who was 2nd in 4:43.78. This is another deep A Final that includes Hannah MileyAimee Willmott, and American Brooke Forde, who qualified 5th in 4:46.39.
  • Hungary’s Lilian Szilagyi qualified 1st in the women’s 200 fly in 2:10.55. She was one of 4 Hungarian swimmers in the top 7 of the race (5 in the top 10), and none of them were Katinka Hosszu as she’s pared back her once-unparalleled lineups in her limited racing so far in 2018. American Cassidy Bayer also qualified for the A-Final, finishing 6th in 2:13.33.

 

 

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Ken Baker
5 years ago

Here’s the deal about Missy. She’s been a great role model for other swimmers, she’s a class act, she is respected among her peers, she’s a gold medalist and world record holder, and is swimming because she wants to. ANY judgement needs to be checked before you start typing. She’s a great ambassador to the sport and she’s worth every penny anyone pays her. Good Luck to her.

Taa
Reply to  Ken Baker
5 years ago

Why is she entitled to preferential treatment? people think she walks on water or something. If people wanna post that her 100 back time was slow then let them because at least it’s honest.

Becky D
Reply to  Taa
5 years ago

I don’t believe she is entitled to “preferential treatment.” I believe that she’s entitled to the same amount of respect as any other swimmer. You may think it’s brave and honest to say her 100 back time was slow, but the bottom line is that assessment is not helpful or enlightening — to anyone. How would you like it if the only thing your coach said to you after your next race was, “That was slow.” If that’s all your coach had to say, wouldn’t it really be better that they zip it?

swimobserver
Reply to  Becky D
5 years ago

Didn’t know it was our job as fans to help the athletes swim faster. If that were the case, they’d pay fans to come to meets, and pay fans for streaming of meets, right? Pay fans to take athletes’ autographs? Rather than the opposite?

Swimming, where fans have no rights but to shut up, sit in their corner quietly, ask no questions, and make no observations. No wonder the crowd quietly sits on their hands at pro swim series meets.

Producing broke swimmers since 1903.

taa
Reply to  Becky D
5 years ago

Okay so you think we should delete all the stupid comments made on swimswam? “That was slow” is not very useful but if you add some context to it then it might help some readers understand why it is considered slow. Such as: her 100 back time is slow…she needs to be a 1:01 if she wants to competitive in her 200 back at nationals next month. Or how about “she needs to be faster in season if she wants to do a 59 in Irvine next month” Some people might conclude a 1:03 is a good first meet back but in context she only has 6 weeks until nationals and I really think waiting until this far into the… Read more »

Rice
5 years ago

Out of curiosity I was trying to list all the women who have broken 53 seconds in the 100 free, am I missing anyone?
Sjostrom
Campbell
Campbell
Steffen
Kromowidjojo
Halsall
Heemskerk
Oleksiak
Manuel
Comerford
Blume
Bonnet
Ruck
McKeon
Trickett

Rachel
Reply to  Rice
5 years ago

The amazing thing about that list is how many of those swimmers are currently competing. We have the potential to have a 100 free final in Tokyo with everyone under 53. (Sjostrom, Manuel, Campbell, Campbell, Ruck, Oleksiak, Bonnet, Blume, Comerford, Kromowidjojo, and even Ikee (currently 53.0) are all plausible options.

NJones
Reply to  Rice
5 years ago

Good collection!
The list I’m curious about since Commonwealths is the number of females both at 154 or better in the 200 and 24.2 in the 50, ie Ruck’s performances then.
I’ve got. ..Sjostrom and. .? ??

MASTERSWIM
Reply to  NJones
5 years ago

Great observation…I’m not aware of anyone else in that range…add sub 53, and in Sjostrom’s case sub 52…albeit Ruck has been 51.8 in a relay split per Commonwealth stats.

Cate
5 years ago

Great to see Franklin back in the pool. All the best, Missy!

bobo gigi
5 years ago

Women’s 50 breast final
1. Efimova 29.93
King knows what she has to do tonight.

Men’s 50 breast final
1. Peaty 26.73
3. Andrew 27.27

Women’s 50 fly final
1. Ikee 25.11

Men’s 50 fly final
1. Govorov 23.04
3. Andrew 23.70

swimmerj
Reply to  bobo gigi
5 years ago

Ikee😱😱

Aquajosh
Reply to  bobo gigi
5 years ago

Ikee is going to follow Sarah under the 25 barrier very soon. She can go 55 in the 100 this summer if she paces it right.

