Townley Haas
![]() Haas at the2016 Summer Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Francis Townley Haas[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | DogeAquatic Feller Water Kitten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | [1] Richmond, Virginia,U.S.[3] | December 13, 1996||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.95 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Cali Condors[2] NOVA of Virginia Aquatics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College team | University of Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coach | Eddie Reese Kris Kubik (University of Texas) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Francis Townley Haas(born December 13, 1996) is a retired American competitiveswimmerwho specialized in freestyle events. He is anOlympicgold medalistin the4 × 200 m freestyle relayfrom the2016 Summer OlympicsinRio de Janeiro.Haas competed collegiately for theUniversity of Texas at Austinfrom 2015 to 2019 under head coachEddie Reesewhere he was a 10-time NCAA Champion, a 17-time All-American, and a 3-time NCAA team champion (2016,2017,and2018).[4]He is the formerAmerican record-holder in the 200-yard freestyle (1:29.50) and represented theCali Condorsin theInternational Swimming League.[2]
Background[edit]
Haas grew up inRichmond, Virginia(where his family still lives)[5]and graduated fromBenedictine College Prep.Before his college career, he swam for Geoff Brown at Nova of Virginia Aquatics (NOVA), which sent nine swimmers to the2016 Olympic TrialsinOmaha, Nebraska.[6]
In College, Haas swam for Hall of Fame CoachesEddie Reese,andKris Kubikat theUniversity of Texas.[7]As a sophomore at Texas, he helped the Longhorns win this year's NCAA team title. He has qualified in five different events, but will only compete in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle races "}}</ref>
Townley has two siblings, an older sister, Emily, and older brother, Wyatt. His sister was shot twice in theVirginia Tech Shooting,but survived. His mother is the Virginia State Director for theCoalition to Stop Gun Violence.
In December 2020, Haas announced his engagement to his girlfriend of over 5 years, Megan Meseck.[8][9]They married on May 28, 2022.
Career[edit]
2014: Five-time Junior Pan Pacific gold medalist[edit]
2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships[edit]
In August 2014, as a 17-year-old at the2014 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming ChampionshipsinHawaii,Haas won gold medals in five events, the 200 meter freestyle with a Championships record time of 1:48.32, the 800 meter freestyle with a 8:00.99, the 4×100 meter freestyle relay with a 3:18.68, the 4×200 meter freestyle with a 7:21.36, and the 4×100 meter medley relay with a 3:39.09.[10]
2016[edit]
2016 NCAA Championships[edit]
On the first day of the2016 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championshipsin hisfreshmanseason, Haas won the 4×200-yard freestyle relay for theLonghornsalongside teammatesJack Conger,Clark Smith,andJoseph Schooling,setting a newU.S. Open recordwith Haas swimming the fastest relay split ever for a 200-yard freestyle in 1:30.52. The next day, Haas won his first individual NCAA Championship in the 500-yard freestyle going 4:09.00.[3]Following his title in the 500, Haas set a new precedent in the 200-yard freestyle by becoming the first man to ever break the 1:31.00 barrier in a newNCAA,American,andU.S. Openrecord time of 1:30.46.[11]This time eclipsed the elusive 10-year-old mark of 1:31.20 held by theArizona WildcatSimon Burnett.[12]
2016 U.S. Olympic Trials[edit]
At the2016 U.S. Olympic TrialsinOmaha, Nebraska,Haas won the 200-meter freestyle in 1:45.66 ahead ofConor DwyerandJack Conger,qualifying for the2016 Olympic GamesinRio de Janeiro.Haas also placed third in the 400 m freestyle.[13]
2016 Summer Olympics[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Nata%C3%A7%C3%A3o_Rio_2016_1036469-10082016-_mg_7874.jpg/250px-Nata%C3%A7%C3%A3o_Rio_2016_1036469-10082016-_mg_7874.jpg)
At the Rio Olympics, Haas placed fifth in the200-meter freestyleand won gold in the4×200-meter freestyle relay.He swam the second leg of the relay, providing the fastest split of the entire field by 0.71 seconds going 1:44.14.[14]
2017[edit]
2017 NCAA Championships[edit]
At the2017 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships,Haas again won the 200 free, going just shy of his record time in 1:30.65. His second victory of the meet came in the 400 freestyle relay, with Haas splitting a 41.01 on the third leg. His relay consisting of Brett Ringgold,Jack CongerandJoseph Schoolingset a new NCAA and U.S. Open record in 2:45.39. In the 500 free, Haas wasn't able to defend his title and finished second behind teammate Clark Smith, swimming a personal best time of 4:08.92.[3]Haas also failed to defend Texas' title in the 800 free relay, finishing second behindNC State.
