48.00 100 Breastroke?? Analyzing Julian Smith

The world record in the Men's 100 Yard Breaststroke was just broken by Florida's Julian Smith (49.51)

I know it's technically the “US Open Record”.

But the United States is the only country that swims Short Course Yards. So, when a Short Course Yards record is set, it's a World Record in my books.

The Past, Present & Future of the 100 Breastroke

The 100 yd breaststroke is an event that I have followed closely my whole life.

Back when I was in college, the American record in the 100 breaststroke was a 50.7 held by my friend Kevin Cordes, who was one of my teammates on the 2016 Olympic Team.

Over time, that record was brought down bit by bit, inching closer and closer to the 50.00 second mark.

And then, in 2018, Caeleb Dressel went a 50.0.

Yes, Caeleb, the butterfly / freestyler? He almost went sub-50.00.

Unbelievable.

The first man to break 50.00 was an Indiana alum - my buddy & former training partner Ian Finnerty, who went 49.6 seconds - blowing past the 50 second barrier.

Minnesota's Max McHugh, was the second man to ever break the 50 second barrier.

And then just last year, Cal Berkeley's Liam Bell broke the record again, bringing it down to a 49.53

And now, just last week, the Florida Gators own Julian Smith broke the record by 0.02, going 49.51.

Leading into men's NCAA championships in just a few weeks, I think there's 3 or 4 guys that have a shot at breaking that record again…

The real question is: 

Could someone go 48 seconds in 100 yard breaststroke?

I can't believe I’m about to say this but…

I actually think we're going to get a 48 in 100 yard breaststroke.

I don't think it's going to happen this year. But in the next 5 years I think it's going to happen, which is crazy.

Whether we see a sub-49 swim this year or not, we’re gonna see an insane final in the Men's 100 Breastroke at NCAA Championships

Julian is definitely the favorite for gold - but I still think it’s going to be a tight race…

That's the time we're living in right now - swimming is getting stupid fast.

Analysis: Julian Smith’s Record-Shattering 100 Breast

What sets Julien apart from so many other breastrokers and allows him to break that 50 second barrier is 2 things:

1. Insane Power: He's extremely explosive & a great sprinter. He looks like Caeleb Dressel coming off the blocks and carries through the water very well.

2. Flawless Timing: There's absolutely no lag time in his stroke. The moment he finishes his kick, he starts that outsweep with his arms. It is a seamless transition between his kick & pull

Too many times, breastrokers start the propulsion phase of their kick before they’ve gotten into streamline.

This means they're not maximizing the power that is generated from their lower body because they're kicking in an inefficient position.

But Julian’s timing is perfect.

The only critiques that I have are his:

1. Turns

2. Breakouts

He was long into one turn and short on another.

These little things could be cleaned up to drop a few tenths of a second.

<49.00 is possible

My NCAA D1 Plans

I am going to the men's NCAA D1 Championships this year in Federal Way.

I'm so excited.

If you are a swim nerd you’ll know that my alma mater, Indiana, is in the running to finally win a national championship against University of Texas and the Cal Bears.

It's going to be a battle. There's going to be a lot of really fast races.

I'm just genuinely excited about it

Until my next newsletter, I will see you all - later