The Athens leg of the Swimming World Cup 2023 witnessed both highs and lows for the American team. Just like in Berlin, Michael Andrew was carrying the torch for Team USA, but in a strange recurrence of the past, the ultimate glory of a podium finish eluded him. At the start of Day 3 of the Berlin showdown, Andrew occupied the top spot but had to vacate the position for China’s Qin Haiyang. A very similar thing happened in the second meeting in Greece.

Michael Andrew had anticipated a silver, if not a golden, finish in the Athens meet. However, as the evening progressed and the events unfolded, his hopes of standing on the podium were slipping away. At the end of the meet, Michael Andrew came very close to the winner’s circle but could not make the final leap for the glory.

Michael Andrew’s heartbreaking results at the Swimming World Cup 2023

Michael Andrew went through a roller coaster of emotions on the last day of the Athens meet. First, he won the silver medal in the men’s 100-meter butterfly, and following that he was back on the podium for the gold in the men’s 50-meter freestyle. He was the only swimmer to have a sub-22 time in the field.

However, as the evening rolled on, his rivals had one breakout performance after another. As a result, it affected his standing on the overall men’s leaderboard. World Aquatics posted the final results on Instagram with the caption, “Breakdown of the current top 6⃣ raked at the #SWC23 Looks like it will be a close competition in Budapest”.

At first look, the results might look disappointing as the American ace stands in fourth place on the top 6 list. Additionally, he was the only swimmer from the United States to feature on the leaderboard. But on closer inspection, one can easily see that all hope is not lost yet.

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Michael Andrew is merely 2.1 points behind third-rank holder Matthew Sates. This gap can easily be overcome in the third and final leg of the Swimming World Cup 2023.

Michael Andrew’s quest for gold in Budapest

Michael Andrew entered the Swimming World Cup 2023 with one goal in mind, that is to use it as a platform to launch him to his second Olympic Games. The winners of the Swimming World Cup will automatically make the qualifying quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Michael Andrew is eager to bear the Olympics logo once again on his chest. Therefore, he had strategized his entire run in the World Cup. However, things have not been going according to his plans.

Although he won the individual events, he did not make the required total points to be the top three swimmers in Berlin and Athens. Both times, he came close, but China’s Qin Haiyang pulled the rug from right under his feet. Thus, he is probably looking for a redemption in Budapest, which will be his final chance.

However, Haiyang has challenged the American star as he said, “I am pleased to win all three events in Athens, and it will be my goal in Budapest to win again”. Now, will Michael Andrew be able to answer the challenge, or will history repeat itself? Comment below with your thoughts.

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