Trials Mixed Zone: Michael Andrew “I really do well closing the meet with a 50”

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Reported by James Sutherland.

MEN’S 50 FREE FINAL

  • World Record: Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 20.91 (2009)
  • American Record: Caeleb Dressel – 21.04 (2019)
  • US Open Record: Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 21.14 (2009)
  • World Junior Record: Michael Andrew (USA) – 21.75 (2017)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Anthony Ervin (USA) – 21.40
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Nathan Adrian – 21.51
  • Wave I Cut: 23.19
  • Wave II Cut: 22.71
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 22.01
  1. Caeleb Dressel (GSC), 21.04 =AR
  2. Michael Andrew (RPC), 21.48
  3. Nathan Adrian (CAL), 21.73

Caeleb Dressel used his game-changing start to launch himself into clear water right off the hop in the men’s 50 freestyle final, soaring to victory in a time of 21.04 to tie his American Record set at the 2019 World Championships.

Dressel’s swim also lowers the U.S. Open Record of 21.14, set by Cesar Cielo in 2009, and ties for both the fourth-fastest swim ever and the fastest textile swim of all-time.

The 22-year-old Dressel solidifies his entry into three individual events in Tokyo, as did the race’s runner-up, Michael Andrew.

Andrew, who won the 100 breast and 200 IM earlier in the meet, closed like a freight train to separate himself from the rest of the field and touch second in 21.48, just two one-hundredths off his personal best set at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.

While Dressel chops a quarter of a second off his world-leading time from the prelims (21.29), Andrew moves up to #4 in the world.

2020-2021 LCM MEN 50 FREE

CAELEBUSA
DRESSEL

06/20
21.04
2 VLAD
MOROZOV
RUS 21.41 04/09
3 BEN
PROUD
GBR 21.42 04/17
4 MICHAEL
ANDREW
USA 21.48 06/20
5 KRISTIAN
GKOLOMEEV
GRE 21.60 05/22

VIEW TOP 27»

Andrew is also the first U.S. Olympian in breaststroke who also qualifies in a non-medley event.

Touching third was the veteran, the all-time great, Nathan Adrian.

Adrian, 32, clocked 21.73 to finish third, .05 quicker than his semi-final swim to mark his fastest swim since 2016. This will be the first time since 2004 that Adrian is absent from the U.S. Olympic team.

The fourth man cracking 22 second was Bowe Becker, who takes down his semi-final best time of 21.83 in 21.78. Becker now ties for 14th all-time among Americans.

A couple of teenagers, 19-year-old Adam Chaney and 18-year-old David Curtiss, took fifth and sixth, both adding less than a tenth to their semi-final swims.

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Virtus
2 years ago

I rlly thought this said “I think I do well on the closing 50”

Podium Pouter
2 years ago

Hi 36th Birthday today, Michael Phelps!

Eric the eel > Phelps
2 years ago

Anyway, Andrew needs to explain his withdrawal from ISL . He even removed his ISL ambassador status on his insta bio

HJones
Reply to  Eric the eel > Phelps
2 years ago

We probably won’t get any vlogs/lengthy interviews until after the games where he would have a chance to address it. Even so, I’m not sure if he would explicitly explain the true reason why he and his team seems to be jumping ship from the ISL because he doesn’t seem like a person who is vindictive and burns bridges in professional opportunities. In his post-OTs IG post, he thanked all of his former sponsors by name like Adidas and P2Life, something I’ve never seen from a pro athlete.

At this point I’d guess the reason why the Andrew clan is choosing to dip is because of the league’s unclear finances. I know part of why the ISL was created… Read more »

Scotty P
Reply to  HJones
2 years ago

Wasn’t the ISL mostly funded by some anonymous person?

Admin
Reply to  Scotty P
2 years ago

He’s not anonymous. His name is Konstantin Grigorishin. He’s very well known in a certain part of the world. It’s worth spending some time googling him.

Almost choked
2 years ago

He doesn’t do well on the closing 50 tho

ThatGuy
Reply to  Almost choked
2 years ago

You are correct

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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