Matt Fallon Becomes Penn’s First Swimmer to Make Team USA In New 200 Breast American Record

By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

June 15-23, 2024
Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
LCM (50 Meters)
Session Start Times (ET):

11 a.m. Prelims
7:45 p.m. Finals (varying based on broadcast needs)

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“I just wanted to go out there and have fun…and I definitely did,” Matt Fallon told a record-breaking crowd of 22,209 fans after qualifying for his first Olympics with a new 200 breaststroke American record.

Fallon brought the American record under 2:07 for the first time, crushing a 2:06.54. The former American record, held by Josh Prenot at 2:07.17, had stood for eight years. Kevin Cordes, Nic Fink, Will Licon, and Andrew Wilson have all ratted the record in the intermediate eight years with 2:07s of their own, but Prenot’s record from 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials held firm.

Top 10 All-Time U.S. Performers, 200 Breast (LCM) 

Matt Fallon, 2:06.54 — 2024
Josh Prenot, 2:07.17 – 2016
Kevin Cordes, 2:07.41 – 2017
Eric Shanteau, 2:07.42 – 2009
Nic Fink, 2:07.55 – 2019
Will Licon, 2:07.62 – 2019
Andrew Wilson, 2:07.77 – 2019
AJ Pouch, 2:08.00 – 2024
Jake Foster, 2:08.23 – 2023
Josh Matheny – 2:08.32 – 2023

Fallon took a run at the record during semifinals, swimming 2:07.39 to move up to second-fastest American all-time. He seemed shocked when he turned to look at the time. But tonight, there was no shock, only pure celebration as he unleashed one of the biggest celebrations yet at these Trials.

“I felt really good about that [semifinal] race,” said Fallon after his race. “[Tonight] I just wanted to do mainly the same thing that I did. I was strong but still kind of keeping it a little gentle on the first 100, don’t want to go out too fast.”

Fallon is known for his back half strategy. He did use it tonight: he went from 5th at the 50, to third at the 100, and into first by the final turn. “I’ve done a lot of work this year on kind of developing my strength while still being able to keep the back half along with it. So my race strategy didn’t really change. I just really tried to hammer home that last 50 and I feel like I really succeeded there.”

Matt Fallon – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
Josh Prenot – 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials

50
29.19
29.21

100
1:01.50 (32.31)
1:01.67 (32.46)

150
1:34.00 (32.50)
1:34.19 (32.52)

200
2:06.54 (32.54)
2:07.17 (32.98)

Despite Fallon’s back-half talent, he was actually ahead of Prenot’s American record pace throughout the race. And it was the last 50 that made the difference for the 21-year old University of Pennsylvania student. He outsplit Prenot by .44 seconds over the final 50 meters and ended up erasing the record by .63 seconds.

Fallon is the first Penn student to ever make Team USA in the pool. And he shared that after his race was the first time that he’s seen Penn head coach Mike Schnur cry.

Fallon first turned heads three years ago in Omaha, when he qualified in first for the final utilizing his dramatic back-half speed. Only 18 years old, Fallon wasn’t able to recapture the semifinal magic in the final and finished 8th.

He said post-race that he knew what it felt like to be in the top spot heading into the final but “this morning, afternoon, tonight [was] just a much different vibe.”

The next qualification meet after 2021 Olympic Trials was 2022 International Team Trials, but Fallon had to skip the meet due to a conflict with final exams. At U.S. Nationals later that summer he improved his best time by a second in 2:07.91.

Last summer, after recovering from a back injury that kept him out of NCAAs, he made the US Worlds team, then won a bronze medal in Fukuoka, where he posted another best time (2:07.74).

This year, Fallon said that he’s taken a lot of time to focus on long-course and do a lot of race prep. “I knew that I definitely had the capability to [break the record]…I just wanted to get out and do it on the biggest stage.”

And given the attendance count tonight surpassed the previous record set on Saturday, there was no stage bigger for Fallon to put up a special swim like that.

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