In one of the coolest sideshows to a college sport event you’ll ever see, national swimming icons Michael Phelps, Matt Grevers and David Nolan went head-to-head-to-head in an exhibition 100 IM at the Arizona State-Arizona dual meet Saturday.
All three are professional swimmers training in the state of Arizona for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Phelps, of course, is swimming’s most famous name, the most decorated Olympian in history and the man with the fastest 200 meter IM time worldwide last year. Grevers is the defending Olympic gold medalist in the 100 backstroke, and Nolan became the fastest short course yards 200 IMer in history at last winter’s NCAA Championships.
The college rivalry extended into the professional ranks at this meet – Phelps and Nolan train with the professional contingent at Arizona State, while Grevers is based out the University of Arizona as part of the Tucson Ford Dealer Aquatic club.
The race ultimately went to Grevers in 47.06, with Phelps going 47.47 for second and Nolan 47.65 for third. The ASU contingent got their revenge in the college dual, though, where the Sun Devil men topped Arizona for the first time since 2002.
Phelps also told SwimSwam that this 100 IM would be the last short course yards race of his career. Phelps has said he plans to retire for good after this summer’s Rio Olympic Games.
You can check out video of the race above, courtesy of Garrett McCaffrey. Of the five swimmers in the race, Phelps is in the middle lane, with Grevers one lane closer to the camera and Nolan one lane further away. You can also get a unique angle in the second video below – it alternates between over-water and underwater views of the battle.
Using the fact the 100 Yards is 91.44 meters, I got that as a 51.47 100 IM. I’m not sure how accurate that is.
My math:
47.06/91.44*100
It’d be a bit slower with the added fatigue in the last 8+ meters of the 100meter race. Probably 52.low.
Fatigue? It’s a 100. So um no
Grevers is going to need the swim of his life if he makes the 100 back finals in Rio to compete with Mitch Larkin. Larkin has done a ton of swims just about the world record. I think it will take a WR to win several events in Rio, especially the 100’s.
While Larkin has been doing his near world records, Grevers actually broke the scm world record.
Who were the other swimmers in the race? It looks like the guy next to Grevers was still in the high :48-low :49 range which is really solid.
Not fair swimming against Grevers in SCY.
He’s wrestled a live bear and chops firewood with a sickle.
Totally not fair. Not fair at all.
Not fair, except to Nick Thoman, who, at half a foot shorter, holds the American records in the 50 and 100 scy back.
Cameron McEvoy and Morozov is sub 6′ as well
Best all time sprinter by height, IMO, was Gary Schatz.
2nd ever under 20 SCY
Looks like Phelps switched to a dolphin kick when he hit the flags on free.
Anybody know some of the top recorded 100y IM times? How do these 3 stack up?
SCM record by Markus is 50,6 and Lochte swam a 50,7 so this race is good but not close to top speed.
Collegeswimming right now has a :48, a few :49s and lots of :50s. As far as I’m aware, these are some of the first SCY :47 100IMs I’ve seen. Rough converting these as 200IM times from SCY to SCM gives :47=:52. The world record right now is a :50.66 by Markus Deibler from Dec 2014, 2 seconds faster. If we continue to do rough math, it would mean the fastest potential 100IM would be around a 45 which we may very well see by a few people if they decide to fool around during their Conference meet. I’ve heard of some colleges adding it now that it’s allowed at the championship level, so if it’s for points then I would… Read more »
adam ritter would have beaten him, like he did in the 200im at NCAA’S in 2007!
Ah how unfair! Grevers only needs to take like 5 strokes/cycles per length, extend his body another few feet, and he’s at the other end!
Gosh that was really exciting still, I wish they had done more! Bit scary to think it’s Phelps’ last yards race. Yeah we already went through the first comeback after the “I’m going to retire after these Olympics,” and certainly with a kid on the way he’ll have a lot to focus on. But I think he’s kidding himself a bit much, he definitely loves the pool and being in the water and he’ll certainly stick around to stay in shape (as well as already promising to assistant coach for a year at ASU with… Read more »