2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
Welcome to day 6 of the Paris Olympics swimming schedule. We have another light prelims session this morning, which is scheduled to last a little over an hour. This morning will feature heats of the women’s 200 back, men’s 50 free, men’s 200 IM, and women’s 4×200 free relay.
DAY 6 PRELIMS SCHEDULE
- Women’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims
- Men’s 50 Freestyle – Prelims
- Men’s 200 IM – Prelims
- Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay – Prelims
The women’s 200 back will mark the 2nd showdown between Australian Kaylee McKeown and American Regan Smith. McKeown won the first round, having earned the gold medal in the women’s 100 back 2 days ago, while Smith won silver. McKeown enters the 200 back as the World Record holder this morning, having gone a 2:03.14 last March. Smith previously held the World Record from her breakout World Championships back in 2019. The other American in the field, Phoebe Bacon, should be in the mix as well. It will all start the prelims heats this morning.
The 50 free is, naturally, the most popular event, so we will have 10 heats this morning. Australian Cam McEvoy enters as the top seed, and he’ll be racing next to American Caeleb Dressel, the Olympic Record holder and defending champion in the event. McEvoy has made a career resurgence in the last couple years after making a dramatic shift to his training, which he has publicly chronicled and been very open about. Dressel is swimming a much lighter schedule than we’re used to seeing out of him at this meet, so he should be fresh for this race as well. Britain’s Ben Proud is always one to watch in the splash-and-dash as well. He’s seeded 2nd coming into this morning.
Defending Olympic champion Wang Shun of China comes in as the top seed in the men’s 200 IM this morning. Wang won the event in Tokyo with a 1:55.00. We have to look at France’s Leon Marchand as the favorite coming into this event, however. Marchand is on a tear right now, having won gold in all 3 of his individual events to this point, including winning both the 200 fly and 200 breast last night in a double. As we get towards the end of his schedule, it really feels as though nothing is going to stop Marchand from getting his hand on the wall first.
WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – HEATS
- World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
- World Junior Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
- Olympic Record: 2:04.06 – Missy Franklin, USA (2012)
- 2021 Winning Time: 2:04.68 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS
- 2021 Time to Advance to Semifinals: 2:11.24
- Peng Xuwei (CHN) – 2:08.29
- Kylie Masse (CAN) – 2:08.54
- Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2:08.89
- Phoebe Bacon (USA) – 2:09.00
- Honey Osrin (GBR) – 2:09.57
- Regan Smith (USA) – 2:09.61
- Anastasiya Shkurdai (AIN) – 2:09.64
- Emma Terebo (FRA) – 2:09.66
- Eszter Szabo-Feltothy (HUN) – 2:09.72
- Eunji Lee (KOR) – 2:09.88
- Katie Shanahan (GBR) – 2:09.92
- Carmen Weiler (ESP) – 2:10.09
- Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 2:10.29
- Pauline Mahieu (FRA) – 2:10.30
- Africa Zamorano (ESP) – 2:10.40
- Dora Molnar (HUN) – 2:10.51
The women’s 200 back prelims ended up being a bit faster than they were in Tokyo. 3 years ago, it took a 2:11.24 to advance to the semifinals, while this morning, it took a 2:10.51 for 16th. The last swimmer in was Hungary’s Dora Molnar, who is 18.
Leading the charge this morning was China’s Peng Xuwei, who swam a 2:08.29. Peng was out well this morning, splitting 1:02.20 on the opening 100m, then came home in 1:06.09.
Canadian Kylie Masse had an encouraging swim in the event this morning, clocking a 2:08.54 for 2nd overall. Masse, a former World Record holder in the 100 back, has had some struggles in the 200 back in the last couple years after having been very strong in the event for much of her career. This morning’s swim looked like a good change of pace for the 28-year-old.
World Record holder Kaylee McKeown clocked a 2:08.89 for 3rd this morning. McKeown, who won the 100 back a few days ago, looked very smooth and relaxed this morning. She was out in 1:02.73 at the 100, which we know will be much faster tonight in semifinals.
Similarly, Regan Smith, the former World Record holder in the event, clocked a 2:09.61 this morning. The 22-year-old was out even slower, 1:03.71, on the opening 100. We know, like several of the women in this heat, Smith will be out much faster tonight.
Fellow American Phoebe Bacon clocked a 2:09.00 for 4th this morning. She looked smooth like the rest, though, she did notably try to close a little bit this morning, going 32.90 on the final 50 after splitting 33.01 on the 3rd 50.
MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – HEATS
- World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009)
- World Junior Record: 21.75 – Michael Andrew, USA (2017)
- Olympic Record: 21.07 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
- 2021 Winning Time: 21.07 – Caeleb Dressel, USA
- 2021 Time to Advance to Semifinals: 21.97
- Cam McEvoy (AUS) – 21.32
- Jordan Crooks (CAY) – 21.51
- Florent Manaudou (FRA) – 21.54
- Lorenzo Zazzeri (ITA) – 21.64
- Ben Proud (GBR) – 21.70
- Thomas Fannon (IRL)/Leonardo Deplano (ITA) – 21.79 (TIE)
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- Ben Armbruster (AUS)/Kristian Gkolomeev (GRE) – 21.86
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- Meiron Cheruti (ISR) – 21.88
- Vladyslav Bukhov (UKR)/Gabriel Castano (MEX) – 21.89 (TIE)
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- Diogo Ribeiro (POR)/Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 21.91 (TIE)
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- Josh Liendo (CAN) – 21.92
- Maxime Grousset (FRA) – 21.94
Australian Cam McEvoy looked great as he sped to the top time of the morning in the men’s 50 free, hitting the wall in 21.32, which was the fastest time of the morning by 0.19 seconds. McEvoy is chasing that 20-point 50 free, and this morning was an encouraging race.
Jordan Crooks swam very well this morning as well, swimming a 21.51 for 2nd. Crooks has been a star in the NCAA for the last few years, where he swims for Tennessee.
France’s Florent Manaudou put up a very strong 21.54 this morning as well in front of the home crowd. Fellow Frenchman Maxime Grousset was the last swimmer in this morning, taking 16th in 21.94.
The 50 free was not the US’ event this morning. Caeleb Dressel, the defending Olympic champion and the Olympic Record holder in the event, tied for 13th this morning with a 21.91. That’s not a great time for Dressel, but we’ll see how he bounces back tonight. Meanwhile, Chris Guiliano won’t get a chance to bounce back from this morning, as he was 17th with a 21.97. Guiliano was 8th in the 100 free final last night,
MEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – HEATS
- World Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte, USA (2011)
- World Junior Record: 1:56.99 – Hubert Kos, HUN (2021)
- Olympic Record: 1:54.23 – Michael Phelps, USA (2008)
- 2021 Winning Time: 1:55.00 – Wang Shun, CHN
- 2021 Time to Advance to Semifinals: 1:58.15
- Daiya Seto (JPN) – 1:57.48
- Duncan Scott (GBR) – 1:57.77
- Leon Marchand (FRA) – 1:57.86
- Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 1:58.00
- Shaine Casas (USA) – 1:58.04
- Wang Shun (CHN) – 1:58.09
- Ron Polonsky (ISR)/Tom Dean (GBR) – 1:58.30 (TIE)
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- Jeremy Desplanches (SUI) – 1:58.46
- Carson Foster (USA) – 1:58.63
- Lewis Clareburt (NZL)/William Petric (AUS) – 1:58.84 (TIE)
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- Finlay Knox (CAN) – 1:58.97
- Thomas Neill (AUS) – 1:59.13
- Jaouad Syoud (ALG) – 1:59.41
- Apostolos Papastamos (GRE) – 2:00.79
The men’s 200 IM was quite a bit slower than it was in Tokyo. In Tokyo, it took a 1:58.15 to advance to the semifinals, meanwhile, that time would have been 7th this morning in Paris. Rather, it took a 2:00.79 to make it through to the semifinals.
Daiya Seto led the way this morning with a 1:57.48. The Japanese star took the race over on the middle of the race, where he split 29.81 on backstroke and 33.99 on breaststroke.
Great Britain’s Duncan Scott looked good this morning, as well, swimming a 1:57.77 for 2nd. Scott was home very fast, splitting 28.39 on the final 50 of the race.
France’s Leon Marchand, who has been the story of the meet so far, swam a smooth-looking 1:57.86 for 3rd overall. He was the best of anyone in the middle of the race this morning, splitting 29.77 on backstroke and 33.72 on breast.
The Americans saw both their swimmers make it back for semifinals. Shaine Casas came in 5th with a 1:58.04, while Carson Foster posted the 10th-fastest time with a 1:58.63.
WOMEN’S 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – HEATS
- World Record: 7:37.50 – Australia (2023)
- Olympic Record: 7:40.33 – China (2021)
- 2021 Winning Time: 7:40.33 – China (2021)
- 2021 Time to Advance to Finals: 7:56.16
