{"id":436621,"date":"2020-06-22T06:57:42","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T13:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=436621"},"modified":"2020-06-22T17:15:47","modified_gmt":"2020-06-23T00:15:47","slug":"2016-trials-throwback-mens-100-breaststroke-saw-rise-of-kevin-cordes-cody-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2016-trials-throwback-mens-100-breaststroke-saw-rise-of-kevin-cordes-cody-miller\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Trials Throwback: Men’s 100 Breaststroke Saw Rise of Kevin Cordes, Cody Miller"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each day during the pre-scheduled days of the 2020 US Olympic Trials, Swimming World will take its readers back four years to the 2016 Trials in Omaha to recap each event, and will offer some insight into what the events will look like in 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n

The 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials represented a changing of the guard in the breaststroke events.<\/p>\n

Those events had been dominated by Brendan Hansen<\/strong> and Eric Shanteau<\/strong> for several years, with some upsets and interesting situations unfolding along the way.<\/p>\n

In 2012, Hansen and Shanteau claimed spots in the 100 breaststroke while Clark Burckle<\/strong> and Scott Weltz<\/strong> provided two of the biggest upsets of the Trials by taking the top spots in the 200 breast. The 2016 Trials were much different. No Hansen. No Shanteau. No Burckle. No Weltz. The breaststroke events were all of a sudden wide open. But who was ready to takes those spots?<\/p>\n

Coming into the Trials, Cody Miller<\/strong> had established himself as the favorite, earning the top seed in the event \u2014 by just one hundredth of a second over Nic Fink<\/strong>. Miller came in at 59.51, while Fink was at 59.52.<\/p>\n

Two other swimmers entered the trials under a minute, which on paper, made it a four-man race at the 2016 Trials. Andrew Wilson<\/strong> was at 59.65 and Kevin Cordes<\/strong> came in at 59.70.\u00a0It looked as though the Olympic spots would run through that quartet. Of course, that meant two would make it and two would not.<\/p>\n

The Race<\/strong><\/p>\n

The race started and all eyes were on Kevin Cordes. He was out under American record pace to take the lead. The only question was \u2014 could he hang on?<\/p>\n

\"michael-andrew-\"

Michael Andrew; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

Cordes hung on for the victory, even if it wasn\u2019t at record pace. Cordes won in 59.18 and only one other swimmer was even in the same ballpark. It was nearly a half-second drop from his best time heading into the Trials.<\/p>\n

Miller hung as close as he could and finished in 59.26 to earn the second Olympic spot <\/a>at the 2016 Trials.<\/p>\n

Josh Prenot<\/strong>, surged to third in 59.81, while Michael Andrew\u00a0<\/strong>once again lowered his National Age Group record and World Junior record with a fourth place finish of 59.82, to finish ahead of Wilson (59.97).<\/p>\n