2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
- Full aquatics schedule
- SwimSwam Event Previews
- Entry Lists
- Live Results
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
During the electric day two preliminaries session of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the women’s 100 back Olympic record was broken three times in a row while American distance queen Katie Ledecky made her Tokyo debut by registering her 400 free prelims efforts.
In heat four of six of the women’s 100 back, Canadian Kylie Masse first took down Aussie Emily Seebohm‘s 2012 Olympic record of 58.23 at 58.17. Following that, American Regan Smith chomped Masse’s minutes-old Olympic record with a sub-58 flex of 57.96. In the final heat, top seed Aussie Kaylee McKeown claimed the Olympic record to close the prelims session at 57.88.
Into heat three of the women’s 400 free, defending Olympic champion Katie Ledecky took the top prelims time with a solid evening effort of 4:00.45. At the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, Ledecky took the title at 4:01.27, equating to an eight-tenths drop.
Behind Ledecky was China’s Li Bingjie, who set a new Asian record of 4:01.57 to qualify second into the Olympic final. Qualifying third into the morning final is Aussie Ariarne Titmus (4:01.66), the defending World champion.
Note: the Olympic television rights market is fragmented. We’ve tried to track down as many as we can, but if you find some for your country that aren’t listed, let us know and we’ll add them.
WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS
- World Record: Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 57.45 (2021)
Olympic Record: Emily Seebohm (AUS) – 58.23 (2012)- World Junior Record: Regan Smith (USA) – 57.57 (2019)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 58.45
- SwimSwam Event Preview – Women’s 100 Backstroke
- Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 57.88 OR
- Regan Smith (USA), 57.96
- Kylie Masse (CAN), 58.17
- Kathleen Dawson (GBR), 58.69
- Emily Seebohm (AUS), 58.86
- Rhyan White (USA), 59.02
- Kira Toussaint (NED), 59.21
- Margherita Panziera (ITA), 59.74
- Peng Xuwei (CHN), 59.78
- Maria Kameneva (RUS), 59.88
- Taylor Ruck (CAN), 59.89
- Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR), 59.90
- Anastasiia Fesikova (ROC), 59.92
- Cassie Wild (GBR), 59.99
- Maaike de Waard (NED), 1:00.03
- Anna Konishi (JPN), 1:00.04
WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- World Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 3:56.46 (2016)
- Olympic Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 3:56.46 (2016)
- World Junior Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 3:58.37 (2014)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 3:56.46
- SwimSwam Event Preview – Women’s 400 Freestyle
- Katie Ledecky (USA), 4:00.45
- Li Bingjie (CHN), 4:01.57
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 4:01.66
- Erika Fairweather (NZL), 4:02.28
- Summer McIntosh (CAN), 4:02.72
- Isabel Gose (GER), 4:03.21
- Paige Madden (USA), 4:03.98
- Tang Muhan (CHN), 4:04.07
Heat Three
McIntosh is a great name for a swimmer.
Whoever this female announcer is, I don’t like her. I’d actually take Rowdy over her.
Is it Amy Van Dkyken? NBC feed? Or OBC?
This 400FR race is very crucial for forming public opinion (and money as the consequence).
It’s either Ledecky wins more gold medals at these Games, leaving for bright challenger just 200FR gold that is on outskirts of her range. Making even higher her already outstanding status (at the end this is the THIRD successful Olympics)
Or Titmus will have more gold medals than Ledecky making an impression that a new Queen is ruling the Castle now replacing the ageing one.
I wish both swimmers to show their best so there would be no disappointment by any of them regardless the outcome of this race.
It’s very difficult to draw any conclusions about Ledecky – Titmus from the heats. But I’m going to do it anyway …
Ledecky looked pretty good. Felt that Winnington’s performance is weighing on Titmus a bit.
Ledecky didn’t take a hard stroke that last 100
Stroke looked much better than at trials too. I’m in no way counting out Titmus, but it’s all a sudden a little more interesting of a race now. Going in I thought Ariane was going to be a body length + ahead for the win, but we just may have ourselves a race now.
We didn’t have a race before?
Van Dyken thought Titmus looked a be labored and disappointed in that morning swim. We’ll see how that final plays out, but thinking a couple of 3:57’s and could go either way.
The great Nicole Livingstone said the same thing – wonderful (for a change) that the stateside NBC feed for prelims has Nicole & Steven Jamieson (see yesterday’s post about “Jamo” as they call him in UK). If true that Ms. Titmus was more labored, it would be intriguing since the Boxall-coached members have struggled in the 400 – both men & women, maybe missed their taper? Comments welcome on other’s observations.
I wish you had the chance to select your audio feed on YouTube TV/NBC channels. If nothing else would like to hear multiple perspectives.
OMG — Do you see that, Google? Make it happen!
One swimmer struggled. Winnington
When I saw in prelim race in Rio 3:58.71 I had more confidence that something really exciting is gonna happen in final.
Where’s schoenmakers swim? Oh wait nbc has the rights 😂😂😐
$6.7 billion forecast to host, $20 billion actual, Japan is going to be in the red but at least NBC kicks in their share.
At least our USA swim team is better than our basketball team
Agree, that basketball team, made up of primarily isolation players, illustrates the lack of team work and defense in the NBA.
Prima donnas
That’s still TBD…
I’d equate a Bronze for the women yesterday and getting beat by Canada to USA MBB dropping a game to France. But I wouldn’t expect many swimmers to know much about basketball.
If Lilly King does not win Gold in the 100 Breast, nothing the MBB team could do would be worse.
King has her work cut for her.
“If Lilly King does not win Gold in the 100 Breast, nothing the MBB team could do would be worse.”
this is is clearly a take from someone who knows nothing about MBB. US basketball just lost its first game in olympic comp since 2004 – ending a 24 win streak. this is equivalent of peaty level dominance, not lily king.
Pull up. Lets play 1on1.
Also of note, Lily King has more Olympic Gold medals than Peaty. Womp womp.
First Olympic lost since 2004. However, the Olympics aren’t over yet.