2017 FINA World Championships: Day 6 Prelims Preview

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The sixth prelim session from Budapest will be the busiest of the meet, save day 1, with six events scheduled. We’ll start off sprinting, with the men’s 50 free, women’s 50 fly and men’s 100 fly up first, followed by the women’s 200 back, men’s 4×200 relay, and the women’s 800 to close things out.

We’ll begin with the men’s splash n’ dash, the 50 free.

After winning gold by a mind boggling seven tenths of a second in the men’s 100 free, Caeleb Dressel certainly has the momentum swinging his way heading into a very busy end to the meet. Providing he advances through, Dressel will swim three rounds of 50 free, three rounds of 100 fly, and probably one 100 freestyle on the mixed relay over the next four sessions.

He’ll start with these 50 free prelims, where he’ll be in lane 5 of the first circle-seeded heat alongside Australian Cameron McEvoy, who was shut out of the medals in the 100 free in 4th place.

100m runner-up Nathan Adrian swims in heat 12 alongside Russia’s Vlad Morozov, as well as Brazilians Bruno Fratus and Cesar Cielo who will be back in the water for the first time since winning 400 free relay silver on day 1.

In the last heat we’ll find 50 fly champion and fastest man in the world this year Ben Proud, along with 50 fly bronze medalist Andriy Govorov and 2016 SC World champion Jesse Puts. Finland’s Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (21.58) and Poland’s Pawel Juraszek (21.68) will also be in the mix after obliterating their respective national records this season.

Next up will be the women’s 50 fly. The first circle-seeded heat will be headlined by Ranomi Kromowidjojo, and out in lane 0 will be 50m free Olympic gold medalist Pernille Blume, who could provide some outside smoke. Both Kromowidjojo and Blume have swam well here and advanced to the 100 free final tomorrow.

Heat 6 will pit teenagers Rikako Ikee and Penny Oleksiak head-to-head, and world record holder Sarah Sjostrom and 100 fly bronze medalist Kelsi Worrell will take the reigns in the last heat.

Approximately 15-20 minutes after the men’s 50 free wraps up the men’s 100 fly will get underway, where Dressel will be back in the pool in heat 6. Joining him will be China’s Li Zhuhao, who holds the Junior world record at 51.24. After Dressel split 49.92 on the mixed medley relay, he’s certainly capable of challenging for the gold medal, but the proximity to the 50 free could be too close come the final.

Heat 7 will be centered by hometown favorite Laszlo Cseh, with 100 free bronze medalist Mehdy Metella, two-time World Championship medalist in this event Konrad Czerniak of Poland, and British mid-distance freestyler James Guy also in the mix. Guy split a quick 50.51 in the mixed medley relay on day 4.

Reigning Olympic champ Joseph Schooling and defending champion Chad Le Clos take lanes 4 and 5 in the last heat, along with American Tim Phillips and Hungarian Kristof Milak.

There will be just four heats in the women’s 200 back, with Emily Seebohm starting things off in heat 2 as she looks to defend her title after taking 3rd in the 100. Kylie Masse, the winner of the 100, will swim alongside her.

Kathleen Baker and Olympic bronze medalist Hilary Caldwell will take heat 3, and Olympic silver medalist Katinka Hosszu headlines the last heat, along with WJR holder Daria Ustinova.

17 countries will race over two heats in the men’s 4×200 free relay, with favorites Great Britain and the U.S. in lane 4 in both heats. Lineups will be announced prior to the session.

Four heats of the women’s 800 will wrap things up, with the top eight advancing to finals on Friday.

The first of two circle-seeded heats sees Leah SmithBoglarka KapasAriarne Titmus and Simona Quadarella in action, while Katie Ledecky will swim alongside Mireia Belmonte and Li Bingjie in the last heat.

Find all day 6 prelim start lists here.

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ct swim fan
6 years ago

Pretty slow splits for USA. Who will be in the final. Haas, Pieroni and then who? They’re not winning anything with any 147s in the lineup.

