Luka Mijatovic Takes Down American Record in 1000 Freestyle

Luka Mijatovic Takes Down Decade-Old American Record in 1000 Freestyle

For the primary time in his budding profession, Luka Mijatovic has damaged an American file, not simply an age group mark however the all-time finest by any swimmer in an occasion. Sunday night at a Sectionals meet in Rosedale, Calif., Mijatovic produced a time of 8:32.83 within the 1000 freestyle to interrupt the earlier nationwide mark by greater than a second.

This efficiency comes on the heels of an infinite effort within the 500 free Saturday, the place Mijatovic swam a time of 4:05.76 to beat his earlier finest time (and National Age Group file) by greater than three seconds whereas changing into the third-quickest performer in historical past. In the five hundred, Mijatovic was inside 1.5 seconds of the nationwide mark held by Rex Maurer, and now he has taken down a mark that belonged to a different Texas Longhorn for the final decade. The earlier mark belonged to Clark Smith, who went 8:33.93 on the Texas Invitational in December 2015. Smith went on to qualify for the U.S. Olympic group six months later.

Mijatovic dropped 4 seconds from his personal 1000-yard finest time and NAG file; he beforehand clocked 8:36.71 late final yr. He was already effectively forward of the NAG file within the 17-18 age group, which belongs to Max Carlsen at 8:41.12. Mijatovic at present owns 11 NAG data, with the highest instances within the 500, 1000 and 1650-yard free for the 13-14 and 15-16 age teams, the 400, 800 and 1500-meter free for 13-14 swimmers and the 400 and 800 for 15-16.

The Pleasanton Seahawks swimmer has already been to the World Championships, having completed second within the 400 free finally yr’s U.S. Nationals. Last fall, Mijatovic verbally dedicated to swim on the University of Texas starting with the 2026-27 season.