Swimming

Drew Kibler Clocks Top 200 Free Time in World This Year with 1:45.82 at Indy Sectionals

March 25, 2023

2023 INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDO SECTIONALS

March 23-26, 2023
IU Natatorium – IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana
Long Course Meters (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 top 200-meter freestyle time in the world this year with a 1:45.82 to win by nearly two seconds on Friday night at the 2023 Indianapolis Sectionals.

Men’s 200-Meter Freestyle, 2023 World Rankings

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. He went on to place fourth at the World Championships last summer, the top American finisher in the event, while also earning a gold medal swimming the leadoff leg of the 4×200 free relay (1:45.54).

After graduating from Texas last spring, he opted to not use his fifth year of eligibility, instead returning 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 making the switch, posting a 22.23 in the 50 free for the victory. The 23-year-old followed up that with another impressive performance in the 200 free, taking nearly two seconds off Felix Auboeck’s meet record from 2017 (1:47.45) with his 1:45.82. Kibler was less than a second off his lifetime best of 1:45.01 from his fourth-place finish at Worlds.

Kibler’s progression in the 200 free this year has seen a sharp spike, with a 1:49.59 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville and a 1:47.94 at the stop in Fort Lauderdale before his new season-best tonight.

Second-place finisher Aaron Shackell, an 18-year-old Carmel Swim Club teammate and Cal commit, placed second behind Kibler in 1:47.70. Shackell dropped more than three seconds off his previous best from Junior Nationals last summer.

SwimSwam: Drew Kibler Clocks Top 200 Free Time in World This Year with 1:45.82 at Indy Sectionals