Swim Fan
6 years ago

Schooling as the reigning Olympic champ in 100 fly hasn’t had such a good meet thus far. This year is clearly Dressel’s break out year. Although he didn’t medal in the 50 fly, he is in with a real chance with the 50 free and 100 fly, to add to his 100 free. Schooling has shown improvements in his times like for his 50 fly, but Dressel has improved even more, just like how it was during the NCAAs. Won’t be surprised if Dressel is the one who breaks the 100 fly record, if not here then at some future meet, he’s just too strong for the rest. Maybe both of them go under the WR for 100 fly but… Read more »

Dee
6 years ago

Relays are out…

USA – Dwyer, Litherland, Smith, Grothe
GBR – Milne, Grainger, Jarvis, Scott

Guessing they’re given Litchfield a trial and he swam very well… He has to come in for final

Zanna
Reply to  Dee
6 years ago

Wow no Conger?

Dee
Reply to  Zanna
6 years ago

Appears not… Cartwright anchoring Australia is an interesting one, too… No Sun Yang for China

Dee
Reply to  Zanna
6 years ago

US may be looking at this thinking ‘we have to risk it’… throwing Conger/Dressel into the final hoping they deliver a gold? But, personally, I’d bet on Pieroni/Haas coming in for the slowest 2 of this foursome and no other changes.

ct swim fan
Reply to  Dee
6 years ago

After the morning splits, I think I’m gonna disagree. They should replace everyone if they want a chance to win or even to medal.

commonwombat
Reply to  Dee
6 years ago

Should be a very tasty prospect tonight. RUS …the big X factor. Don’t think JAP are as strong as last year but might still be respectable. Everyone else ….. are just making up the numbers

Dee
Reply to  commonwombat
6 years ago

Russia are indeed the hardest to predict – If Lobintsev/Izotov can turn back the years, or young Vekovischchev can step up… They’ll be hard to beat.

Torchbearer
6 years ago

Anyone else enjoying the 10 lane prelims? I like how it tightens the morning schedule….

gator fan
6 years ago

This guy can handle the tough schedule. Gator tough!

KeithM
6 years ago

Since the sprint mixed relay is not an Olympic event I wouldn’t mind seeing the busy swimmers forgo the relay and turn it over to more rested teammates.

Zanna
Reply to  KeithM
6 years ago

I do hope that Apple and Chadwick will get another chance to swim the mixed relay, at least the prelims. It will be good experience for them.

commonwombat
Reply to  KeithM
6 years ago

USA has the luxury of having sufficient depth and numbers to be able to rest top swimmers and still be able to field strong enough squads in both relay heats plus mixed events. For just about every other nation, its a case of “when/where do we expend our prime resources ?”; “can we afford to rest them in relay heats ?”; “is it really worth our while contesting these mixed events/are we potentially wearing them out for some of their remaining main events?”.

It will be different in 2 years time but most teams are smaller this year than what you would see at an Olympics or pre-Olympic year Worlds

PK Doesn\'t Like His Long Name
6 years ago

With the mixed 400 free relay today, it brought back a thought. I had been wondering if the US *could* have gone 1-2-3-4 in the 400 mixed medley relay. Not *would*, but could. So summing the fastest relay or flat starts so far from the meet for each athlete, plus Tim Phillips 51.30:

Murphy 52.34
King 64.13
Phillips 51.3
Comerford 52.59
220.36

An easy win!

Baker 58.58
Miller 59.08
Worrell 56.17
Adrian 47.25
221.08

Getting really close.

Smoliga 58.77
Meili 65.03
Dressel 49.92
Haas 47.46
221.18

Getting *REALLY* close.

Grevers 52.32
Cordes 58.64
Gibson 58.16
Manuel 52.14
221.26

Sigh. So close, yet so far.

Pancake swimmer
6 years ago

Dressel will break 18 in the 50 free LCM before SCY. You heard it here first.

Zanna
Reply to  Pancake swimmer
6 years ago

18 LCM? On what planet?

SwimmerTX
Reply to  Zanna
6 years ago

Pluto

samuel huntington
Reply to  Pancake swimmer
6 years ago

what?

sven
Reply to  Pancake swimmer
6 years ago

100% agreed.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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