TYR Pro Series Stop in Sacramento is Latest Checkpoint for Michael Andrew
One of the top storylines for this week’s TYR Pro Series stop in Sacramento will be the presence of Michael Andrew, who is entered in six events in the Golden State capital. Andrew is once again training under the direction of his father and longtime coach, Peter Andrew, and is gearing up for this summer’s Pan Pacific Championships. While Andrew officially qualified for Pan Pacs in the 50-meter butterfly, the structure of the competition will allow him to contest additional events at the William Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California.
In Sacramento, Andrew is slated to contest the 100 breaststroke, 100 butterfly and all four 50-meter events. The one-lap sprints figure to be the Team USA veteran’s focus on the road to the 2028 United States Olympic Trials. The 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke and 50 butterfly will all make their Olympic debuts when the Games return to Los Angeles in two years. Those events have been part of the World Championships program since 2001.
Although Andrew missed qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, he was a member of the American squad that competed at the Tokyo Games. That meet was highlighted by a gold medal in the 400 medley relay, with Andrew also finishing fourth in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, and fifth in the 200 individual medley. Now 27 years old, Andrew will try to reclaim that past form ahead of a home Olympiad.
The stakes for the TYR event in Sacrament are minimal, the meet serving as preparation for the bigger competitions of the summer. Still, the weekend provides Andrew with an opportunity to measure the success of his training and gain momentum in the leadup to Pan Pacs. A boost would be valuable for Andrew, who was 16th in the 50 butterfly and 25th in the 50 breaststroke at last year’s World Champs.
Several strong performances could also enhance Andrew’s status as a legitimate contender for a 2028 Olympic berth. Because the 50-meter events have been added to the Olympic program, those events are deeper than ever. American Van Mathias has enjoyed a breakout year in multiple sprints, most notably the 50 breaststroke, where he recently set an American record of 26.39. More, Mathias is the top-ranked American in the 50 fly for 2026, thanks to a swim of 23.06, and has gone 21.76 in the 50 freestyle.
It’s hard to predict what Andrew will produce this week in Sacramento, but a few solid swims could steer him in a positive direction.
