2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Swimming: August 6-13
- Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
- Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
- SwimSwam previews
- Rio Schedule & Results
If you remember anything from your high school science classes (or if your father was a civil engineer), you might recall that accuracy is defined as being close to to an accepted standard, while precision refers to the ability to repeat the same measurement. If you apply those broad ideas loosely to swimming and take a look at the last two Olympics, then Conor Dwyer is one precise swimmer when it comes to the 200 freestyle.
Dwyer qualified for the 2012 London Games individually in the 400 free, as well as in the 4×200 free relay. He had the fastest split in the heats of that relay, which earned a spot for finals that evening. Swimming second as the USA took gold, he split 1:45.23.
Four years later, Dwyer is arguably the best male middle distance swimmer the USA has, having qualified individually for both the 200 free and the 400 free events, and making finals in both events here in Rio.
Over the course of Sunday and Monday, Dwyer progressed to the final of the 200 free, dropping time each round. He eventually secured his first individual medal, a bronze, with a personal best flat-start time of 1:45.23.
Yesterday, the USA coaches selected Dwyer to leadoff the American 4×200 free relay, where he would be followed by Townley Haas, Ryan Lochte, and Michael Phelps. Dwyer trailed for a little for the first three laps behind the likes of Kosuke Hagino and Thomas Fraser-Holmes at various points, but powered home the final 50 free to give the USA a lead his teammates would not relinquish.
When Dwyer looked up at the clock after completing his leadoff leg, what time did he see? 1:45.23.
In a total of six splashes over two Olympic Games (four flat start, two relay starts), Dwyer has registered the exact same time in three of them. Here are all six of his Olympic 200 freestyles, both individual and relay splits:
| Event | Time |
| London 4×200 heats | 1:45.52 (split) |
| London 4×200 final | 1:45.23 (split) |
| Rio 200 prelim | 1:45.95 |
| Rio 200 semi | 1:45.55 |
| Rio 200 final | 1:45.23 |
| Rio 4×200 final | 1:45.23r |
Dwyer is not the greatest middle distance swimmer. If you are talking solely freestyle (Phelps in Fly and IM) Not American even. See, there’s this girl, her name is Katie Ledecky.
Of course. Inserted the world “male” to make that clear.
Sorry, didn’t see that like I thought there would be. Still freestyle. Because Phelps and Lochte are quite in the 200s.
And if Dwyer stays around for another 4 years, you can swap in Conger for Lochte, Phelps (if he retires), Bentz, Pieroni, Smith, Rooney, Roberts, Malone in 2020 and still win.
The problem with the consistency is that he went 1:45.41 unshaved at Santa Clara (not exactly a fast pool) two months ago. He has to be disappointed with his times here.
Dwyer is a very very very good in season swimmer, he doesn’t benefit as much from taper as other swimmers like Dressel do
Polite and quick look at some stats: 6-9% of engineers are women, so using the word father is fine.
Polite suggested edit? Substitute “father” with “parent”?
Small reference to my own upbringing. Certainly parents of either gender, and many types of professions, do discuss this sort of thing with their children.
Men build it, women look after folk. It’s a general difference. No need for you passive aggressive “polite” request.
It’s time to dip below 1.45 to 1.44s. Work on the underwater.
Yes, that’s an awful lot of miles swum in 4 years to not progress time. All that altitude etc. too. Even then, 1:44 isn’t a WR.
His 1:45.23 from London was a relay split. So to do that flat start is absolutely an improvement. And 1:45.2 is an elite time — if he can go that again in 2020, we’d be very satisfied.
Crazy consistency, just like me.