Shaine Casas Continues Superb Year on World Cup Circuit
For 16 hours this summer, any questions about Shaine Casas and his ability to fulfill his massive potential in major moments was silenced. In the World Championships final of the men’s 200 IM, Casas delivered the swim of his life to snag a silver medal. Racing against Leon Marchand, the world’s top swimmer who was one day removed from annihilating a 14-year-old world record in the event, Casas stayed within two-thirds of a second to secure a silver medal. His breaststroke split was only three tenths slower than Marchand’s; on freestyle, Casas was quicker.
Casas finished in 1:54.30, smashing his best time by almost a second and becoming the fourth-fastest man in history behind Marchand, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps. He reflected back on his Olympic debut one year earlier, where he was eliminated in the semifinals with a time three seconds slower than he would record in Singapore, calling the experience “kind of a fluke.” Casas declared, “I had a lot of things that were holding me back, and I was holding myself back, but I’ve let go of that. That’s in the past.”
But the next morning, the shadow of inconsistency reared its head yet again. Casas was seeded fifth in the 100 butterfly, seemingly poised to challenge for another medal after his medley success, but he fell to a stunning 19th-place finish in prelims. Same story the following morning the 50 backstroke, where Casas ended up in a tie for 20th. He was expected to take on either the backstroke or butterfly leg on the U.S. men’s 400 medley relay, a team badly needing talent and considered a longshot to reach the podium, but he was dropped entirely from the squad.
Casas was far from the only American swimmer to struggle in Singapore as the team dealt with widespread gastrointestinal illness, but the sudden shift in his fortunes from one session to the next was particularly jarring.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
But the 200 IM medal made his meet an all-around success, and his late-meet setback has been the only hiccup for Casas since he wrapped up the Paris Games. Before his shining moment in Singapore came a short course world title in the 200 IM last December plus four additional relay medals. Casas won two individual events and finished second in another at U.S. Nationals in June, and he would have been favored in the 100 back if not for dropping that race from his schedule.
And on the World Cup circuit, Casas was brilliant in the individual medley races, sweeping the 100 and 200 IM at all three stops while adding two wins in the 400 IM. In the shortest medley event, Casas beat out strong fields that included four men with world titles on their ledger, Hubert Kos, Noè Ponti, Thomas Ceccon and Finlay Knox. His top time on the circuit was 50.28, making him the third-fastest man in history.
His signature moment on the circuit came in the opening meet in Carmel when he knocked off Marchand in the 200 IM. Casas stayed narrowly ahead of the Frenchman, now his training partner, the entire race before touching three tenths ahead. With a time of 1:49.43, he lowered his own American record and cemented his status as the second-fastest swimmer ever in the event.
“I was actually thinking that the fear of losing is so daunting, especially in a sport where you don’t get redemption in one game or even in the next week,” Casas said after that performance. “It’s months or even years. You kind of just got to wait for your turn. Having that happen to me, I’ve kind of learned how to deal with that and process that and use that as fire. And I think, maybe during the years where it wasn’t at the top or swimming super well, that’s definitely fueled me and given me guidance throughout this time that I am doing well again.
During the circuit, Casas took on the 400 IM, an event he has largely eschewed since his college days at Texas A&M. At the Carmel stop, Casas raced from an early heat of the event but still finished third behind Olympic podium finishers Carson Foster and Tomoyuki Matsushita. A week later in Westmont, Casas had a lane in the final heat of the event and picked up a surprise victory, holding off a charging Foster down the stretch. Casas recorded a time of 3:57.41, jumping to No. 7 all-time.
Casas was even better at the final stop in Toronto, swimming a time of 3:56.13 to crush the World Cup record and move to third on the all-time list, with only Daiya Seto, a six-time short course world champion, and Lochte, the 2012 Olympic champion, having ever been faster.
We’ll see if the 25-year-old attempts to translate his 400 IM skills to long course, but regardless, his experience in that event should help his long course 200 IM as well as the backstroke and butterfly events that remain on Casas’ program. But more than anything, his World Cup performance was the follow-up he wanted and needed following the World Championships. Casas has locked up his place among the world’s elite and as the closest challenger in the 200 IM to the great Marchand.
“It’s great that I can do a 400 short course,” Casas said at the conclusion of the World Cup. “I couldn’t guarantee you I’d do it long course, but definitely happy to be able to step up and get uncomfortable or get comfortable with being uncomfortable. And huge for my confidence building towards maybe 200 freestyle or other events that are not my forte or something that I’m very confident (about) every time I step up in the blocks. So I’m happy with this.”
