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 to pick which hypothetical race that never happened they’d most love to go back in time and see how it would’ve played out.
RESULTS
Question: In a dream scenario, which of these races would you go back in time to see what would’ve happened?
- Michael Phelps, 200 back at the 2008 Olympics – 31.5%
- Caeleb Dressel, 200 free at the 2018 NCAAs – 23.9%
- Caeleb Dressel, 200 free (relay split) at the 2021 Olympics – 22.9%
- Katie Ledecky, 400 free at the 2012 Olympics – 11.0%
- Kaylee McKeown, 200 IM at the 2021 Olympics – 9.0%
- Ryan Lochte, 200 free at the 2008 Olympics – 1.7%
It seems to be a bit of a common theme at major championship meets: I wish (blank) was entered in this event to see what they could go!
Busy event schedules have played a prominent role in preventing some of our favorite swimmers from racing all the events they could at certain competitions, so this poll was intended to get a feel for which race fans would’ve most liked to see from the past.
Leading the way at 31.5 percent was a potential 200 backstroke for Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympic Games, where he won a historic eight gold medals and was on the best form of his career.
The 200 back was an event Phelps was always elite in, but it never really emerged as a focus for major championship meets due to his loaded lineup.
In 2004, Phelps qualified to swim the 200 back at the Olympics by placing second to Aaron Peirsol at the U.S. Trials, but ultimately opted to drop the event and instead turn his focus to Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband in the 200 freestyle.
In the summer of 2007, Phelps dropped a 1:54.65 in the 200 back at U.S. Nationals, a time that was just three-tenths shy of the world record set by Ryan Lochte (1:54.32) at the World Championships earlier in the year.
In 2008, Phelps was never going to swim the race due to the event schedule, with the 200 IM final and 100 fly semis taking place during the same session as the 200 back final. But it’s certainly interesting to think about how he might’ve done had the schedule worked more favorably.
First Phelps would’ve had to qualify for the event at the Trials, where Peirsol (1:54.32) and Lochte (1:54.34) threw down some big-time swims. But had Phelps gotten through there, given his form in Beijing, it’s easy to imagine him being faster than Lochte’s gold medal-winning world record of 1:53.94.
Filled-up-goggle 200 fly aside, Phelps improved by nine-tenths of a second from 2007 to 2008 in the 200 free, and three-quarters of a second in the 200 IM. His 200 back time from 2007, which was also not done at the World Championships and therefore might’ve been even faster if it had, was only 71 one-hundredths shy of Lochte’s winning time.
While Phelps’ 200 back led the poll, there were two options related to Caeleb Dressel swimming the 200 free, which combined for close to 47 percent of votes.
The top option was Dressel swimming the event at the 2018 NCAA Championships, the meet where he went off as a senior and rewrote the record books in the 50 free (17.63), 100 free (39.90) and 100 fly (42.80).
There was a rumor that never came to fruition that Dressel was going to lead-off Florida’s 800 free relay at the meet, and his absence there, coupled with his amazing performances throughout the competition, left everyone wondering what might’ve been.
Finishing just behind that swim in the poll was a potential appearance by Dressel on the U.S. men’s 4×200 freestyle relay this past summer in Tokyo.
Dressel addressed his absence from the relay on the SwimSwam Podcast, saying he and coach Gregg Troy ultimately decided that he was more valuable to the American team later in the meet and that it was unlikely the team would win the race anyway (they ended up fourth), but it clearly still intrigues fans what he might’ve split there.
Also receiving votes was a potential 400 free for Katie Ledecky at the 2012 Olympics, though she failed to qualify in the event after placing third at Trials. However, Ledecky dropped more than five seconds from Omaha to London to win gold in the 800 free, and her Trials time (4:05.00) was less than two seconds outside of what took bronze (4:03.01).
Kaylee McKeown dropped the women’s 200 IM from her Olympic program this past summer, focusing on the backstrokes and Australian relays, and nine percent picked that race as the one they would’ve liked to have seen. McKeown’s best time, 2:08.19 from the Australian Olympic Trials in June, was more than three-tenths quicker than what Yui Ohashi went to win gold in Tokyo (2:08.52).
The other option was Lochte swimming the 200 free in Beijing, which justifiably didn’t get a ton of votes because Phelps was always going to win that race.
But Lochte had said after the fact that he regretted not swimming the final of the event at Trials (his semi-final time of 1:45.61 would’ve placed second to Phelps and qualified him individually), and he clearly would’ve given Park Tae Hwan (1:44.85) a run for the silver medal given his 1:44.28 split on the 800 free relay.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which swimmer has most exceeded your expectations so far in ISL Season 3?
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
What about Phelps 2008 Olympics 200 fly with no water in his goggles?
Though he did a few 800m (with great success) never saw Thorpe do a single big meet 1500m…. I have always wondered…
This was always my alternate universe swim. Thorpe against Hackett in the 1500 at Fukuoka 2001.
The way Thorpe absolutely cooked Hackett in the final 100 of the 800 that year…he would beat him in the 1500
thorpe said he tried the 1500 but that it never really suited him. he actually doesn’t appear in any age rankings for the event. I guess it’s hard to extend to the 1500 when you have great range from 100-800, which we know from his WRs and relay splits in fukuoka, and his 47.20 anchor just a month after going 3:40.08
Can we add Phelps 400 Free? If I ever meet Bob Bowman I’m dying to know what he thinks he could have thrown down had he swam it over the 4IM in an alternate universe.
Be great to get him on SSPC and ask him those hypothetical questions!
I thought BB has said 400 free was probably MP’s best event if he had focused on it
But early on 400IM was the obvious choice since there was not a Thorpe like presence in it
I mean, I’d pay $5 to see dressel swim the 200 back
Would’ve been very interesting to see Kaylee race both the 200 and 400 IM. Her seed times would have won both, so it potentially gives her 4 individual golds, plus a relay gold and bronze, which probably changes the whole conversation around the best swimmers of the Olympics.
However, it is quite possible that her back events are impacted by this, so still doubtful she wins all 4. Dressel is in the same boat: his 200 free MAYBE gets silver (definitely not gold) but how sure is it that his 100 free isn’t 0.07 slower the next day?
Peak Dressel vs Phelps in a 200 yard fly
Dressel would win I think.
Jesus thats mouth watering…
How bout peak lochte phelps and dressel in a 300 yd IM
Or peak Lochte, Phelps, Dressel, MA in a 150 LCM IM?
As crazy as it sounds I think MA would take this one
Would this be a fly/back/breast 150 or 35m of every stroke?
I still wish we could have seen a fresh 100 free scy from dressel
I’d say Ledecky 1500 free at the 2012 Olympics. 2016 we all know what would have happened. But 2012… Methinks that 15 year old would have won double gold.
I think she would’ve went out too fast if she did the 1500 back then. 800 sure but we don’t know how she trained back then in 2012 for a 1500
The 1500 was actually her best event a junior nationals the year before… But we will never know