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.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers if Leon Marchand‘s performance at the 2023 NCAAs surpassed what Caeleb Dressel did in 2018:
Question: Who had the better NCAA Championship performance?
RESULTS
- Leon Marchand, 2023 – 71.5%
- Caeleb Dressel, 2018 – 28.5%
Caeleb Dressel had a historic performance at the 2018 NCAA Championships during his senior year, setting new American, NCAA and U.S. Open Records in all three of his individual events while producing some of the fastest relay splits of all-time.
All three of his individual records still stand today, five years later:
Dressel’s individual records, 2018 NCAAs:
- 50 Free – 17.63
- 100 Free – 39.90
- 100 Fly – 42.80
But at the 2023 championships, contested in the same pool as 2018 (University of Minnesota), Arizona State sophomore Leon Marchand had a performance that matches up to Dressel’s.
Marchand obliterated the NCAA and U.S. Open Record in all three of his individual events, and also produced the fastest split of all-time in three of his four relay appearances.
Marchand’s individual records, 2023 NCAAs:
- 200 Breast – 1:46.91
- 200 IM – 1:36.34
- 400 IM – 3:28.82
Dressel became the first swimmer to break 18 seconds in the 50 free, 40 seconds in the 100 free and 43 seconds in the 100 fly, while Marchand was the first to go sub-1:37 in the 200 IM (also the only under 1:38), the first under 3:32, 3:31, 3:30 and 3:29 in the 400 IM, and the first to crack 1:47 in the 200 breast.
Percentage Drops
Dressel broke his three records by a bigger margin on average, highlighted by his massive 3.18 percent improvement in the 50 free. Marchand broke the 400 IM record by nearly three seconds, but given the length of the event, the percentage improvement was actually less than his mark in the 200 IM.
Dressel
| Event | Previous Record (Entering Meet) | Dressel’s Record |
Percentage Change
|
| 50 free | 18.20 | 17.63 | 3.18% |
| 100 free | 40.00 | 39.90 | 0.25% |
| 100 fly | 43.58 | 42.80 | 1.81% |
| Average | 1.75% |
Marchand
| Event | Previous Record (Entering Meet) | Marchand’s Record |
Percentage Change
|
| 200 breast | 1:47.67 | 1:46.91 | 0.71% |
| 200 IM | 1:37.69 | 1:36.34 | 1.39% |
| 400 IM | 3:31.57 | 3:28.82 | 1.31% |
| Average | 1.14% |
In the relays, Dressel logged the fastest splits ever in the 50 free (17.30) and 100 free (40.15), while Marchand had the fastest times ever for relays in the 200 free (1:28.42), 50 breast (22.27) and 100 breast (49.23).
The majority of readers, 71.5 percent, voted for Marchand when asked who had the better NCAA performance. Part of that might be recency bias, part of it might be the margin he broke his records by (particularly the 400 IM), and another factor may have been the fact that he swam the fastest time ever in six of the seven “events” (including relay splits) he contested.
However, it’s worth noting that Dressel competed when the NCAA still had relay prelims in place, and he had to swim every time out in order to ensure Florida made the final. Dressel raced a total of 14 times over seven sessions, while Marchand had 10 swims.
Dressel, 2018 NCAA Program
- 200 Free Relay – 17.96 split, 17.81* lead-off
- 50 Free – 18.11, 17.63*
- 400 Medley Relay – 40.27 free split, 50.62 breast split
- 100 Fly – 44.37, 42.80*
- 200 Medley Relay – 17.30** free split, 17.37 free split
- 100 Free – 40.68, 39.90*
- 400 Free Relay – 40.15 split, 40.25 split
Marchand, 2023 NCAA Program
- 200 Medley Relay – 22.27** breast split
- 800 Free Relay – 1:28.42** split
- 200 IM – 1:38.33, 1:36.34*
- 400 IM – 3:34.47, 3:28.82*
- 400 Medley Relay – 49.23** breast split
- 200 Breast -–1:49.64, 1:46.91*
- 400 Free Relay – 40.55 split
*all-time record, **fastest split ever
Both swimmers put their team on their back and led them to new heights, as Dressel propelled Florida to its first-ever win in the 200 free relay and a fifth-place showing in the team standings, while Marchand guided ASU to its highest-ever finish in the team standings with a runner-up performance.
Both performances were historic, and like Dressel’s current records in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly, if Marchand turned pro tomorrow and never raced in yards again, there’s a good chance his records would still be on the books in five years’ time.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which swim was the most surprising during Summer McIntosh’s phenomenal week in Toronto:
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It should be mentioned that Marchand made his clean sweep of his three events as a sophomore who has two years NCAA eligibility left while Dressel made his clean sweep as a senior.
Both Dressel and Marchand were legends before their NCAA performances. It felt like what Marchand did was absurd but also somewhat anticipated based on his trajectory. Dressel blew his trajectory out of the water. 17.6 and 17.3 on a relay was unfathomable. I think Marchand is the better all around short course swimmer but that 17.6 is untouchable for me and I have to give 2018 Dressel the edge on favoring his performances.
Imo they’re tied.
Caeleb swam prelims and finals on every relay. That probably took a lot out of him by day 4, and he had a slight groin injury too.
Recency bias.
But both are utterly astounding.
Traitors!
au revoir
I love Dressel, and his legendary performance during 2018s championship season lives on in my heart, but if I’m being objective… Marchand was setting records at duel meets man… I haven’t seen dominance like that in my lifetime, he easily takes the cake.
Natalie Coughlin?
that was in 2002 so maybe too long ago. If we go back to the early 80s we have Tracey Caulkins that could be an interesting option just to mention two past college swimmers.
I went with Marchand because all three of his relay splits were the fastest ever, where Dressel went 2/3. In a close comparison, that was the tie breaker.
I know it lists his splits, but a little surprised the article doesn’t hone in on the fact that Marchand went fastest times/splits in history in the 50, 100, 200 (x3), and 400 disciplines. That definitely helps his case a lot.
Dressel’s 50 free is unmatched, no question how insane that swim was.
it’s definitely fun, but it’s hard to compare the two when they are incredibly different swimmers with incredibly different lineups.
His 50 is so fast that swimcloud has it as an error. That is insanity