Michael Andrew goes pro at 14

Note: Kim Kardashian's ex Kris Humphries still holds the 10 & under 50 free LCM 27.71 - Kris Humphries, 1995 I don't think this record is going to last the year and I predict it will go down by the end of the summer to Winn Aung. Read about what he is doing here. www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../34727.asp Chas Morton is considered by many including myself to be the greatest age-group swimmer ever especially in the 10 under, 11-12, and 13-14. He held records in every stroke and every distance in 10 under and 11-12 age groups. He set over 60 national age group records. His record production went down a little in the 13-14 age group and in the 15-16 and 17-18, I believe Michael Phelps held more age group records but just in those 2 age groups. As great as Chas was a lot of swimmers caught up with him in the NCAA and the Olympic Trials. He was a great swimmer for Stanford but at the time Stanford was just loaded with great swimmers like Jeff Rouse, John Witchell, Alex Kostich, Jay Mortensen, and Ray Carey. He was on a lot of NCAA Championship teams and contributed to scoring for them every year. He was recruited the same year as Janet Evans in 1989 and 3 previous years to this you could say he was the better swimmer but not in 1989. I think he retired after the 1992 Olympic Trials. I remember going to a U of Michigan meet against Stanford in 1990 and seeing Chas swim against Erik Namsnik and Eric Wunderlich and being soundly beaten. The whole point of this is just because you are a great age group swimmer, it does not translate to being a future Olympian. Chas placed top 6 in 3 out of 4 years in the NCAA and won the 200 *** at USA Nationals and was a great swimmer in his own right, he just never made it to the Olympics. The only good I can see out of Andrew turning PRO is if he has the improvement he thinks he can get, it will open up other companies and sponsors like this one to take a chance on swimmer of his talent. What is interesting is I have not seen any press statement about why P2 signed him and what they expect out of his potential. P2 is a fairly new USMS sponsor and the owner and founder (Tim Shead) is one of best swimmers in USMS in the 60-64 age group and set many World Records last year. Perhaps because he has South African roots, he may have known Andrew's parents and perhaps that is how the relationship started. This is a first for this type of company because companies like Amino Vital and Hammer have never done something like this. When Speedo signed Phelps to his historic contract, they stated what he would be doing and the incentives that they would provide like if he won 7 gold medals in 2004, he would receive 1 million dollars for that effort. It didn't happen in 2004 but did in 2008 plus 1. I don't expect P2 to do something like that but they have been rather silent about what they expect. Its a gamble but both parties are willing to take that gamble. By the way, I think this kid is not just the youngest male, but the youngest swimmer ever to turn professional. I believe Anita Nall and Katie Hoff were older than this and I can't remember any swimmer just turning 14 and not even reaching high school doing this. Anita Nall I believe was the first after the 1992 Olympics and she just turned 16. I believe Katie Hoff was just turning 16 when she made the decision and it was right after the 2005 World Championships.

Note: Kim Kardashian's ex Kris Humphries still holds the 10 & under 50 free LCM 27.71 - Kris Humphries, 1995 I don't think this record is going to last the year and I predict it will go down by the end of the summer to Winn Aung. Read about what he is doing here. www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../34727.asp Chas Morton is considered by many including myself to be the greatest age-group swimmer ever especially in the 10 under, 11-12, and 13-14. He held records in every stroke and every distance in 10 under and 11-12 age groups. He set over 60 national age group records. His record production went down a little in the 13-14 age group and in the 15-16 and 17-18, I believe Michael Phelps held more age group records but just in those 2 age groups. As great as Chas was a lot of swimmers caught up with him in the NCAA and the Olympic Trials. He was a great swimmer for Stanford but at the time Stanford was just loaded with great swimmers like Jeff Rouse, John Witchell, Alex Kostich, Jay Mortensen, and Ray Carey. He was on a lot of NCAA Championship teams and contributed to scoring for them every year. He was recruited the same year as Janet Evans in 1989 and 3 previous years to this you could say he was the better swimmer but not in 1989. I think he retired after the 1992 Olympic Trials. I remember going to a U of Michigan meet against Stanford in 1990 and seeing Chas swim against Erik Namsnik and Eric Wunderlich and being soundly beaten. The whole point of this is just because you are a great age group swimmer, it does not translate to being a future Olympian. Chas placed top 6 in 3 out of 4 years in the NCAA and won the 200 *** at USA Nationals and was a great swimmer in his own right, he just never made it to the Olympics. The only good I can see out of Andrew turning PRO is if he has the improvement he thinks he can get, it will open up other companies and sponsors like this one to take a chance on swimmer of his talent. What is interesting is I have not seen any press statement about why P2 signed him and what they expect out of his potential. P2 is a fairly new USMS sponsor and the owner and founder (Tim Shead) is one of best swimmers in USMS in the 60-64 age group and set many World Records last year. Perhaps because he has South African roots, he may have known Andrew's parents and perhaps that is how the relationship started. This is a first for this type of company because companies like Amino Vital and Hammer have never done something like this. When Speedo signed Phelps to his historic contract, they stated what he would be doing and the incentives that they would provide like if he won 7 gold medals in 2004, he would receive 1 million dollars for that effort. It didn't happen in 2004 but did in 2008 plus 1. I don't expect P2 to do something like that but they have been rather silent about what they expect. Its a gamble but both parties are willing to take that gamble. By the way, I think this kid is not just the youngest male, but the youngest swimmer ever to turn professional. I believe Anita Nall and Katie Hoff were older than this and I can't remember any swimmer just turning 14 and not even reaching high school doing this. Anita Nall I believe was the first after the 1992 Olympics and she just turned 16. I believe Katie Hoff was just turning 16 when she made the decision and it was right after the 2005 World Championships.