2023 World Champs Day 1 Prelims Preview: Leon Marchand Eyeing Phelps’ 400 IM WR Today

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results (Omega)

DAY 1 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET (START LIST)

DAY 1 PRELIMS SCRATCH REPORT

The first session of the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan is almost here! This morning’s (or night’s, depending on where you live) action will feature heats of the women’s 200 IM, men’s 400 free, women’s 100 fly, men’s 50 fly, women’s 400 free, men’s 100 breast, and men’s 400 IM individually. There will also be prelims of the men’s 4×100 free relay and women’s 4×100 free relay.

That means two of the most highly anticipated races of the week will have finals today. Let’s start with the women’s 400 free, where the stage is set for what could be an all-time great race between the three-fastest swimmers of all-time in the event. Canadian 16-year-old Summer McIntosh heads into the day as the top seed in the event after setting the World Record back in April at the Canadian Trials with a 3:56.08.

While that makes McIntosh the favorite coming into the day, she still has her work cut out for her. That’s because the other two women who have been 3:56 in the event are right there in the field as well. Australian Ariarne Titmus is the #2 seed, coming in with a 3:56.40, which she swam last spring at the 2022 Australian Trials to set what was then the World Record.

Of course, there’s American Katie Ledecky as well. Ledecky swam her personal best of 3:56.46 back at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. That time stood as the World Record in the event until Titmus clipped it last spring.

Both Ledecky and Titmus have been 3:58 so far this year, putting them behind McIntosh, however, all three of them of course have what it takes to win. That’s more of a focus for tonight, though. This morning, the only job is avoiding disaster by missing the final. None of them should have an issue with that, though it will be interesting to see who is under 4:00 in prelims.

The men’s 400 IM is the other prelim/final individual event of the day. That will see French superstar Leon Marchand go up against American star Carson Foster. Marchand has the upper hand coming into the meet, entering as the #2 performer all-time in the event. The eyes will really be on Marchand in finals tonight, where the whole swimming world will be holding their breath to see if he takes down Michael Phelps’ legendary World Record of 4:03.84.

The women’s 200 IM also presents an interesting race, however, that really won’t be all that intriguing until the final tomorrow. Kate Douglass leads a very tight top three seeds, all of whom have been 2:07. Along with her American teammate Alex Walsh and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, the job this morning will be to put up a respectable time and advance to the semifinal.

The women’s 100 fly also features a very tight field. American Torri Huske comes in as the top seed with a 55.64. She and Canadian star Maggie MacNeil will both be continuing their quests to take down Sarah Sjostrom’s World Record of 55.48, which has stood since 2016. That journey begins this morning with the prelims.

In an Adam Peaty-less men’s 100 breast, China’s Qin Haiyang comes in as the top seed with a 57.93. He’s the only swimmer entered under 58 seconds, setting himself up well. That being said, it looks like something around a low 1:00-point will be what it takes to advance to the semifinal, so the top seeds should all be just fine.