Men’s 100 Backstroke – 2013 World Championship Trials – as reported by swimswam:
This men’s 100 backstroke final was perhaps the most exciting race of the meet so far. It had the star Matt Grevers, the seemingly-perpetual underdog David Plummer, the young star Ryan Murphy, and the hot hand Eugene Godsoe.
They weren’t just changing leads at walls and turns. They were changing leads over-and-over mid-pool, with Grevers’ massive reach distorting the margins at every entry.
Ultimately, though, it was the two favorites coming into the meet that qualified for Worlds, though this time it was Plummer who took the win in 53.10 with a big back-half. Grevers was just behind in 53.25.
Ryan Murphy re-broke his own 17-18 National Age Group Record with a 53.38, and a surprise finish from Shane Ryan took 4th in 53.84. Ryan could be the future of the Penn State men’s program.
Godsoe couldn’t add a fourth event to his schedule, finishing 5th in 53.86. Jacob Pebley was 6th in 53.98.
The mental part of swimming a race is fascinating to me! You would think, with how hard all of these athletes train, that they wouldn’t be afraid they’d run out of steam in the end and feel the need to back off to conserve energy for the last length (at least that’s what I understood that Ryan was saying).
Great interview. Very humble and honest assessment. I predict your man pair will arrive real soon.
He will get his chance.
Ryan is closer and closer. It will be for next year.