1999 Bank of America U.S. Olympic Cup

Pilczuk Breaks American Record!

Courtesy www.usswim.org
The American record in the men’s 50m freestyle (scm) finally fell for Bill Pilczuk on second day of the Bank of America U.S. Olympic Cup at the Canyonview Pool on the UC San Diego campus. The Americans easily won the first-ever Cup competition with 451 points over Great Britain (236) and France (130).

Swimming unshaved, Pilczuk missed the record by 4/100ths, winning the 50m freestyle with a 21.68. Steve Crocker set the mark of 21.64 in 1992. Pilczuk shaved and swam a time trial before finals. He improved his time, but only by 1/100th in the time trial. When he got out of the warmdown pool, U.S. men’s assistant coach Mike Bottom suggested to Pilczuk to make one more attempt.

Leading off the final event, the 400m freestyle relay, Pilczuk stuck the wall with his hand at the 50-meter mark and recorded a time of 21.56, a new American and U.S. Open record, then Pilczuk finished his leg of the relay. His lead-off leg split was 52.93.

Following his awards ceremony, Pilczuk posed for pictures and signed autographs for a number of young swimmers who were coached by Crocker when he was the head age group coach for North Coast Aquatics, a local swim club, from 1992-1996.

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