2023 World Championships Relay Lineups: Weitzeil Over Walsh In U.S. W. 4×100 FR Prelims

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

The prelims relay lineups for the women’s and men’s 4×100 free relays have been released, with many notable decisions made.

Women’s 4×100 Free Relay

The United States is opting to swim Torri Huske, Olivia Smoliga, Maxine Parker, and Abbey Weitzeil on their relay. The decision not to rest Weitzeil is notable, considering she finished second in the 100 free at Nationals. This likely means that Gretchen Walsh and 100 free National Champion Kate Douglass will be rested for finals, with both swimmers having to swim individual events this session (Walsh in the 100 fly, Douglass in the 200 IM). However, it’s worth noting that Huske also has to swim the 100 fly alongside Walsh, but was put to swim on the prelims relay as well.

Australia has a lineup consisting of Shayna Jack, Brianna Throssell, Meg Harris, and Madi Wilson, with their top two freestyles in Emma McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan being rested for finals.

The Canadian women are opting for Maggie MacNeil, Mary Sophie-Harvey, Katerine Savard, and Taylor Ruck on their relay, which means that Summer McIntosh is likely being rested for finals to avoid a double with the prelims of the 400 free. McIntosh will likely have to swim the 400 free final before the 4×100 free relay in the same session meanwhile, as three of Canada’s top 100 freestyles, MacNeil, Savard, and Ruck are highly expected to be retained for finals.

Bronze medal favorites China will be opting to use Yang Junxuan, Ai Yanhan, Zhu Menghui and Wu Qingfeng. Absent is Chinese record holder Zhang Yufei, who has to swim the 100 fly prelims this session.

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay

The American men have gone with Chirs Guiliano, Destin Lasco, Matt King, and Justin Ress on their prelims relay. Ryan Held, the top-ranked American 100 freestyler of 2023, as well as National Champion Jack Alexy will likely be used for finals. This means that Alexy’s first senior international race will come in a finals race.

Australia is going with their second through fifth place finishers at Aussie trials (Jack Cartwright, Matt Temple, Kai Taylor, Flynn Southam), with their top freestyler Kyle Chalmers being left off. Last year, Chalmers had to swim both prelims and finals.

Great Britain, the gold medal favorites, are swimming Lewis Burras, Matt Richards, Jacob Whittle, and Duncan Scott. Although Burras won the 100 free at British Nationals, it is Tom Dean who will be likely rested for finals. Dean has been a consistent relay performer for Britain in the past, having gone multiple 46-point splits.

Full Lineups

Women’s 4×100 Free Relay:

Heat 1:

• Denmark (Bro, Jensen, Beckmann, Bach)
• Singapore
• Hungary (Senanszky, Molnar, Abraham, Padar)
• Sweden (Sjostrom, Coleman, Junevik, Astedt)
• Canada (MacNeil, Harvey, Savard, Ruck)
• China (Yang, Ai, Zhu, Wu)
• Italy (Tarantino, Cocconcell, Menicucci, Morini)
• South Africa (Canny, Chelius, Drakpoulos, Hearne)
• Ireland (McSharry, Hill, Riordan, Catterson)
• Hong Kong (Cheng, Haughey, Tam, Au)

Heat 2:

• Thailand (Kwanmunang, Boonamphai, Pawapotako, Srisa-Ard)
• Spain (Weiler Sastre, Campabadal Amezcua, Zamorano Sanz, Juste Sanchez)
• Brazil (Viera, Balduccini, Souza Bispo, Tomanik Diamante)
• Great Britain (Hopkin, Hope, Wood, Anderson)
• Australia (Jack, Throssell, Harris, Wilson)
• United States (Huske, Smoliga, Parker, Weitzeil)
• Netherlands (Busch, van Wijk, van Nunen, Steenbergen)
• France (Gastadello, Nowaczyke, Moluh, Touati)
• Japan (Ikee, Ikemoto, Jinno, Shirai)
• Mexico

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay:

Heat 1:

• Mexico
• Venezuela (Mestre Alb., Perez, Otaiza, Mestre Alf.)
• Thailand (Kaewsriyong, Wongcharoen, Thammananthachote, Kanteemool)

Heat 2:

• Germany (Miroslaw, Salchow, Armbruster, Varjasi)
• Poland (Sieradzski, Stokowski, Jaskiewicz, Masuik)
• Israel (Loketev, Frankel, Polonsky, Cohen Groumi)
• Canada (Gaziev, Acevedo, Fullum-Hiot, Liendo)
• Italy (Miressi, Deplano, Zazzeri, Frigo)
• Great Britain (Burras, Richards, Whittle, Scott)
• Spain (de Celis Montalban, Dominguez, Molla, Castro)
• Sweden (Seeliger, Hanson, Funch, Eliasson)
• Singapore (Quah, Tan, Lee, Lim)
• Vietnam (Hoang, Luong, Tran, Nguyen)

Heat 3:

• Greece (Vazaios, Christou, Meladinis, Gkolomeev)
• Korea (Lee, Ji, Yang, Kim)
• Serbia (Stjepanovic, Barna, Acin, Nikolic)
• Hungary (Nemeth, Szabo, Meszaros, Kos)
• United States (Guiliano, Lasco, King, Ress)
• Brazil (Chierghini, Santos, Ribiero, Guimaraes)
• China (Wang, Chen, Yang, Pan)
• France (Salvan, Berg, Guth, Manadou)
• Japan (Matsumoto, Kawane, Gomi, Nakumura)