Before he went on to set records in the PAC-12 conference as an Arizona Wildcat, South African Olympian Bradley Tandy was a swimmer at National Junior College powerhouse Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. Indian River is famous for producing swimmers that go on to become stars in top-tier Division I and Division II NCAA programs, which is exactly the trajectory that Tandy’s career has followed.
While at Indian River Tandy set the school records in the 50 free (19.06) and the 100 free (42.76), and contributed to school records in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. All four of Tandy’s school records at Indian River are also NJCAA records (as is every single school record at Indian River on the men’s side, and all but three on the women’s side).
In 2014 as a member of the University of Arizona’s swim team, Tandy became a national champion the in the 50 freestyle at the NCAA Championships, even though his finals time was slower than his swim at the PAC-12 Championships about a month before. Tandy helped the Wildcat relays to earn all-American honors in the 200 free and 200 medley relays, as well as honorable mention recognition in the 400 free relay. Today, Tandy is still the University of Arizona school record holder in the 50 freestyle with a blazing fast time of 18.80. During his 2nd year at Arizona, Tandy tied for 3rd in the 50 free at the NCAA Championships and contributed to the same three relays as he had the year before, helping each relay earn all-American honors.
Tandy represented his native South Africa at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where he tied for 6th in the 50 free with Brazilian sprint star Bruno Fratus. At the 2016 FINA World Championships in Windsor, Canada, Tandy, alongside Chad le Clos, Douglas Erasmus, and Eben Vorster, set a new South African and African (continental) record in the 4 x 50 short course meter freestyle relay. Among his many accomplishments, Tandy is also known for his unique slingshot-like start.
Congratulations to Olympian and former Indian River State swimmer Bradley Tandy on his induction into the @NJCAA Hall of Fame! #NJCAAHOF ? pic.twitter.com/ZUBhz9TbNf
— NJCAA (@NJCAA) February 9, 2017
#HARDWORKDOESPAY awesome and well deserved congratulations #seriouscommitment
Go River!
The quote from one of my old coaches “if we could teach that guy to swim, he’d be unbeatable” comes to mind.
His start in the Finals of the 50 in Rio was incredible. I thought it was the best in the field and not by a bit. By my reckoning, he was a quarter body length ahead – at least – right up to 25m. His stroke, though, had (has?) a bunch of “bounce” in it; there’s a lot of up & down motion to it. If he’d had a more efficient stroke – one where the energy that was in the “bounce” propelled him forward – he’d have won, at least my opinion.
Still the prettiest guy to come out of Fort Pierce
River Strong!!!