2022 Commonwealth Games: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

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 (PDF)
• Live Results

DAY 4 START LISTS

On day three of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the heats of the men’s 200 fly, women’s 200 breast, men’s 50 back. women’s 50 fly. and men’s 100 free will be contested.

We will get our first look at Kyle Chalmers swimming a 100 free off a flat start this year, as he opted not to swim the event at the 2022 World Championships. He comes in with a best time of 47.08 and will be the favorite to win, but look for him to be challenged by Canada’s Josh Liendo, England’s Lewis Burras and Jacob Whittle, as well as Scotland’s Duncan Scott.

World record holder Tatjana Schoenmaker will be swimming the 200 breast in this session. She also opted out of Worlds, so this prelims heat will give us a first look at her form in her best event this year.

Be on the lookout for Maggie MacNeil and Emma McKeon in the 50 fly, where they are primed for a rematch after going 1-2 in the 100 fly yesterday. However, Holly Baratt might just beat out both swimmers in that race. Other stars to watch include Chad Le Clos in the 200 fly and 100 back champ Pieter Coetzee in the 50 back.

Men’s 200 Fly Heats

• World Record: 1:50.39 — Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
• Commonwealth Record: 1:52.96 — Chad Le Clos, South Africa (2012)
• Commonwealth Games Record: 1:54.00 — Chad Le Clos, South Africa (2018)

Top 8:

1. Lewis Clareburt (NZL) — 1:56.76
2. Chad Le Clos (RSA) — 1:56.85
3. Duncan Scott (SCO) — 1:57.48
4. Bowen Gough (AUS) — 1:57.53
5. Jay Lelliott (ENG) — 1:57.93
6. Mason Wilby (ENG) — 1:57.97
7. James Guy (ENG) — 1:58.30
8. Brendon Smith (AUS) — 1:58.86

England’s James Guy was leading at the 100-meter mark in the first heat, but his teammate Mason Wilby overtook him on the homestretch and beat him by 0.33 seconds, winning the race in a time of 1:57.97 while Guy went 1:58.30.

In the second heat, it was Australia’s Bowen Gough who won in 1:57.53, holding off a late-charging Jay Lelliott of England.

In his typical racing strategy, top seed Chad Le Clos of South Africa took the final heat out very fast, but it was 400 IM champion Lewis Clareburt of New Zealand who won in a time of 1:56.76, the fastest overall time in the prelims. Le Clos touched in 1:56.85, the second-fastest time and the only other time under the 1:57 mark. Scotland’s Duncan Scott, who is coming off of a 200 free/400 IM double, went 1:57.48 to finish third overall in prelims.

Women’s 200 Breast Heats

• World Record: 2:18.95 — Tatjana Schoenmaker, South Africa (2021)
• Commonwealth Record: 2:18.95 — Tatjana Schoenmaker, South Africa (2021)
• Commonwealth Games Record: 2:20.72 — Leisel Jones, Australia (2006)

Top 8:

1. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) — 2:21.76
2. Jenna Strauch (AUS) — 2:24.97
3. Molly Renshaw (ENG) — 2:25.06
4. Kaylene Corbett (RSA) — 2:25.08
5. Abbey Harkin (AUS) — 2:26.11
6. Abbie Wood (ENG) — 2:26.80
7. Taylor McKeown (AUS) — 2:28.15
8. Tessa Cieplucha (CAN) — 2:30.04

England’s Molly Renshaw, South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett, and Australia’s Abbey Harkin were way ahead of the pack in the first heat, with Renshaw touching in 2:25.06 to win her race and beat Corbett by 0.02 of a second. Harkin led for the first half of the race, but faded into third and ended up clocking a 2:26.11.

World record holder Tatjana Schoenmaker was a body length ahead of the rest of the field in the second heat, easily winning in a time of 2:21.76 to finish first in the prelims by a significant margin and establish herself as a heavy favorite to win come finals. This time is a season-best time for her by three seconds, and is also the fastest in the Commonwealth this year so far. Worlds silver medalist Jenna Strauch of Australia touched behind Schoenmaker in 2:24.97, the second-fastest prelims time overall.

