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 Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
By the Numbers – Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay
- World Record: Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy, Anna Hopkin – Great Britain – 3:37.58 (2021)
- World Junior Record: William Grant, Josh Matheny, Torri Huske, Gretchen Walsh – USA – 3:44.84 (2019)
- Championship Record: Matt Grevers, Lilly King, Caeleb Dressel, Simone Manuel – USA – 3:38.56 (2017)
- 2022 World Champion: Hunter Armstrong, Nic Fink, Torri Huske, Claire Curzan – USA – 3:38.79
Please not the information below refers to Finals only.
With five out of the eight individual events that comprise the medley relays, the 100 back, and 100 breast and women’s 100 fly, done and dusted, let’s examine what, if any, impact those results will have on the medley relays. This article will focus mainly on Day Four’s mixed medley relay, but obviously, results from these 100s impact coaches’ decisions regarding the men’s and women’s medley relays.
Based on some mixed results, the US needs to use a male breaststroker. I’ve understood the logic behind it but have hesitated to say it is a must for every occasion; after all, the championship record was set using a female breaststroker. But looking at these results, I find it hard to quantify.
Entering these World Championships, the USA’s top breaststrokers were Lilly King and Lydia Jacoby. King had a great Trials, winning in 1:04.75, and Jacoby was just .21 outside of her personal best. Yet when the finals at Worlds came, both added time, with Jacoby claiming bronze in 1:05.94 and King placing 4th in 1:06.02.
These lackluster results (I say lackluster, but both are about 15+ seconds faster than my personal best) coupled with Nic Fink’s silver medal in the 100 breast (58.72) just help reinforce the need for a male breaststroker.
Yes, Fink was slower than his winning time from Trials, but he did tie with two of his likely competitors in the mixed relay, Dutch star Arno Kamminga and Italian Nicolo Martinenghi.
What really pushes the needle toward a male breaststroker for the US is the performance of the Chinese breaststrokers. Qin Haiyang won the men’s 100 breast by over a second in a time of 57.69, becoming the #2 performer of all time. If Fink is giving up a second or more to Qin, then Jacoby would be giving eight-plus seconds, and the US just doesn’t have the fly or freestyle swimmers on this roster to do that.
When we previewed the mixed medley relay, the fastest aggregate time was using the M/M/F/F relay of Hunter Armstrong, Nic Fink, Torri Huske, and Kate Douglass. Based on Ryan Murphy winning the gold medal in the 100 back, if the US opts to use a male backstroker, that is.
As the table shows below, using Murphy in the backstroke doesn’t actually yield the fastest time.
Comparison of M/MF/F & F/M/M/F Roster using times from the 2023 Worlds
| Swimmer | Time | Stroke | Swimmer | Time |
| Murphy | 52.22 | Bk | Smith, R. | 57.78 |
| Fink | 58.72 | Br | Fink | 58.72 |
| Huske | 56.61 | Fl | Rose | 50.74^ |
| Douglass | 52.28 | Fr | Douglass | 52.28* |
| 3:39.83 | Time | 3:39.52 |
^ time from trials, * split from 4×100 free relay
Despite Murphy being the gold medalist in the 100 back and Regan Smith just the silver medalist, the time difference between them is 5.56 seconds, while the difference between Huske and Dare Rose is greater at 5.87. To be fair, Rose’s time is the only one from Trials, but based on the way his 50 fly looked, Rose seems to be in great form.
The only drawback to using F/M/M/F is that Smith should have swam two 200 butterflies and two 50-backs already before the relay. Regardless of the American order, the once cautiously optimistic gold in this relay is now under serious threat.
In our preview, China had a flat start best time possible time of 3:38.67. With the 4th place finisher in the men’s 100 back (Xu Jiayu, 52.64), the winner of the men’s 100 breast (Qin, 57.69), and the winner of the women’s 100 fly (Zhang Yufei, 56.12), the Chinese pose a serious threat to the American chances of repeating as champions.
