Nathan Adrian Resumes Consistent Ways in Racing Return from Cancer Treatment

2019 BLOOMINGTON PRO SWIM SERIES

American swimmer Nathan Adrian is still as consistent as ever. In his first racing since undergoing successful treatment for testicular cancer, the 30-year old Adrian qualified 5th into the final of the men’s 100 free on Friday in the first morning session of the Pro Swim Series in Bloomington. He swam a 49.83, which put him about half-a-second behind “the pack” of Zach Apple (49.41), Ali Khalafalla (49.40), Blake Pieroni (49.37), and SEC Champion Robert Howard (49.30).

That’s almost precisely what he went at the mid-May version of the 2018 Pro Swim Series, in nearby Indianapolis, in prelims, where he swam 49.79.

This is Adrian’s first 100 free of 2019, but throughout his career he’s been America’s most consistent sprinter, including an Olympic gold medal in this same event in 2012. Late last year, he had a 3-year Pro Swim Series winning streak broken when he missed the A-final in Santa Clara. But, remarkably, he’s now back below the 50-second mark in prelims, and lined up for another final.

While we suspect that Adrian is in a very different phase of training now than he was a year ago, given his time out of the water while undergoing treatment, the reference point from finals last year is a 48.69.

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Kristiina
5 years ago

Solid start four months after hard surgery(also metastases)

bula
5 years ago

Balls of steel☺️

Tea rex
5 years ago

There was an article a while back about NA: most consistent 100 freestyler ever? He’s been sub-49 about 100 times, including every year for the last decade. I’d love to see him have a breakthrough, or a Lezak-esque swim in his 30s.

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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