
Tags: Swimming/Nathaniel Thomas
Jamaican swimmer Nathaniel Thomas is chasing more than just personal bests. Instead, he is gunning for national glory and a ticket to the global stage.
Fresh off a standout showing at the Neville Alexander Memorial Swim Meet, the Purdue University athlete is confident that he is closing in fast on two national records and, more importantly, on the World Aquatics Championships 'B' standard qualifying times.
Thomas blazed through the men’s 50-metre backstroke in 26.76 seconds, just 0.29 shy of the national record of 26.47s, while the World Championships B cut for that event is 25.99s. He later clocked 23.52s in the 50-metre freestyle, within touching distance of the World Championship ‘B’ cut of 22.82s and the national record of 22.77s.
"The 50 backstroke went really well. It was always a goal of mine to get under that 27-second barrier, and to see such a big drop was really exciting, considering that back at Purdue we've just finished our hardest training cycle for the year," Thomas said as he reflected on his performance.
Though narrowly missing the national mark, Thomas was by no means discouraged. In fact, he saw the meet as a stepping stone—both mentally and physically.
"I didn't necessarily concern myself with trying to get the national record. I kind of went in the race with no expectations; I just wanted to swim fast and get a fast time on the board. But it (the record) will definitely be something on my radar going forward, and that B cut is also on my radar. You know, going 25.9, I think, is definitely achievable in the next couple of months, and that's definitely going to be the marker going forward," Thomas declared.
While the backstroke came closer to elite standards, Thomas sees room for improvement in the freestyle. His 23.52 finish serves as a mid-season benchmark, but he knows the next steps are critical.
"There’s definitely a lot of work to be done if I'm to improve in that race. At Purdue, we’ve been focused a lot on stroke efficiency, making each stroke powerful and covering more water like you're travelling a good distance to the water. And we're doing a lot of kick work as well, especially with drag socks to make it harder for the body, harder for the legs to actually move through the water. That has really helped my propulsion," he shared.
Knowing very well that his strength lies in the explosive opening, Thomas pointed out that sharpening up is now his top priority, as he believes he is trending in the right direction to possibly achieve the qualifying time before the World Championships qualification window closes on June 15.
"I’m the fastest off the blocks, to the 15m and to the 25m point, but I think maintaining that speed from the 25 through the finish is where I'm lacking the most, and I just need to be mindful of that going forward. But that 22.82s B cut is definitely achievable within the next couple of months, and those are definitely times that I'm striving towards in the future," Thomas ended.
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