These times are amazing:
Kyle van Niekerk - 13 year old!
His results were as follows:
100m Free: Gold in a winning time of 53.89 – New African and South African AG Record
50m Free: Gold in a winning time of 24.69 – a New African and South African AG Record and the fastest recorded time in the world for 13- year- olds during 2011.
Yes these are long course meters. Puts it all in perspective for us geezers :cane:
The high school order of events is pretty standard and the 500 free is the longest race. I've never heard of any high school meet deviating from the standard order of events and the order is the same for dual meets and championship meets. You are correct that it used to be the 400. I'm not sure what year the changeover occurred.
The changeover occurred in the 1973/1974 school year. The 1000 Free was never swam as a HS event and the 400/500 Free has always been the longest. In 1970, John Kinsella broke the National HS Record of 3:38.0 that was set by Mark Spitz and went the incredible time of 3:31.05 and that time converted is a 4:24 -4:25 range for the 500 Free. He would have won NCAA's by 8 seconds. I always go back and forth between this swim and the 4:16.39 swim as the greatest distance HS record ever. Kostoff's record has lasted longer, but Kinsella's swim was more dominate against all competition including NCAA and AAU competition. Tim Shaw swam a 3:33.1 in 1973 and he came the closest to the record until the event was retired.
The other High School change came with the addition of the 400 Free Relay in 1966 replacing the 200 Free Relay and that event was reinstated in 1989 and from then on there were two Free Relays. There has never been a 400 Medley Relay or an 800 Free Relay at the HS level Championships and the 200 Medley Relay is the only Medley Relay offered.
The high school order of events is pretty standard and the 500 free is the longest race. I've never heard of any high school meet deviating from the standard order of events and the order is the same for dual meets and championship meets. You are correct that it used to be the 400. I'm not sure what year the changeover occurred.
The changeover occurred in the 1973/1974 school year. The 1000 Free was never swam as a HS event and the 400/500 Free has always been the longest. In 1970, John Kinsella broke the National HS Record of 3:38.0 that was set by Mark Spitz and went the incredible time of 3:31.05 and that time converted is a 4:24 -4:25 range for the 500 Free. He would have won NCAA's by 8 seconds. I always go back and forth between this swim and the 4:16.39 swim as the greatest distance HS record ever. Kostoff's record has lasted longer, but Kinsella's swim was more dominate against all competition including NCAA and AAU competition. Tim Shaw swam a 3:33.1 in 1973 and he came the closest to the record until the event was retired.
The other High School change came with the addition of the 400 Free Relay in 1966 replacing the 200 Free Relay and that event was reinstated in 1989 and from then on there were two Free Relays. There has never been a 400 Medley Relay or an 800 Free Relay at the HS level Championships and the 200 Medley Relay is the only Medley Relay offered.
