Meet Watson Nguyen, the Vietnamese American swimmer who beat a US record holder

Nguyen was already a World Junior medalist and Ivy League champion before a 26.65-second swim gave him his first senior national title.

Photo via USA Swimming (YouTube)

Nine years after watching the U.S. national championships from the stands as an 11-year-old, Watson Nguyen returned to the meet and left as a champion.

The 20-year-old Vietnamese American swimmer won the men’s 50-meter breaststroke in 26.65 seconds in Irvine, California, on July 30, beating American record holder Michael A…