A Comparison of Development Among United States Sprinters
It’s always interesting to see when different athletes emerged? Were they standouts from a young age? A late bloomer? Did they follow a gradual arc of progression? Swimmers such as Ryan Held and Michael Andrew are now household names in the swim community. But were these USA National Teamers always elite swimmers, or did they see massive improvements just in the last couple of years to get to this point?
Below are tables comparing the progression of the top five 50-meter freestylers in the United States in 2023 through their careers in high school and college and in the professional circuit. The top line provides a look at short-course performances, with long-course efforts listed on the bottom line
Source : Swimming World Magazine