By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
2024 CALIFORNIA/NEVADA SECTIONALS
- February 29-March 3, 2024
- Novato, California
- Long Course Meters (50 meters), Prelims/Finals
- Live Results
Another night, and another record-setting swim for Luka Mijatovic of the Pleasanton Seahawks.
Racing on night 3 of the 2024 California/Nevada Sectionals in Novato, Mijatovic posted a 3:51.18 in the 400 meter freestyle. That lowers his own record of 3:52.01 set at last summer’s Junior Nationals.
Mijatovic is now an unreal 6.51 seconds faster than the next-fastest American 13-14 ever in the event.
Splits were not available as of time of publishing.
Top 5 All-Time US Boys, 13-14 400 LCM Freestyle
- Luka Mijatovic, 3:51.18 (2024)
- Evan Pinion, 3:57.61 (2009)
- Michael Phelps, 3:58.80 (2000)
- Dare Rose, 3:59.02 (2017)
- Nick Silverthorn, 3:59.24 (2010)
Previously at this meet, Mijatovic also broke records in the:
- 1500 free on Thursday, clearing his own record in 15:26.73.
- 200 free on Friday, clearing his own record in 1:49.63 (and swimming faster than Ian Thorpe’s famous Australian age record)
- The 400 IM on Friday, swimming 4:24.20 to clear Michael Phelps’ record.
In this event, he’s not quite as fast as Thorpe, the golden standard for age group freestylers, was. Thorpe swam 3:49.64 in the event in 1997.
He also swam a 2:03.67 on Thursday in the 200 fly for 3rd place, beating his previous best time of 2:10.43 from last July. That race was won by another 14-year-old, Santa Clara Swim Club’s Shareef Elaydi in 2:00.38. Elaydi’s swim makes him the #2 13-14 in the history of the event, behind only Phelps, while Mijatovic is now 9th all-time in the age group in that event.
Mijatovic turns 15 on April 22, so this will be one of his last meets as a 13-14. He now holds five 13-14 National Age Group Records in long course and four in short course, more than any other boy in the age group.
SwimSwam: He Does It Again: Luka Mijatovic Breaks Another National Age Group Record in the 400 Free
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