2024 SPEEDO SUMMER CHAMPIONSHIPS
While the A-finalists commanded center stage at the Speedo Summer Championships on Thursday night, one of the most impressive swims of the session actually from the men’s 100 butterfly B-final courtesy of Santa Clara Swim Club 15-year-old Shareef Elaydi.
Elaydi scorched a time of 53.45 for 11th place in the 100 fly, dropping more than half a second off his previous-best 54.01 from last month. In the process, he moved up to No. 13 all-time in the 15-16 NAG rankings and became the third-fastest 15-year-old American ever behind Thomas Heilman (51.98) and Rowan Cox (53.10).
Fastest 15-Year-Old Americans, 100 Fly
- Thomas Heilman – 51.98, 2022
- Rowan Cox – 53.10, 2023
- Shareef Elaydi – 53.45, 2024
- Michael Andrew – 53.46, 2014
- Justin Lynch – 53.74, 2012
Earlier this week on Tuesday, Elaydi blasted a personal-best 200 fly time of 1:58.92, 11th all-time in his 15-16 age group nationally. He only just turned 15 last month.
Other swims you might have missed from the third night of action in Irvine included Irvine Novaquatics 16-year-old Andrew Maksymowski ascending the NAG rankings with a 14th-place showing in the men’s 400 free B-final (3:56.23). He dropped almost half a second off his previous-best 3:56.71 from May, ranking 53rd all-time in his 15-16 age group.
Rising Texas junior Ryan Branon got over the hump after a nearly three-year plateau in the men’s 100 fly. He placed 7th in 53.77 after posting a personal-best 53.42 in prelims, which destroyed his previous-best 54.26 from way back in 2021.
Badger Swim Club (NY) 16-year-old Michael Geh continues to drop time in the men’s 200 back. He touched in 2:03.86 for 10th place, taking a few tenths off his previous-best 2:04.21 from earlier this month. Before this month, his best time stood at 2:06.85 from March.
You might have caught this already in Thursday’s finals live recap, but Schroeder YMCA Swim Team 14-year-old Maggie Dickinson impressed with a 4th-place showing in the women’s 200 back (2:14.04), dropping more than a second off her best time heading into today (2:15.66 from May). Now she ranks 33rd all-time in the U.S. girls 13-14 national age group (NAG) rankings.
