SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers about the most impressive relay split from Pan Pacs and Euros:
RESULTS
Question: What was the most impressive relay split from Pan Pacs/Euros?
- Cate Campbell‘s 50.93 100 free – 63.5%
- Townley Haas‘s 1:43.78 200 free – 22.2%
- Yulia Efimova‘s 1:03.95 100 breast – 10.3%
- Rikako Ikee‘s 55.48 100 fly – 4.0%
Almost two-thirds of respondents picked Cate Campbell‘s 50.93 as the best relay split of last week, beating the combined totals of Townley Haas‘s 1:43.78, Yulia Efimova‘s 1:03.95 and Rikako Ikee‘s 55.48.
Campbell’s split had plenty of reason behind its buzz. She became the first-ever to break 51 in a 100 free relay split. Her clutch anchor leg stole a mixed medley relay gold for Australia at Pan Pacs, beating an American team that had set a world record in the event just a year ago. And the swim well out-performed what was already a good meet of 100 frees for Campbell: she went 52.0 individually and split 51.3 and 51.1 over the course of Pan Pacs.
Haas’s split was second in our poll despite only being the third-fastest split in history for men’s 200 free. His 1:43.78 is behind Sun Yang (1:43.16 in 2013) and Yannick Agnel (1:43.24 in 2012) and also sits behind three historic performers in an individual 200 free: Agnel, Michael Phelps and Paul Biedermann. Haas’s Pan Pacs swim, though, was impressive as it brought about a big comeback victory for the American men in a meet where relay performances were rocky for Team USA.
Efimova only picked up 10% of the votes, even though her 1:03.9 breaststroke split was the fastest ever recorded. Efimova helped Russia break a European Championships record in the women’s medley, outsplitting her own 1:04.0 from 2017 and topping everyone else in recorded history by about two tenths.
Only a meager 4% picked Ikee’s 55.4 fly split. She, too, doesn’t take the fastest split in history, but is now tied for the second-fastest relay performer of all-time with American Dana Vollmer. Ikee’s 55.48 is behind only four relay splits from world record-holder Sarah Sjostrom on the all-time lists.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters to predict which tough-to-crack world records will be broken in 2019. NOTE: You can select more than one answer.
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
As for the new poll, it won’t surprise me if none of the four records fall next year. And SwimSwam has to rethink this list:
https://swimswam.com/govorov-knocks-off-suited-world-record-but-many-still-remain/
Cate needs to turn her attention to her 50 Free, “only” third in the world this year, needs to bring it in more than one individual event for Team AUS. She is still way too slow off the blocks.
Unimpressed. First good LCM swim by Campbell in about five or six years, since 2013 Worlds. But she really doesn’t need our approval, since she told all the media afterwards just how proud of herself she was.
So you weren’t impressed when she broke a supersuit 100 free WR in 2016? And a 50.9 split also isn’t impressive? What exactly would impress you then? Give me a break
Probably would be more impressive if she did it in an Olympic year, and did it with good sportsmanship, and did it in more than one LCM event. Also, Cate’s negative comments about other international teams are unbecoming and really set back her teammates.
Cate C is really in need of individual event Olympic gold to validate a career that has been one very long struggle for her.
Count me in the 63.5% but…. Townley is a relay MONSTER!