After Worlds DQ Disappointment, Danas Rapsys Joins 200 Free1:44 Club

2019 FINA WORLD CUP #3 – SINGAPORE

We knew Danas Rapsys had a 1:44 200m free in him, as the Lithuanian surged to the wall first at the 2019 World Championships with a clocking of 1:44.69. However, the 24-year-old was disqualified for a flinch at the start, leaving China’s Sun Yang to top the podium with his time of 1:44.93.

Rapsys rebounded with a gold medal-worthy performance at the 2nd stop of this 1st World Cup Series cluster, producing a time of 1:45.07 to notch a new Lithuanian National Record and World Cup standard. That time sliced .05 off of his previous personal best.

Flash forward to tonight, however, and Rapsys’ spark ignited big-time with a menacing 200m free time of 1:44.38 to crush the field in Singapore. Splitting 50.99/53.39, Rapsys produced the first sub-1:45 second time of his career to become the 6th fastest performer of all-time in the event.

Rapsys’ effort overtakes Sun’s PB of 1:44.39 from the 2017 World Championships to bump the Chinese superstar down to 7th, positioning Rapsys among the titans of Michael Phelps, Yannick Agnel and Ian Thorpe.

Additionally, Rapsys becomes just the 4th man since 2017 to clock a sub-1:45 second 200m free, along with Australia’s Clyde Lewis, Sun and Great Britain’s Duncan Scott.

All-Time Men’s 200m Free Performers

#1-1:42.00 Paul Biedermann GER 2009 World Champs 7/28/2009 Rome
#2-1:42.96 Michael Phelps USA 2008 Olympic Games 8/13/2008 Beijing
#3-1:43.14 Yannick Agnel FRA 2012 Olympic Games 7/28/2012 London
#4-1:43.90 Danila Izotov RUS 2009 World Champs 7/30/2009 Rome
#5-1:44.06 Ian Thorpe AUS 2001 World Champs 7/25/2001 Fukuoka
#6-1:44.38 Danas Rapsys LTU 2019 World Cup 8/17/2019 Singapore
#7-1:44.39 Sun Yang CHN 7/25/2017 Budapest

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Norwooder
4 years ago

1:44.06 was so ahead of its time in ’01

Lpman
4 years ago

It Sun Yang sees him in a warm down pool, he might throwing a starting block at him

Mellon
4 years ago

Who coaches him currently? Has he been abroad for training?

Gan
Reply to  Mellon
4 years ago

He has never changed his swimming coach (it’s always been this woman named Ina Paipaliene). He trains abroad a lot though.

Mellon
Reply to  Gan
4 years ago

Did he go to multiple nations such as Turkey, maybe the States?

Yabo
4 years ago

I prefer the first title

PVK
4 years ago

Will that 1:42.00 mark ever go down?

Philip Johnson
Reply to  PVK
4 years ago

At this rate, not anytime soon.

Sqimgod
Reply to  PVK
4 years ago

Lochte gonna break it next year

Dee
Reply to  PVK
4 years ago

Yep. WRs are going to get a hell of a lot faster if the kids coming through these days are anything to go by.

MTK
Reply to  Dee
4 years ago

We say that, but most of the elite 200free guys in the world are still getting stuck in the 1:45.0-1:45.5, which is over a second slower than Thorpe went almost 20 years ago.

Pvdh
4 years ago

Still my world champion

FVSTOVEREVERYTHING
4 years ago

Dean Ferris
1:39.8

A$AP POCKY
4 years ago

He’s winning the gold next year

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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