U.S. Nationals: Nic Fink Earns Chance to Defend Worlds Gold in 50 Breast

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Nationals: Nic Fink Earns Chance to Defend Worlds Gold in 50 Breast

Nic Fink, the reigning World Champion in the men’s 50 breaststroke, will get a chance to defend his gold from Budapest thanks to a win at Phillips 66 Nationals Thursday night.

Fink outkicked Michael Andrew to get the win in 26.74 seconds. That’s within two tenths of the American record of 26.45 that Fink set at Worlds last year.

Andrew finished second in 26.87, bidding to add to his 50 butterfly win. Noah Nichols was third in 27.30, followed by Mitch Mason (27.42) and Tommy Cope (27.71).

Fink has been on a tear in his late 20s. He set the American mark at Worlds last year and won bronze in the 100 breast. That augmented gold in the mixed medley relay and silver in the men’s medley. The 50 in particular, a notably unforgiving race, has become his bread and butter.

“It’s definitely a fun race in you just kind of go for it,” Fink said. “There’s not really too much stress or anything like that. The worst thing you can do is overthink it. I tend to maintain my composure by trying to be as relaxed as I can.”

He continued his surge last December at Short-Course Worlds in Melbourne, where he did the 50 breast/100 breast double, the former in a championship record and American record. He set an American mark on the way to silver in the 200 breast. Fink also won gold in the mixed 200 medley relay and the men’s 400 medley relay, both world records.

Fink never quite got it going in the 200 breast Wednesday night, finishing fourth behind youngsters Matt Fallon and Josh Matheny. But he was just fine with that.

“I entered the 2-breast thinking that I had a shot to make the Worlds team, so I knew 2:09 is probably where I am, which is totally fine,” he said. “I was happy with it. Those young kids have got some hands. So it was good that they fought their way onto the team, so no concern at all. I knew going into that, I would be sharper in the 50 and the 100, and I had more eggs in those baskets.”

Fink is set up nicely for the 100 breast on Friday in Indianapolis. Only one swimmer qualifiers for the 50 stroke events.

Fink was the top seed in morning prelims Thursday, thanks to the disqualification of Max McHugh. He set the pace in 27.08, .11 up on Andrew.

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