2017 World Championships[edit]
2017 World Championships | ||
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4×100 m freestyle | 3:10.06 |
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4×100 m medley | 3:27.91 |
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4×100 m mixed freestyle | 3:19.60 (WR) |
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200 m freestyle | 1:45.04 |
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4×200 m freestyle | 7:03.18 |
Swimming in the2017 World Championships,Haas won 3 gold medals, as well as earning a silver and a bronze. In the 200 m free, Haas placed second behindSun Yang,earning himself his first major international medal in an individual event. SinceCaeleb Dressel,2017 world champion in the 100 m freestyle, was swimming the butterfly leg of the medley relay, this allowed Haas to swim the freestyle portion of the 4×100 medley relay preliminaries, which won him his second gold medal of the competition. Haas picked up his third gold medal by virtue of the4 × 100 mmixed free relay prelims. Swimming the second leg of the4 × 200 mfree relay, Haas split 1:44.58 to pick up a bronze medal behindGreat BritainandRussia.[3]
2018[edit]
2018 NCAA Championships[edit]
Swimming in his junior season at the2018 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships,Haas anchored the Longhorns to a third-place finish in the 800 free relay. Earlier in the race,Blake Pieronibroke Haas' American record in the 200 y free while leading off theIndiana Hoosiers' relay. Pieroni's 1:29.63 not only broke Haas' American record by almost a second, it also made Pieroni the first man to ever swim under the 1:30.00 barrier in the 200 y free. Two days later, Haas raced Pieroni head-to-head in the individual 200 free. Stepping up to the plate, Haas beat him in a newNCAA,American,andU.S. Openrecord time of 1:29.50, taking his record back after a 2-day hiatus.[15]Haas also won the 500 free in a new personal best time of 4:08.60 and got 6th place in the 100 free (41.67).
2018 Pan Pacific Championships[edit]
InTokyo,Haas got more hardware by winning two gold medals. In the 200 m freestyle, Haas outlastedUnited StatesteammateAndrew Seliskar,winning in 1:45.56 to Seliskar's 1:45.74. On the second day of competition, Haas competed in the4 × 200 mfreestyle relay alongside Andrew Seliskar, Blake Pieroni, andZach Apple.With only one swimmer left to swim, the USA dove in 1.40 seconds behindAustralia.The Aussie lead slowly diminished as Haas closed onJack Cartwright.With his final lunge to the wall, Haas outtouched Cartwright in a clutch swim as the USA beat Australia 7:04.36 to 7:04.70. Haas' split of 1:43.78 was the 3rd fastest rolling-start split in history.[3]
2019[edit]
2019 NCAA Championships[edit]
In his final season as a collegiate athlete, Haas entered the2019 NCAA Championshipsat his home pool inAustin, Texaslooking to repeat his title in the 500 y freestyle, and 4-peat his 200 y freestyle titles. Swimming the anchor leg of the 800 free relay, Haas split 1:29.66 to give the Longhorns the victory as well as a new NCAA, American, and U.S. Open record time of 6:05.08. Swimming in the heat prior to the Longhorns',Harvard'sDean Farrisbroke Haas' 200 free American record while leading off the Crimson's 800 free relay in 1:29.15. On day 2 of the competition, Haas repeated his title in the 500 free with a new NCAA record time of 4:08.19. While looking to make a clean sweep of 200 freestyles at the NCAAs and retake his American record, Haas eventually finished a distant 4th place in 1:31.80, well off his personal best time. In the last race of his college career, Haas anchored the Longhorns to a victory in the 400 free relay (2:45.12), splitting 40.76.[16]Despite the victory, the Longhorns finished second in the team standings to theCal Golden Bears.
