“Damn Good Swim”: 22-Year-Old Catches Michael Phelps’ Eyes After Becoming Third-Fastest American Swimmer

The level of the USA swimming team is by far the best across the globe. The conveyor belt keeps coming up with talented swimmers competing for the top prizes. The journey of Michael Phelps ended after the 2016 Rio Olympics. So, finding a replacement would not be a straightforward task. That’s where Shaine Casas comes into the picture. After crushing the 100-meter butterfly, he competed in the 200-meter individual medley. 

Phelps realized the achievement and shared an Instagram story for the young wunderkind. He loved his performance and appreciated Casas for his sensational swim. In an era where Phelps and Lochte dominated swimming, it is refreshing to see a new kid on the block. 

Michael Phelps congratulates Casas

Casas set a time of 1:55.24 and bettered his previous time of 1:56.70. Therefore, he is turning tides inside the swimming pool with a sensational swim. In an interview, he recollected his thoughts after knowing this was the third-fastest time by an American after Phelps and Lochte. Not able to contain his excitement, Casas spoke about his performance. 

“Damn, that’s crazy. A lot of hard work and dedication and I’m going to give you this world, all I want. I’m happy to say that,” mentioned Casas in his post-race interview. Moreover, Phelps got into the act by posting a story on social media and congratulating him for his achievement. He captioned, “Damn good swim!! Congrats @shaine_casas.” 

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Despite Phelps being the 400-meter individual medley world record holder, his rival leads the way for the 200-meter individual medley. Significantly, Lochte set a time of 1:54.00 and is the current world record holder in the event. After that, Phelps comes into the picture with a time of 1:54.16. When Casas’ time gets compared to the all-time list, he ranks seventh, and Leon Marchand’s gold medal performance at the World Championships ranks sixth. 

Can Casas go better?

In fact, Casas was ahead of Lochte’s world-record time. He set a time of 53.37 seconds compared to Lochte’s 53.48. But, his backstroke leg saw him lose time. He swam 29.07 compared to Lochte’s 28.59 seconds. Casas’ signature events are 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley. The swimmer looks to be a contender for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

For a young swimmer, to reach Phelps’ level takes some time. Michael was way ahead of everyone else in terms of dedication and commitment. You may never know. He might amp in some times to solidify himself as the best swimmer in the world in the distant future. 

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