USA Swimming News

In the lead up to the Nov. 19 Golden Goggle Awards, USA Swimming will highlight the eight award categories.

Male Race of the Year

This award is given to the male swimmer with the greatest single individual race of the year, with special emphasis on the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.

Michael Andrew, 50m Freestyle, 2018 Pan Pacific Championships

Nineteen-year-old Michael Andrew won his first career major long-course, international gold medal with a convincing swim in the 50m freestyle in Tokyo. He gained separation from silver medalist Caeleb Dressel at the 25-meter mark and held on down the stretch to touch in a lifetime-best 21.46, just two-hundredths off the meet record. Andrew’s gold was the first by an American in the men’s 50m free at Pan Pacs since 2010.

Zane Grothe, 800m Freestyle, 2018 Pan Pacific Championships

Zane Grothe capped a memorable 2018 season with a gold medal and a lifetime-best in the 800m freestyle at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo. After sitting second over the first 300 meters of the race, Grothe raced to a lead he would not relinquish at the 350-meter mark. He touched in 7:43.74 – good for a Pan Pacific Championships record and Team USA’s first-ever Pan Pacs gold medal in the event.

Chase Kalisz, 200m Individual Medley, 2018 Pan Pacific Championships

World champion Chase Kalisz continued his dominance in the individual medley events in Tokyo with Pan Pacs gold in the 200m IM in a personal best of 1:55.40 – nearly eight-tenths of a second clear of the field. After sitting in seventh place at the 50-meter mark, Kalisz moved up on the backstroke to second with 100 meters to go. He made his signature move on the breaststroke leg to overtake Japan’s Kosuke Hagino and held on down the stretch to touch for Team USA’s first Pan Pacs gold in the event since 2010.

Ryan Murphy, 100m Backstroke, 2018 Pan Pacific Championships

World record-holder Ryan Murphy posted the third-fastest 100m backstroke in history in Tokyo with a time of 51.94 to claim Pan Pacific Championships gold and a meet record. After a quick start, he was more than a second ahead at the turn and never looked back en route to a convincing 0.84-second victory over Japan’s Ryosuke Irie, who touched second. Murphy’s swim was good for 994 FINA points, the top mark of the meet, and clinched the United States’ first Pan Pacs gold in the event since 2010.