Team USA's 22-year-old Michael Andrew, competing in his first Olympics, finished fifth in the 200-meter individual medley. He entered the meet with the top time in the world this year, 1:55.26.
Andrew went 1:57.31 in Tokyo. After hitting the 150-meter mark with a one-second lead over the field, he closed his race over three seconds slower than China's Wang Shun, who won gold with a clean 1:55.00. For comparison, Andrew's splits were 24.21 on butterfly, 30.30 on backstroke, 32.11 on breaststroke and 30.69 on freestyle; Wang was 24.78/29.00/33.85/27.37.
He was also overtaken by Great Britain's silver medalist Duncan Scott (1:55.28) and Switzerland's bronze medalist Jeremy Desplanches (1:56.17).
The American previously finished fourth in the 100m breaststroke final earlier this week.
Andrew's 1:55.26 finish at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials made him the third-fastest American of all-time in the 200m IM, behind Michael Phelps at 1:54.16 and Ryan Lochte at 1:54.00. Phelps won gold in the event in each Olympics dating back to Athens 2004.
"My earliest memory is watching the 2008 Olympics and watching Michael Phelps dominate!" Andrew told NBC Olympics back in May. "A year later I broke my first national record and signed my first autograph. That’s when I knew I want to do this for a very long time and be the best!"
SEE MORE: Meet the Athletes: Michael Andrew
