Swimming is a sport built around numbers. Statistics, projections, predictions, improvements – there are an unimaginable number of numbers that can be used to describe the complexities of what visually looks like a very simple sport: swimming back and forth in a pool.
We’ve reported on a lot of statistics this week, but I woke up to my new favorite on Friday morning:
Sarah Gibson first dual meet: 100 fly YDs – 1:00.03 / Gibson 4 Years Later: 100 Fly LC 57.96 #WorldChampsBound ??#4.0Student #Believed ??
— Texas A&M Swimming (@AggieSwimDive) June 30, 2017
That meet came on Saturday, October 12th, 2013 in a dual meet against Vanderbilt in Nashville. That was the 8th-fastest time of the meet, though by that time A&M was well in control of scoring and her result was exhibitioned.
In that meet, Gibson also led off an ‘E’ 400 free relay in 54.94 and swam a 1:56.98 in the 200 yard free – all in yards.
And while that was a season-opening meet, done on a few hours’ travel and probably no rest, those times were what they were for Gibson. Her best 100 yard fly coming out of high school was a 58.51 – though she was a better freestyler at that point – having swum 50.14 in the 100 yard free at the Texas State Championship meet her senior year.
Incidentally, she’s now almost been that fast in the 100 yard fly – 50.61.
Gibson is one of the great success stories of college swimming. Women have traditionally been closer to their peak times coming out of high school than men, but there are still many noteworthy exceptions to that, which includes Gibson – who has qualified for the 2017 U.S. World Championships team after swimming a 57.96 in the 100 meter fly. Four years later, her 100 meter fly time is better than her best 100 yard fly time when she graduated high school.
The architect of that improvement, or as Texas A&M Assistant Athletics Director Chris Bartlebort called it wizard, is Steve Bultman, who is the most underrated coach in the country.
#Wizard pic.twitter.com/OogxStFGsu
— Chris Barttelbort (@cbartt11) June 30, 2017
Bultman, who has been on two Olympic staffs separated by more than two decades (1988 and 2012), has a resume littered with these sorts of improvements. 2012 U.S. Olympian Breeja Larson had a modest best of 1:02.5 in the 100 yard breaststroke coming out of high school, and by the time she had finished was the fastest yards breaststroker in history (57.23). Christine Marshall had a 200 yard free best of 1:51.92 out of high school, but by 2008 snuck onto an Olympic 800 free relay.
Of all of Bultman’s success stories, though, Gibson might be the new highlight. In 4 years, she’s gone from near-anonymity in swimming to the World Championships team, and has out-raced the conversion factors.
Honorly took a picture with her couple of months ago. Go Gibson!!!
I’ve been waiting for an article like this. Bultman has consistently coached A&M to very strong team finishes at NCAAs as well as helped no-name swimmers to the U.S. national team. Why is it that we hardly hear his name discussed with the likes of Baurle, Meehan, Mckeever, Troy, Bottom, Albiero, etc?
I was timing the last event of the morning at the Senior Circuit meet a couple of weeks ago in College Station and watched her swim in lane 4 while I timed lane 3. After awhile I realized she had warmed down and relieved one of the timers herself. I was impressed by her character as much as her swimming.
Steve Bultman is only underrated if you don’t know anything about swimming.
I think underrated in the sense that many of the top recruits still don’t even take trips to A&M which is pretty surprising
And as a side note Harvard turned Gibson down bc she wasn’t fast enough (obviously she is intelligent enough).
And now she’s going to worlds. Love stories like that. Also cool that even though Gibson was smart enough for the ivy leagues, she decided to go to a state-school in her home state and get a great education as well as great swim coaching!!
Really cool story. Also back in the day Breeja Larson was a no name going into A&M as well if I recall. Very impressive improvements in all strokes and distances from Steve Bultman.
I very much enjoyed her interview as well. It was articulate, humble and appreciative of the sport & opportunity.
It’s a pleasure watching underdogs like her see their dreams come true.
As exciting as this is for Sarah, I think Zach Apple might still have the most impressive stat. He just started swimming competitively 4 years ago. According to a quick times search, he barely managed to scrape past the 1:00 barrier in the 100 free back then, and now he has the 6th fastest time in the world for 2017 at 48 low. If the US men win the 400 freestyle relay at Worlds (which they are clearly the favorites for) then that might just be the fastest rise to the top for any swimmer we’ve ever seen.