2019 World Championships[edit]
2019 World Championships | ||
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4×100 m freestyle | 3:09.06 |
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4×200 m freestyle | 7:01.98 |
In his first event at the2019 World Championships,Haas swam in the prelims of the4 × 100 mfree relay, leading off in 48.60. The relay would go on to victory later that night, winning Haas a gold medal. In the 200 m free, Haas regressed to 14th place going 1:46.37, well off his silver medal performance from 2 years prior. Swimming the anchor leg of the 800 free relay, Haas split 1:45.16 to get the USA on the podium with a bronze medal.[3]
2019 International Swimming League[edit]
In 2019 he was a member of the inauguralInternational Swimming Leaguerepresenting theCali Condors,who finished third place in the final match in Las Vegas, Nevada in December. Haas competed in the 200 meter and 400 meter freestyle races as well as relay events throughout the season.[17]
2022: Retirement[edit]
In February 2022, Haas announced his retirement from competitive swimming through his Instagram post.[18][19]
Personal bests[edit]
- As of March 4, 2021
Long course | ||||
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Event | Time | Meet | Date | Note(s) |
100 m freestyle | 48.20 | 2017 U.S. Summer Nationals | June 27, 2017 | |
200 m freestyle | 1:45.03 | 2017 U.S. Summer Nationals | June 28, 2017 | |
400 m freestyle | 3:45.04 | 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials | June 26, 2016 |
Short course | ||||
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Event | Time | Meet | Date | Note(s) |
200 m freestyle | 1:40.49 | 2020 International Swimming LeagueFinal | November 22, 2020 | CurrentAmerican record |
400 m freestyle | 3:52.37 | 2020 International Swimming League Match 1 | October 15, 2020 |
Short course yards | ||||
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Event | Time | Meet | Date | Note(s) |
100 y freestyle | 41.67 | 2018 NCAA Championships | March 24, 2018 | |
200 y freestyle | 1:29.50 | 2018 NCAA Championships | March 23, 2018 | FormerNCAA,American,andU.S. Open record |
500 y freestyle | 4:08.19 | 2019 NCAA Championships | March 28, 2019 | Big 12 Conference and University of Texas school record, former NCAA record |
1650 y freestyle | 14:34.36 | 2016 NCAA Championships | March 26, 2016 |
See also[edit]
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
- List of United States records in swimming
- List of University of Texas at Austin alumni
- NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships
- Texas Longhorns swimming and diving
- Texas Longhorns
References[edit]
- ^abc"Townley Haas".University of Texas.RetrievedJuly 23,2019.
- ^abKeith, Braden (December 9, 2019)."cali-condors-unveil-roster-for-2019-international-swimming-league-finale".SwimSwam.
- ^abcdefg"Townley Haas Bio".Swimswam.RetrievedJuly 23,2019.
- ^"Townley Haas Bio".swimswam.com.RetrievedMarch 4,2021.
- ^Gilligan, Gregory J. (August 10, 2016)."Henrico County's Townley Haas says winning Olympic gold 'has been an awesome ride'".Richmond Times Dispatch.BH Media Group.RetrievedJuly 23,2019.
the Henrico County native won his first Olympic gold medal "..." Haas family house in the Church Run subdivision in western Henrico shortly after the Benedictine College Preparatory graduate received his gold medal
- ^{{cite news|author=Casadonte, Lane|title=NOVA sends 9 swimmers to Olympic Trials|url=https://wtvr.com/2016/06/22/nova-sends-9-swimmers-to-olympic-trials/%7Caccess-date=10August 2016|publisher=CBS 6 News (WTVR)|date=June 29, 2016|quote= "Townley Haas is the highest profile swimmer to represent NOVA this year.
- ^"SwimSwam, University of Texas Associate Head Coach Kubik Retires".SwimSwam.
- ^Dornan, Ben (December 14, 2020)."Olympic Gold Medalist Townley Haas And Megan Meseck Announce Engagement".SwimSwam.Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^De George, Matthew (December 15, 2020)."Townley Haas, Megan Meseck Announce Engagement".Swimming World.Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^Hy-Tek (August 31, 2014)."Meet Results: 2014 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships".swmeets.com.Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^2016 Men's NCAA 200 Free Championship Final.March 29, 2016.RetrievedMarch 4,2021– via youtube.com.
- ^"(Race Video) Texas' Townley Haas Crushes 200 Free NCAA, American Record With 1:30.46".swimmingworldmagazine.com.March 25, 2016.RetrievedMarch 4,2021.
- ^"U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming"(PDF).omegatiming.com.June 28, 2016.RetrievedMarch 4,2021.
- ^Gibbs, Robert (August 9, 2016)."Townley Haas splits 1:44.14, tied for 5th-fastest in history".Swimswam.RetrievedJuly 23,2019.
- ^David Rieder (March 28, 2016)."Townley Haas Impresses and Excites Imagination at Men's NCAA Championships".Swimming World.
- ^"2019 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming & Diving".sidearmstats.com.March 27–30, 2019.RetrievedMarch 4,2021.
- ^Keith, Braden (December 21, 2019)."international-swimming-league-finale-in-las-vegas-day-two-live-recap".SwimSwam.
- ^Pelshaw, Anya (February 13, 2022)."Gold Medalist And American Record Holder Townley Haas Announced Retirement".SwimSwam.Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^D'Addona, Dan (February 13, 2022)."Olympic Gold Medalist Townley Haas Announces Retirement From Competitive Swimming".Swimming World.Retrieved February 13, 2022.
External links[edit]
- 1996 births
- Living people
- American male freestyle swimmers
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming
- Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
- Texas Longhorns men's swimmers
- Sportspeople from Richmond, Virginia
- Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Swimmers from Virginia