While record have been falling left and right at the Speedo Winter Junior National Championships, there is some very fast swimming at the final night of the 2013 Tom Dolan Invitational.
13-year-old (yes, 13-year-old) Reece Whitley of Penn Charter Aquatic Club crushed the 13-14 National Age Group record in the 200 yard breaststroke, touching in 2:00.14. The record (2:01.17) was previously held by Curtis Ogren, tonight’s Junior National champion down in Greensboro.
Split breakdown:
Whitley: 26.96 – 30.35 (57.31) – 31.38 (1:28.69) – 31.45 (2:00.14)
Keep in mind Whitley hasn’t come out of nowhere: he also holds the 11-12 National Age Group records in the 100 and 200 yard breaststrokes, and briefly held the 13-14 record before Michael Andrew reclaimed it last night. With another full season in the 13-14 age group, Whitley has plenty of time to further lower that mark, and possibly retake the 100 record from Andrew.
Michael Phelps generation.
All these kids who swim faster and faster are the Michael Phelps’ babies.
I suspect you’re right. Phelps making swimming “cool” has meant that better athletes are staying in The sport as opposed to moving to more popular sports. Although don’t tell the creators of this website that, as they have written articles in which they seem to take credit for it themselves (people going faster because they read about other kids going faster.)
I think you’re right. In the past, tall and talented athletes left the sport for basketball. Kris humphries, Tim Duncan, Kiki vandeweighe, etc. After Phelps swimming has enough cred to keep these kids
I wonder if these NAG records are in any way related to the progressively earlier age of puberty that Americans seem to experience?
It could be also related to the fact that these days the youngsters have (train) much better starts and UW.
LCM NAG records (is there such a thing?) are not destroyed at the same rate as LCM swimming requires much more swimming than SCY.
He has also swum 4.04 in the 400 IM.
But breaststroke is clearly his best stroke.
53 and 1.56 next year to demolish the 13/14 NAG records.
How often does an age grouper break a national age group record at the YOUNGER end of his age group bracket? Not often I bet. Whitley did it and so did Hoffer today/ this week.
FWIW, Caeleb Dressel as well.
This is messed up – I feel like I must be reading a type. A 13 year old swimming 55/2:00 breaststroke?!?!?
*typo
What’s great is that his stroke count was an average of 5 per length.. 4-5-5-5-5-5-5-6 (by 25’s).
That is scary
How tall is he?
Last year at age 12, he said he was 6’4″….. so maybe big.
He’s closer to 6’7″ now. Absolutely incredible swim I still
have goosebumps
already 6’7″ and still 13 yo???
Woww.
I feel like a hobbit now.
As far as i know , Matt Grevers with his 6’7″+ is probably the tallest swimmer in the Usa right now . 6’7″ for Him at age 13 is utterly insane but will be very helpfull on LC meters most probably . Great swims by a lot of very young swimmers this year . Impressive , Love it
The European/Cal breaststroker is 6’10ish… so there is some precedence for tall breastrokers… but this kid seems WAY more fluid. It’s blowing my mind to watch the video again.
Yes, he is a big kid but so is Michael Andrew, 6’4+. I watched Reese swim the 400im, he still looks like a puppy growing into his body. He could be something special ,especially in long course.
And in terms of fluidity, Hulkswim, watch the races of 12-year-old Destin Lasco. He isn’t tall but what a talent. It looks so effortless. I’m really impressed by his technique. Beautiful to watch.
Hulk Swim, do you talk about Dugonjic? Yes, he’s very tall and swims like a beast with much power. Not the greatest model of fluidity.
Yes. Basically, what I’m saying is that it’s not unprecedented that a 6’9″ plus athlete be elite… but that Whitley has a lot more grace than those before him.
SMASH. I got nothing else.