Michael Andrew Ties Two, Breaks Another World Jr Record on Saturday

6TH FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Michael Andrew has broken one World Junior Record and tied two more on day 4 of the 2017 World Junior Championships.

His record haul began in the men’s 50 backstroke, where he won gold and tied his own World Junior and World Junior Championship records with a 24.63.

Then, in the 50 fly semi-finals, Andrew swam a 23.27. That broke the old World Junior Record of 23.39, done by China’s Li Zhuhao in 2015. The swim also broke his own Championship Record of 23.48 done during the prelims session. The time also moves Andrew up to 11th in the world this season.

2016-2017 LCM MEN 50 Fly

2Henrique
MARTINS
BRA22.7005/26
3Benjamin
PROUD
GBR22.7507/24
4Caeleb
DRESSEL
USA22.7607/23
5Andrii
GOVOROV
UKR22.7707/23
6Joseph
SCHOOLING
SIN22.9307/23
7Michael
ANDREW
USA23.22*WJR08/27
8Cesar
CIELO
BRA23.2205/05
9Oleg
KOSTIN
RUS23.2407/01
10Tim
PHILLIPS
USA23.2507/23
View Top 26»

In Andrew’s third swim of the session, 31 minutes after his first, he won the 50 free in 21.75. That exactly equaled his World Junior Record and Meet Record from Friday’s semi-finals.

So far at this meet, he’s now broken the World Junior Records in the 50 back, 50 fly, and 50 free (twice).

Andrew’s first two finals resulted in a bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke, his best event, and an 8th-place finish in the 200 IM – more than 8 seconds slower than his previous best time. Since that session, however, as Andrew has moved into the sprint portion of his schedule, he’s been all ove his best times. If he breaks the World Junior Record in the 50 breaststroke later in the meet, he will have swept the records for the 50 meter races. There, he’s the second seed behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi, who happens to be the current World Junior Record holder in 26.97.

Andrew’s training methodology, known as USRPT, is designed to replicate specific top times over and over again – which he’s now done in both the 50 back and 50 free.

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crooked donald
6 years ago

Guarantee there would be less negativity if he were an amateur. But he’s not. The scale of negativity for him compared to other pros in sports is nothing. Once you go pro, all other labels (he’s just a teenager) go out the window.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  crooked donald
6 years ago

But should it, though? It seems like a really weird justification to be extra harsh on the kid.

Domino
Reply to  crooked donald
6 years ago

Says who? There’s no need to pile on just cuz he’s pro.

Swim Nerd
6 years ago

At the beginning of the meet I expected the start of the downfall of his career. Did not see anything like this coming. Congrats.

Coach mary
Reply to  Swim Nerd
6 years ago

I dont get the negative. I personally know Michael. He works very hard and is dedicated. When r people going to accept that he is doing something really special??!

Robert E Lee
Reply to  Coach mary
6 years ago

It is good to see Michael Andrew doing some great stuff in the 50’s. I just wish that he had more endurance. What was with that 200 IM final time? He needs more endurance but I just don’t see it ever happening.

sven
Reply to  Robert E Lee
6 years ago

He went 2:00 the day before. The problem isn’t endurance. My guess is that the agony you typically feel at the end of a 200 IM hit him a little sooner this time because of that 100 breast right before, and he quit. More of a maturity issue than a training issue, IMO.

crooked donald
Reply to  sven
6 years ago

Making the U.S. National team was also a heavy financial consideration. His only shot was the 50 free. He shut down the finals of the 200 IM to save for that. It wasn’t a full-on die. It was a good decision for a professional. I didn’t care for it, but I get it. He may also have sponsorship incentives based on WJRs, and was saving for the 50’s.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Coach mary
6 years ago

He isn’t living up to expectations at trials meets and only doing good in 50s isn’t much. Besides 50 free

AWSI DOOGER
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

I appreciate that you are among the few who doesn’t place the unnecessary apostrophe in 50s.

The world is on apostrophe overload…as in 1960’s instead of the proper 1960s, and so forth.

Regardless, the 50s really don’t lead to anything. That’s my beef and concern. They are like the long drive contest of swimming. More glamour than substance. No kidding older swimmers desperately hold onto the 50s because they know they can’t sustain competent speed anywhere else.

crooked donald
Reply to  AWSI DOOGER
6 years ago

The 50 free leads to the title “World’s Fastest Swimmer” and an Olympic Gold. It’s suited Tony Ervin pretty well.

cynthiacurran
Reply to  AWSI DOOGER
6 years ago

Most major competitions have 50’s except for the Olympics. He could have world titles but needs to be stronger in either a 100 free or breast similar to Jessica Hardy.

Sccoach
6 years ago

Lol 50’s. Am I right swimswam?! Kiddie events

Person
Reply to  Sccoach
6 years ago

Florent Manaudou is one big kid then

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Sccoach
6 years ago

Doing literally no research, I’mma guess the average age of the swimmers in 50s at this last WC meet was hella older than the average in the 100s or 200s.

Fifties – they’re for MEN.

Dylab
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

I love that you said hella

GARYP
Reply to  Sccoach
6 years ago

I bet the kid would crush you in any event, any distance.

Coach mary
Reply to  Sccoach
6 years ago

U may think that they r kidfie events but they r now in the olympics! Whats wrong with sprinting?’

Sccoach
Reply to  Coach mary
6 years ago

Are they? Lol

Anyways I was just trolling based on the responses in the other thread, I enjoyed watching him tonight

Swimmmer
6 years ago

Dig it! US is going to need him to stretch some of those JWRs out to 100m this quad.

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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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