Comparison of Chinese Times for Mixed Medley
| Stroke | China 2022 Worlds | China: Best Flat Start | China 2023 Worlds |
| Back | Xu – 52.90 | Xu – 51.86 | Xu- 52.64 |
| Breast | Yan – 59.25 | Qin – 57.93 | Qin – 57.69 |
| Fly | Zhang, Y – 57.74 | Zhang, Y – 55.62 | Zhang, Y. – 56.12 |
| Free | Cheng, Y – 53.66 | Cheng, Y – 53.26 | Wu, Q. – 52.64* |
| Total | 3:43.55 | 3:38.67 | 3:39.09 |
* fastest split from 4×100 free relay
Based on the math alone, China is ahead by just under half a second, but like Smith, Yufei runs into the 200-fly double. China could opt to swim F/M/M/F, but their highest-placed female backstroker was Wan Letian, who swam 59.49 in the semis but added nearly a second to finish 8th in the final with a time of 1:00.39.
Australia have also improved their chances. If they use Kaylee McKeown and Zac Stubblety-Cook on the front half (as expected), the Australians should be able to keep close enough to allow for Matthew Temple (or Kyle Chalmers) to catch or nearly catch the American and Chinese teams. At that point, the anchor leg, Mollie O’Callaghan who led off the world record-setting women’s 4×100 relay in 52.08, or Shayna Jack, who split 51.69 on that, would be amongst the mix to win gold.
Using McKeown’s and ZSC’s 100 times, Temple’s flat start time from Australian Trials, and Jack’s split, the Australians have an aggregate time of 3:40.20, and with flying and fully tapered timed from Temple, the Aussies could be right in the mix.
To note, Temple did scratch out of the 200-fly semifinals after having qualified in 16th place with a time of 1:56.79.
Whatever the final roster line-ups for these teams are, if all are firing on all cylinders, one should expect this event to be an absolute dogfight.
As a reminder, these were SwimSwam’s picks before the meet.
| Rank | Team | Place at 2022 Worlds | Entry Times |
| 1 | USA | 1st | 3:38.79 |
| 2 | China | 6th | 3:43.55 |
| 3 | Australia | 2nd | 3:41.30 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 3rd | 3:41.54 |
| 5 | Great Britain | 4th | 3:41.65 |
| 6 | Italy | 5th | 3:41.67 |
| 7 | Canada | 11th | 3:43.98 |
| 8 | Japan | 7th | 3:45.08 |
Dark Horse: France
As Day 4 approaches, we assess,
The medley relays, who’s the best?
The US needs Fink,
For their gold, they must think,
But China’s surging, putting them to the test.
Australia to win.
Did a breastroke unicorn appear over night? 🙂 I think Australia will be happy to just medal and get a ticket to Paris.
I don’t think medalling for Paris really matters.
In realistic terms, no relay that comes in the top 6 here are missing Paris. It’s basically statistically impossible.
Lol I would love that but it’s not happening without a DQ
Still say to consider
Berkoff
Fink
Rose
Douglass
Slightly slower than
Murphy
Fink
Huske
Douglass
But Huske is not known to be good on relays.
She’s usually eh on relays because she has a packed event schedule. She has already swam her one individual event. That should give her more energy for a relay now.
Isn’t she entered in the 50?
Yeah she should be
That’s right I forgot about that. But I think my point still stands, a 50 won’t take much out of her.
The Breaststroke leg is just so important because it’s just a slow (relatively speaking) stroke which means the gap between top swimmers is greater. China is favored similar to why Great Britain broke this WR with Peaty and how they were always competitive with the US in the men’s medley even though their back and fly were miles weaker.
Still gotta have Hunter as leadoff. Murphy always goes faster in the individual event and we cant have a 52.5 leadoff again like the past couple leadoffs
Even if the projected times are 0.3 faster with having a female go first, I’d take my chances with 2 males up front.
It’s going to me Murphy, Fink, Huske, and Douglass. They’re not about to have Regan do a triple.
And less waves!
While I think there’s something to not going with female legs early b/c later swimmers being too far behind, I do think it makes more sense to ignore every other team’s possible lineups. Just maximize yours.
I still have a bad memory of the American mixed medley effort in Tokyo.
Unless you’ve got super stud male flyer (2017-19 Dressel) and a consistent mid-1:04 female breaststroker (2017-era King) [coupled with a high 59 male breaststroker], the only right answer here is M-M-F-F for the Stars and Stripes!
Totally agree. When you add wake problems by leading with a female you spend the final 3 positions fighting all of that. Remember watching dressel just plow the waves trying to come back.
It’s gotta be
Murphy (or armstrong) 52.3
Fink 58.5
Huske 56.2
Douglass (or weitzel) 52.2 (if douglass)
Total that’s 3:39.2. That’s the fastest we can do with this team (give or take the splits on this roster).
I just don’t see any other combination faster.