Throughout the last few months we have been updating the relay rankings heading into the Olympics as teams jockeyed for position through different events including the European Championships in May and various Time Trials held at some of the nations Olympic Trials. With the Olympics now less than a week away, and the official Rio psych sheets lacking relay team entries (just relay alternates), we thought we’d look into what the relay entries are looking like for Rio; if they are the same as the 16 that qualified, or if some have pulled out of different relays.
As a refresher, here are the FINA qualification rules concerning relays:
- There shall be a maximum of sixteen (16) qualified teams in each relay event, for a total of 96 relay teams.
- Each NOC may enter only one (1) team in each relay event.
- The first 12 placed teams in each relay event at the 16th FINA World Championships in Kazan (RUS) in 2015 shall automatically qualify for the relay events at the 2016 Olympic Games.
- The remaining four (4) teams per relay event will be the teams with the fastest times in the FINA World Rankings as of 31 May 2016 achieved during the qualification period, in the qualifying events approved by FINA, from 1 March 2015 to 31 May 2016.
- All swimmers entered in individual events can be used in relays, even if they have not achieved the OST / “B” Time for the corresponding stroke and distance of the relay in which they are entered.
- RELAY ONLY SWIMMERS:
- Each NOC may enter additional swimmers for relays only (Relay-Only Swimmers), provided that they have achieved at least the OST / “B” Time for the corresponding stroke and distance of the relay in which they are entered.
- If an NOC enters relay-only swimmers for a specific event, these swimmers must swim either in the heat or final of that relay event. Should a relay-only swimmer not compete, this will lead to the disqualification of the respective team in the final.
So, to put it simply, the top-12 teams from the 2015 World Championships automatically qualified, and then the next fastest four teams from the qualifying period of March 1st, 2015 to May 31st, 2016 also qualified.
Based on research, it appears that two different teams that have qualified for a relay have pulled out, moving two #17 teams into the Olympics.
In the men’s 400 free relay Great Britain placed 10th at the World Championships last year, qualifying them for the Olympics this year. However, it appears they will not compete in the event at the Olympics. They are the only team among the qualified teams that doesn’t have four legitimate freestyle sprinters to swim the relay entered at the Games, and the #17 team Spain has relay alternates entered in the event. Nothing is official that they’re out, but Spain is officially entered in the event meaning one previously qualified team is out and they’re the logical one based on entries.
Along with them, Poland is the only other country lacking relay alternates entered in the event, and all four of the Polish swimmers that qualified the relay at the 2015 Worlds are entered individually.
A similar situation in the women’s 400 free relay has arisen, with team #17 Switzerland entered with relay alternates, meaning one team that qualified won’t compete. Germany, who sat 16th in the rankings based off their performance at the World Championships last summer, appears to be out. They are one of only three countries who don’t have a relay alternate entered in the event, and both Poland and Brazil have all four of their swimmers from the relay teams that qualified for the Games entered individually, while Germany does not.
Also of note in the women’s 400 free relay was a registration error by Belarus, which moved them out of the relay and the next team, Israel (who will swim this event after originally being two spots out), into it.
Assuming that’s the case with those two relays, which it appears to be, here’s a look at the entries for all six relays at the Olympic Games.
Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
| *AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIED | |
| 1. Australia 3:31.48* | 9. Japan 3:38.47* |
| 2. Netherlands 3:33.67* | 10. Russia 3:38.63* |
| 3. USA 3:34.61* | 11. Brazil 3:40.24* |
| 4. Sweden 3:35.71* | 12. Poland 3:40.89* |
| 5. Canada 3:36.44* | 13. Denmark 3:39.38 |
| 6. Italy 3:37.16* | 14. Spain 3:40.67 |
| 7. China 3:37.64* | 15. Switzerland 3:41.76 |
| 8. France 3:38.46* | 16. Israel 3:41.95 |
Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
| *AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIED | |
| 1. USA 7:45.37* | 9. Russia 7:55.19* |
| 2. Italy 7:48.41* | 10. Brazil 7:57.15* |
| 3. China 7:49.10* | 11. Canada 7:57.31* |
| 4. Sweden 7:50.24* | 12. Germany 8:01.48* |
| 5. Great Britain 7:50.60* | 13. Hungary 7:51.63 |
| 6. Australia 7:51.02* | 14. Netherlands 7:52.06 |
| 7. Japan 7:54.62* | 15. Spain 7:53.38 |
| 8. France 7:55.08* | 16. Slovenia 8:00.40 |
Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay
| *AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIED | |
| 1. China 3:54.41* | 9. Italy 4:00.92* |
| 2. Sweden 3:55.24* | 10.Russia 4:01.12* |
| 3.Australia 3:55.56* | 11. Germany 4:01.40* |
| 4. USA 3:56.76* | 12. France 4:02.13* |
| 5. Denmark 3:57.61* | 13. Finland 4:01.49 |
| 6. Canada 3:57.96* | 14. Brazil 4:02.52 |
| 7. GBR 4:00.02* | 15. Czech Republic 4:02.73 |
| 8. Japan 4:00.43* | 16. Hong Kong 4:03.10 |
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
| *AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIED | |
| 1. France 3:10.74* | 9. Belgium 3:15.50* |
| 2. Russia 3:11.19* | 10. Germany 3:16.01* |
| 3. Italy 3:12.53* | 10. USA 3:16.01* |
| 4. Brazil 3:13.22* | 12. Australia 3:12.26 |
| 5. Poland 3:14.12* | 13. Greece 3:14.42 |
| 6. Japan 3:15.04* | 14. Romania 3:16.54 |
| 7. China 3:15.41* | 15. Hungary 3:16.55 |
| 8. Canada 3:15.94* | 16. Spain 3:16.77 |
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
| *AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIED | |
| 1. Great Britain 7:04.33* | 9. Spain 7:11.39* |
| 2. USA 7:04.75* | 10. Japan 7:11.59* |
| 3. Australia 7:05.34* | 11. France 7:12.68* |
| 4. Russia 7:06.89* | 12. Denmark 7:13.72* |
| 5. Germany 7:09.01* | 13. Italy 7:08.30 |
| 6. Belgium 7:09.64* | 14. Brazil 7:11.15 |
| 7. Netherlands 7:09.75* | 15. Hungary 7:12.46 |
| 8. Poland 7:10.20* | 16. South Africa 7:12.96 |
Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay
| *AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIED | |
| 1. USA 3:29.93* | 9. Italy 3:34.59* |
| 2. Australia 3:30.08* | 10.Brazil 3:34.73* |
| 3. France 3:30.50* | 11. China 3:35.21* |
| 4. Great Britain 3:30.67* | 12. Lithuania 3:34.30* |
| 5. Russia 3:30.90* | 13. South Africa 3:33.80 |
| 6. Japan 3:31.10* | 14. Hungary 3:34.12 |
| 7. Germany 3:32.16* | 15. Canada 3:34.40 |
| 8. Poland 3:34.34* | 16. Greece 3:34.41 |
Phelps did not compete in the qualifying heats for the 4 X 100 meter freestyle relay. Do the prelim competitors also get gold medals? Is the USA team saving Phelps for his other events or is it to boost ratings of the night of the finals?
So, does this mean Conger can swim the 4×100 free relay prelims?
Anyone on the team can swim relays. Conger can swim 4×100 medley too if the coaches wish to do so
The only rule:
a relay-only swimmer MUST swim the specific relay they are submitted as.
Don’t sleep on USA women in the medley. Out of 8 100 stroke qualifiers, only the Manuel and Weitzeil were in Kazan (because the selection process for Worlds last year was whack).
Don’t forget Kathleen Baker
If someone has the time it would be nice to see the relay teams ranked by their top 4 swimmers competing based on their trials times or best times as opposed to like tex rex says are just previous combinations times
Fun to think about – if the relays were ten swimmers instead of four, USA men would destroy.
Oh well, I guess we’ll have to watch some close races in real events.
And the same could be said for the Aussies on the women’s side
And if the 400m and 800m relays on the women’s side were one swimmer instead of four….
Not a lot of time to look at it more, but even on the mens side i looked at top 8 mens 200 free if the respective trials finals were swam as a relay aussie would come out on top. Thinking back to what hapened at worlds in 2015 when big nations missed out on the finals- i hope no country is going to sell themself short by prelim swims and/or relay alturnatives.
You appear to be correct on both counts.
However, there is another change. Belarus were thrown out of the women’s 4x100m freestyle, and are replaced by Israel.
Iain – nice catch, updated.