Caleb
Reply to  Aquajosh
5 years ago

With her 24.4 I don’t understand why Sjostrom can’t get into the 54s…

Yozhik
5 years ago

These times in 100 back and free of Missy Franklin brings us back to her high school freshman or even pre high school era. It doesn’t matter actually unless it will be another book about her return. Whatever reason of her slowdown was it is irrelevant if she swims again and improves no matter how much. It’s a courage actually to comeback at so low level. More frequently we see swimmers are quitting under such circumstances.
But there is some strange, or to put it differently, unusual thing in Franklin’s case. Typically when swimmers slow down because of aging, injuries or some other health issues they are leaning to compete in shorter distances. In contrast, Missy Franklin showing terrible… Read more »

AZswummer
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

It’s much easier to criticize than actually do. She has said she is swimming for different reasons now considering all she has been through. Give the woman a break- just had double shoulder surgery, moved to Athens, and is going to school. That’s a lot of adjustment in my book. At this point in time, sure Jack is telling her not to judge progress by the clock. If she shouldn’t do that, no one else should either.

swimobserver
Reply to  AZswummer
5 years ago

The problem is – she’s still raking in cash as a result of being a professional athlete. You want to sell books, tickets to your speaking tours, suits? There’s lots of women in this country battling with depression and injury. The difference with Franklin is that she’s a fast swimmer. We can’t pretend like that’s not part of it.

As soon as she stops collecting checks for being a fast swimmer, we’ll be ready to stop putting pressure and expectations on her swimming times.

Dan
Reply to  swimobserver
5 years ago

There is a small handful of swimmers who have ever walked the earth who are more accomplished than Missy. A lot of people in sports, and business for that matter, get paid for past performance rather than future performance. Missy deserves every penny than she makes for being a fast swimmer, as well as a role model for young swimmers.

I wouldn’t write her off based on a prelims session at her first meet back. Her splits to her feet in the 200s yesterday weren’t all that much slower than her 100 times this morning. I think that there is more in the tank for her now, and this is a stepping stone meet. She may or may not get… Read more »

Becky D
Reply to  swimobserver
5 years ago

As soon as she stops collecting checks for being a fast swimmer, we’ll be ready to stop putting pressure and expectations on her swimming times.

Unless you work for Speedo, are Missy, her parents, or her agent, you don’t know what Speedo’s expectations are in her sponsorship deal. I, for one, was thrilled to read a quote from Missy in the last couple days saying she simply does not care what other people’s expectations are, because she cannot control them. So: Get over yourself. You don’t own her, and she doesn’t care what you think.

Cate
Reply to  swimobserver
5 years ago

Being a fast swimmer is not why she’s getting paid. When someone wins an event, that is getting paid for being a fast swimmer. When someone gets sponsorship checks that is marketability. A ton of retired athletes are still “raking in cash” as you put it. Fail to see why that’s a problem. Depressive episodes affect performance. Depressive episodes cause other bad things to happen too. RIP Anthony Boudain. You really should get educated.

DMacNCheez
Reply to  swimobserver
5 years ago

I’m assuming you don’t follow baseball. The MLB is the best example of being paid for prior performance. Since all MLB players are paid terrible at the beginning of their careers, including through arbitration, It makes sense when they are overpaid afterwards. There’s a ton of examples, but a few are Mark Teixera, Jacob Ellsbury, Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, Matt Kemp, Pablo Sandoval, . Since the majority of sports (Including swimming when the swimmer emerges during the NCAA) don’t pay out until you have done the majority of your performance, I think its fair to ‘objectively’ overpay later. Missy made NOTHING when she won 4 golds in the 2012 London Olympics and 6 golds in the… Read more »

Becky D
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Yozhik — I think you should ask yourself why you feel you need to put all this negativity out into the universe.

Yozhik
Reply to  Becky D
5 years ago

Before I ask myself this philosophical and not easy question can you help me by answering some practical question? Why is it so that there is so much excitement about pretty much ordinary case in the history of competitive swimming?
The swimmer had six (not short period actually) years of successful career at elite level. That resulted in two individual Olympic gold medals and four individual world titles( in three world championships). Then as the consequence of most likely natural biological processes her performance began declining to the level of her high school meets.
Absolutely nothing new. The world swimming and American swimming in particular have plenty of examples of much brighter swimming carriers that ended eventually. Sometimes… Read more »

Becky D
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

I don’t worship at the altar of Missy. She’s just a person navigating her way through this life the best way she knows how. However, I’m a sucker for a good comeback story. Stop resenting her notoriety and enjoy the ride.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

its time to let it go …….. thats it . Let her swim , drop the criticism and u will be fine as well .

JRKay
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

She’s attractive and charming and thus super marketable. Good for her. The instinct to hate on someone for that is kinda gross, tbh

Cate
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Speaking of books……

Wahoowah
5 years ago

Really cool to see Missy back. Swimming I think is somewhat of a love hate relationship – she seems to back to loving it again

Coach Nico
5 years ago

Jérémy Desplanches is competing under his French Team Olympic Nice but is a Swiss citizen 😉

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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