{"id":325392,"date":"2018-08-12T04:05:04","date_gmt":"2018-08-12T11:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=325392"},"modified":"2019-07-09T08:46:05","modified_gmt":"2019-07-09T15:46:05","slug":"michael-andrew-sprints-to-50-free-gold-leads-1-2-with-dressel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/michael-andrew-sprints-to-50-free-gold-leads-1-2-with-dressel\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Andrew Sprints To 50 Free Gold; Leads 1-2 With Dressel"},"content":{"rendered":"

19-year-old\u00a0Michael Andrew\u00a0<\/strong>of the United States won his first individual medal at a major long course international meet with his 21.46 in the 50 free final on the last night of action from the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Tokyo. Andrew has proved he is the real deal in long course at US Nationals and again at Pan Pacs with this 50 free gold. Andrew led a 1-2 finish with fellow American\u00a0Caeleb Dressel\u00a0<\/strong>(21.93).<\/p>\n

This is Andrew’s best time as he improved off his 21.49 from Nationals in July. Andrew is now tied for 24th all-time with Ukraine’s\u00a0Andrii Govorov<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Dressel was well off his best time of 21.17 from last year, but if he can get to his 2017 form then the United States has a solid 1-2 punch in the 50 free that they can build on for the rest of the Olympic quad cycle. Andrew still has a ways to go to catch Great Britain’s\u00a0Ben Proud\u00a0<\/strong>(21.11), the world’s fastest swimmer.<\/p>\n

The Americans were the only ones to break 22 in the final as\u00a0Yuri Kisil\u00a0<\/strong>(22.02) won the bronze medal for Team Canada. This is Kisil’s first individual medal at a major meet.<\/p>\n

Japan’s\u00a0Katsumi Nakamura\u00a0<\/strong>(22.24) and\u00a0Shinri Shioura\u00a0<\/strong>(22.27) finished fourth and fifth for the home nation.<\/p>\n

Brazil’s\u00a0Pedro Spajari\u00a0<\/strong>(22.30) and\u00a0Marcelo Chierighini\u00a0<\/strong>(22.50) placed sixth and eighth as they will get a chance to\u00a0hear their national anthem tonight<\/a>\u00a0for the 4×100 free relay gold they won last night.<\/p>\n

New Zealand’s\u00a0Daniel Hunter\u00a0<\/strong>(22.39) was seventh in the final.<\/p>\n

2018 World Rankings:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Ben Proud<\/strong>, GBR, 21.11<\/li>\n
  2. Bruno Fratus<\/strong>, BRA, 21.35<\/li>\n
  3. Kristian Gkolomeev<\/strong>, GRE, 21.44<\/li>\n
  4. Vladimir Morozov<\/strong>, RUS, 21.44<\/li>\n
  5. Pawel Juraszek<\/strong>, POL, 21.45<\/li>\n
  6. Michael Andrew<\/strong>, USA, 21.46<\/em><\/li>\n
  7. Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>, USA, 21.67<\/li>\n
  8. Simonas Bilis<\/strong>, LTU, 21.70<\/li>\n
  9. Andrea Vergani<\/strong>, ITA, 21.70<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"50-free-men\"

    Photo Courtesy:<\/p><\/div>\n