Men’s 50 Back Heats

• World Record: 23.71 — Hunter Armstrong, United States (2022)
• Commonwealth Record: 24.04 — Liam Tancock, Great Britain (2009)
• Commonwealth Games Record: 24.62 — Liam Tancock, England (2010)

Top 16:

1. Pieter Coetze (RSA) — 24.95
2. Andrew Jeffcoat (NZL) — 25.04
3. Ben Armbruster (AUS) — 25.18
4. Scott Gibson (SCO) — 25.26
5. Liam White (WAL) — 25.30
6. Bradley Woodward (AUS) — 25.39
7. Javier Acevedo (CAN) — 25.48
8. Srihari Nataraj (IND)/Mitch Larkin (AUS) — 25.52
9. N/A
10. Joe Small (WAL) — 25.60
11. Martyn Walton (SCO) — 25.62
12. Cameron Gray (NZL) — 25.67
13. Zheng Wen Quah (SGP) — 25.78
14. Joe Litchfield (ENG) — 25.80
15. Dylan Carter (TTO) — 25.81
16. Davante Carey (BAH) — 25.86

New Zealand record holder Andrew Jeffcoat led the field in heat five, winning in a time of 25.04 and nearly breaking the 25 second barrier.

100 back champion Pieter Coetzee took heat five in a time of 24.95, just out-touching Australia’s Ben Armbruster at the end of his race. Coetzee was the only man sub-25 in the heats and swam the fastest overall time in the prelims.

Scotland’s Scott Gibson won the final heat with a 25.26, while top seed Mitch Larkin of Australia tied with India’s Srihari Nataraj for second in a time of 25.52.

Women’s 50 Fly Heats

• World Record: 24.43 — Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2014)
• Commonwealth Record: 25.20 — Francesca Halsall, Great Britain (2014)
• Commonwealth Games Record: 25.20 — Francesca Halsall, England (2014)

Top 16:

1. Maggie MacNeil (CAN) — 26.24
2. Helena Gasson (NZL) — 26.52
3. Katerina Savard (CAN) — 26.57
4. Emma McKeon (AUS) — 26.65
5. Harriet Jones (WAL) — 26.68
6. Alex Perkins (AUS) — 26.73
7. Holly Barratt (AUS) — 26.86
8. Jing Wen Quah (SGP) — 26.88
9. Danielle Hill (NIR) — 26.92
10. Erin Gallagher (RSA) — 26.96
11. Ting Wen Quah (SGP)/Rebecca Meder (RSA) — 27.16
12. N/A
13. Keanna Macinnes (SCO) — 27.18
14. Maddy Moore (BER) — 27.33
15. Vanessa Ouwehand (NZL) — 27.38
16. Olivia Borg (SAM) — 27.42

100 fly champion Maggie MacNeil of Canada powered through the fifth heat, touching first in a time of 26.24 to swim the fastest overall time out of prelims by around three-tenths.

Then, in heat six, it was 100 fly silver medalist Emma McKeon of Australia who won in 26.65. She seems to have more in the tank, as her opening split of 26.41 in the 100 fly yesterday was faster than her 50 fly heats time today.

In the final heat, Helena Gasson finished first with a 26.52 to swim the second-fastest prelims time overall. Australia’s Holly Barratt, a longtime veteran of the sport, took third in 26.86 and will also qualify for finals.

Men’s 100 Free Heats

• World Record: 46.91 — Cesar Cielo, Brazil (2009)
• Commonwealth Record: 47.04 — Cameron McEvoy, Australia (2016)
• Commonwealth Games Record: 47.98 — Brent Hayden, Canada (2012)

Top 16:

1. Josh Liendo (CAN) — 48.54
2. Tom Dean (GBR) — 48.61
3. Ruslan Gaziev (CAN) — 48.84
4. Zac Incerti (AUS) — 48.84
5. Stephen Calkins (CAN) — 48.96
6. Kyle Chalmers (AUS) — 48.98
7. Matt Richards (WAL) — 49.19
8. Jacob Whittle (ENG) — 49.26
9. Duncan Scott (SCO) — 49.31
10. William Yang (AUS) — 49.49
11. Jack McMillan (NIR) — 49.61
12. Lewis Burras (ENG) — 49.60
13. Jonathan Tan (SGP) — 49.85
14. Mikkel Lee (SGP)/Cameron Gray (NZL) — 50.21
15. N/A
16. Pieter Coetze (RSA) — 50.33

Canada’s Ruslan Gaziev beat out England’s Lewis Burras and Jacob Whittle in heat seven, touching first in 48.84. Whittle and Burras had times of 49.26 and 49.70 respectivley, with the three swimmers being the only ones under 50 seconds in their heat.

Gaziev’s teammate, Josh Liendo, lead from start to finish in the eighth heat to win in 48.54 and take the top seed headed into semi-finals.. However, he had to hold off England’s Tom Dean and Zac Incerti, who both had very strong back halves.

Australia’s Kyle Chalmers made his individual 100 free debut in the final heat, but he was beaten out by Canada’s Stephen Calkins, who won the race out of lane one in a time of 48.96. This was a massive swim for Calkins, who had a best time of 49.60 coming into the start of the meet.  Chalmers went 48.98, a time that will be good enough to make it through to the semi-finals. Duncan Scott pulled off his second double session in a row, qualifying for semis with a 49.31.