2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
- Meet site
- FinaTV Live Stream
- Live results
MEN’S 400 IM
- World Record: 4:03.84, Michael Phelps (USA), 2008
- World Championship Record: 4:05.90, Chase Kalisz (USA), 2017
- Defending 2017 World Champion: Chase Kalisz (USA), 4:05.90
Chase Kalisz (photo: Mike Lewis)
The 2017 World Champion in the 400 IM returns as Chase Kalisz will represent the USA again in Gwangju. There’s another major threat for the title, however, as Japan’s Daiya Seto has been having a great year. Kalisz is the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in this event, while Seto is the Olympic bronze medalist. Kalisz’s season best is a 4:13.45, but since the USA didn’t have a trials meet this year, he hasn’t had a taper meet since last summer’s Pan Pacs. Seto, on the other hand, has already swum his best time this year with a 4:07.95 from just a few weeks ago at the Sette Colli Trophy. Seto is #1 in the world this year with that time. He was the World Champion in both 2013 and 2015 in this event and looks to return to the top of the podium.
We also have the 2017 silver medalist returning as Hungary’s David Verraszto is currently ranked 3rd in 2019, just behind the 2017 4th place finisher Max Litchfield (GBR). Litchfield has been just over a second shy of his lifetime best already this season with a 4:10.94 in April. Verraszto has won the silver in this event at the last 2 World Championships. Like Seto, his season-best 4:11.90 comes from the Sette Colli at the end of June. Verraszto will be joined by Peter Bernek in representing the Hungarians. Bernek put up a lifetime best 4:12.80 in March.
There are a few more returning finalists from 2017, including Jay Litherland USA), Richard Nagy (SVK), and Brazil’s Brandonn Almeida. Of those 3, only Litherland has been sub-4:10 before, with a best of 4:09.31 from 2017 Nationals. Almeida, who was once the World Junior Record holder in this event, has a best of 4:13.00 from the last Worlds meet. He has the fastest season best of these 3 as he was within tenths of his best with a 4:13.69 in April. Azerbaijan’s Maksym Shemberev is another finals contender along with these 3. He swam his lifetime best 4:13.81 back in September.
Absent from the event this time around will be Japan’s reigning Olympic champion Kosuke Hagino, who will not be making the trip to Gwangju.
TOP 8 PICKS:
| PLACE | SWIMMER | COUNTRY | SEASON BEST | LIFETIME BEST |
| 1 | Chase Kalisz | USA | 4:13.45 | 4:05.90 |
| 2 | Daiya Seto | JPN | 4:07.95 | 4:07.95 |
| 3 | David Verraszto | HUN | 4:11.90 | 4:08.38 |
| 4 | Max Litchfield | GBR | 4:10.94 | 4:09.62 |
| 5 | Jay Litherland | USA | 4:14.42 | 4:09.31 |
| 6 | Peter Bernek | HUN | 4:12.80 | 4:12.80 |
| 7 | Brandonn Almeida | BRA | 4:13.69 | 4:13.00 |
| 8 | Maksym Shemberev | AZE | 4:13.61 | 4:13.61 |
Darkhorse Pick: China’s Wang Shun missed out on the final in this race in 2017, but is a top 8 contender with a lifetime best 4:09.10 from 2013. He’s not currently within the top 100 of 2019, but enters the meet with a seed time 4:14.02. We couldn’t find a swim for him in this event so far this season.
wpDiscuz
Seto will win in 4:04.4
He’d have to work the bk and fr significantly in order to get that close to WR. Phelps was 1:01.5/56.7 on bk and fr, while Seto’s PB splits are 1:03.1/58.8. Even if he wins, I think best case scenario is like 4:05.mid.
I totally agree, i just decided to be bold and minus about a second and a half.
I honestly think that Seto has this one. He seems like a man with a mission while Kalisz seems to have put Tokyo as his main focus. I still believe Kalisz will be 4:06 high but Seto wins it in 4:06.19
Really like Seto here; All that work on his breaststroke is the key to beating Kalisz.
1. Seto
2. Kalisz
3. 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Verraszto