2022 Commonwealth Games, Day 1 Prelims Preview: Titmus Highlights Opening Session

2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

• Friday, July 29 – Wednesday, August 3, 2022
• Birmingham, England
• Sandwell Aquatic Center
• Start Times
  • Prelims: 10:30 am local / 5:30 am ET
  • Finals: 7:00 pm local / 2:00 pm ET
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Event Schedule
• Entry List
• Entries (in seed order) – h/t to Troyy
• Live Results

Ten events are on tap for the first swimming session of the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Friday. 

Six of the morning prelims — the men’s 400-meter freestyle, women’s 400 IM, women’s 200 free, women’s 100 free S9, men’s 200 breaststroke, and mixed 4×100 free relay — will go straight to finals later on Friday. The other four events — the men’s 50 butterfly, women’s 50 breast, men’s 100 backstroke, and women’s 100 fly — will feature a semifinal round first before finals on Saturday night. 

A packed summer schedule prevented some big names from making the trip to Birmingham, but there won’t be any shortage of stars with seven reigning world champions and eight current Olympic champions competing. 

Ariarne Titmus could steal the show on Day 1. After sitting out last month’s World Championships, the 21-year-old Aussie is slated to begin her return with the women’s 200 free. Titmus clocked a 1:53.31 at Australian Trials, just off her personal-best 1:53.09 from last June that ranks second all-time behind Frederica Pelligrini’s 1:52.98 from 2009. That world record is one of only two remaining from the super suit era, and Titmus could have her sights set on breaking it after lowering Katie Ledecky’s 400 free standard in May. She’ll be the heavy favorite in a 200 free field without defending champion Taylor Ruck, who opted to skip the meet along with fellow Canadien Penny Oleksiak after edging Titmus by .04 seconds in 2018. 

“I am feeling really good for Comm Games,” said Titmus, who will also contest the 800 free and 400 free on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. “I have improved in some areas since trials so I am looking forward to seeing how fast I can go at the Games.”

An Australian showdown is brewing in the men’s 400 freestyle, the first event on Friday’s schedule. Elijah Winnington owns the top-seeded time of 3:41.22, followed by fellow Aussies Mack Horton (3:43.92) and Sam Short (3:44.34). Ian Thorpe’s Commonwealth Games record of 3:40.08 has stood untouched for 20 years.  

Summer McIntosh was 11 years old the last time the Commonwealth Games were held. Now the rising Canadien star is the overwhelming favorite to take home the women’s 400 IM title in Birmingham after bringing home a world championship from Budapest — especially following the withdrawal of Kaylee McKeown, who owned the second-fastest time this season. Can McIntosh improve upon her world junior record of 4:32.04 from last month? She’s been as fast as 4:29.12 at a domestic meet in March, but it doesn’t appear that will be recognized as the world junior mark. Australia’s Kiah Melverton (4:39.78) and Jenna Forrester (4:36.77) figure to be McIntosh’s closest competition here. 

After the women’s 200 free heats, the women’s 100 free S9 is set to take place. It could be a tight battle between top-seeded 29-year-old Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand (1:02.37), 18-year-old Toni Shaw of Scotland (1:03.42), and 30-year-old Aussie Ellie Cole (1:03.49). Cole and Shaw placed third and fifth, respectively, at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 

There’s a deep field in the men’s 50 butterfly featuring 27-year-old Englishman Ben Proud, owner of the Commonwealth Games record (22.93). His 22.76 from semifinals at Worlds ranks fourth this year, but he’ll have to fend off a trio of Australians — Kyle Chalmers (23.21), Cody Simpson (23.68), and Matthew Temple (23.74) — along with Trinidad’s Dylan Carter (21.98) and defending champion Chad le Clos (23.86) of South Africa.

South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk boasts the only sub-30 entry time in the women’s 50 breaststroke field, her 29.72 ranking third in the world this year, but several swimmers should be in close pursuit. Compatriate Tatjana Schoenmaker (30.21), Australians Chelsea Hodges (30.15) and Jenna Strauch (30.82), and England’s Imogen Clark (30.10) and Sarah Vasey (30.23) are likely contenders to vie for the podium on Saturday night. 

South African teen Pieter Coetze will be looking to unseat defending champion Mitch Larkin in the men’s 100 backstroke. Last week’s scratch of 18-year-old Isaac Cooper leaves the race wide open between a trio of swimmers who have been sub-54 this year in Coetze (53.72), Larkin (53.73), Luke Greenbank (53.81), and Andrew Jeffcoat (53.72).

During an opening day that could feature several blowouts, the women’s 100 fly projects to be a heavyweight showdown. Twenty-two-year-old Canadien Maggie MacNeil got the better of Emma McKeon last summer in Tokyo, but the defending champion from Australia could be eyeing a statement swim after sitting out last month’s World Championships. MacNeil’s Olympic gold medal-winning time of 55.59 ranks No. 3 all-time while McKeon’s bronze performance ranks 10th.

In the men’s 200 breaststroke, it’s Zac Stubblety-Cook and everyone else. The world record holder and reigning Olympic champion is nearly three seconds ahead of the field on the entry list. Can the Aussie break his own standard of 2:05.95 set back in May? 

Australia’s mixed 4×100 free relay team will attempt to take down its world record of 3:19.38 from last month as the nation returns three of four members (minus Jack Cartwright) while also potentially adding reigning 100 free Olympic champion Emma McKeon. We may not see any of the big names in prelims, though. With an entry time of 3:21.81, England will be on the Aussies’ tail if they slip up at all.