Drew Kibler achieved the world’s 200 best freetime times this year with a 1:45.82 at the Indy Sectionals
2023 INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDO SECTIONALS 23-26 March 2023 IU Natatorium – IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana Long Course Meter (50 meters) Psych Sheet Meet Results (Post Session, under “Meet Days”) Meet Results on Meet Mobile: “Spring 2023 Speedo Sectionals”
Olympian Drew Kibler clocked the world’s best 200-meter freestyle time this year in 1:45.82 to win Friday night’s 2023 Indianapolis Sectionals by nearly two seconds.
Men’s 200-meter freestyle, world rankings 2023
Drew Kibler (USA) – 1:45.82 Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 1:46.52 Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:46.73 Matthew Richards (GBR) – 1:47.04 Flynn Southan (AUS) – 1:47.08 Henry McFadden (USA) 1:47.23 Elijah Winington (AUS) 1:47.26 Kieran Smith (USA) 1:47.33 Gabriel Jett (USA) 1:47.41 Matthew Sates (RSA) – 1:47.46
Last March, Kibler was 1:47.61 at the Pro Swim Series stop in San Antonio. Last summer he placed fourth at the World Championships, the top American finisher at that event, while also winning a gold medal by swimming the start distance of the 4×200 free relay (1:45.54).
After graduating from Texas last spring, he decided not to use his fifth year of eligibility, but returned home to Indiana in September to train with Carmel Swim Club under head coach Chris Plumb.
On Thursday night, Kibler threw down his first personal best since the switch, posting a 22.23 in the 50 free for the win. The 23-year-old followed suit with another impressive performance in the 200m freewheel, a 1:45.82 beating Felix Auboeck’s 2017 competition record (1:47.45) by almost two seconds. Kibler was less than a second from his lifetime time of 1:45.01 from his fourth-place finish at the Worlds.
Kibler’s progress in the 200 Free this year has seen a sharp increase, with a 1:49.59 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville and a 1:47.94 at the Fort Lauderdale stop ahead of his new season best tonight.
Runner-up Aaron Shackell, an 18-year-old Carmel Swim Club teammate and Cal conscript, finished second behind Kibler in 1:47.70. Shackell fell more than three seconds off his previous best at last summer’s Junior Nationals.
