Men's American Swimmer of the Year

Top 3 Finishers
Lenny Krazelburg
Tom Malchow
Ed Moses

How do you spell dominant? K-R-A-Y-Z-E-L-B-U-R-G. If that's too long a word for you, just spell it L-E-N-N-Y. Trojan Swim Club's Lenny Krayzelburg, 24, is fast becoming the world's greatest backstroker of all-time (if not already), which is a fairly good reason why Lenny was the unanimous choice as Swimming World's male American Swimmer of the Year. How dominant was he in 1999? The most obvious is that he set world records in all three backstroke distances—24.99, 53.60 and 1:55.87. What's even more amazing is that he swam faster times than the No. 2 world-ranked swimmer in the 100 back on eight different occasions! And he did the same trick in the 200 back! Not since Russia's Igor Polianski in 1988 has the same person held the world record in both the 100 and 200 meter backstroke. And not since America's Rick Carey in 1983 has anyone set world records in both events at the same meet. This is the third straight year that Lenny was named World Swimmer in both the 100 and 200 back. Only Polianski (1985 and 1986) and Carey (1983) have done it in the last 20 years. And it's also the third straight year Krayzelburg was chosen male American Swimmer of the Year. Only Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Mike Barrowman (1989-1992) has done better.