2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
- 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
DAY 4 PRELIMS START LISTS (HEAT SHEET)
DAY 4 PRELIMS EVENT SCHEDULE
- Women’s 50 Backstroke
- Men’s 100 Freestyle
- Men’s 200 Individual Medley
- Women’s 200 Butterfly
- Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay
Day 4 of the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka is set to kick off in a few hours. The action in this morning’s prelims session will feature heats of the women’s 50 back, men’s 100 free, men’s 200 IM, women’s 200 fly, and mixed 4×100 medley relay. Finals of the mixed medley will be swum in the finals session later tonight, while semifinals of the other four events will be competed in the finals session.
As for prelims this morning, heats of the mixed medley relay could be quite contentious. Given how well they’re swimming this week, China is now looking like the favorite in the event, but as we’ve seen in the mixed medley relay before, no country is too safe to take their foot far off the gas in prelims.
After a great performance in which she earned the silver medal in the women’s 100 back last night, American Katharine Berkoff enters the women’s 50 back as the top seed this morning. She’s seeded at 27.12, which comes in just off the World Record of 26.98. Given how well she swam in the 100 back final last night, it’s on the board that she’s able to take the WR down. Of course, if she were to do that, it would be in semifinals or finals, not prelims, but it’s a good thing to put on the radar nonetheless.
Berkoff won’t be alone, however. Australia’s Kaylee McKeown won the women’s 100 back last night in a sizzling 57.53. Not only that, McKeown was the fastest in the field on the first 50m of the 100 last night, splitting a blistering 28.03 going out. 100 back silver medalist Regan Smith is also in the conversation, entering the 50 back this morning as the #2 seed with a time of 27.14.
Speaking of Smith, she’s pulling double duty this morning. The women’s 50 back is the first event of the session, of which Smith is set to compete in heat 6 of 7. She will then be racing again in the last individual event of the morning, the women’s 200 fly, where she is in heat 2 of 4. Per the start lists, there will be right about an hour between her races, which seems quite manageable for a swimmer of her caliber.
In the women’s 200 fly, Smith is the #3 seed, though she isn’t entered with her personal best. Smith is entered with a 2:05.79, however, Smith holds the #1 time in the world this year with her American Record performance of 2:03.87 from June. While Smith holds the fastest personal best in the field, Canadian 16-year-old Summer McIntosh is the top seed coming into the meet, entering with her personal best and World Junior Record time of 2:04.70. After a disappointing final in the women’s 400 free on Sunday night, McIntosh has looked back on form in prelims and semifinals of the women’s 200 free, so we can expect a good swim out of her in the 200 fly.
Australian Elizabeth Dekkers is right there in the mix as well, entering as the #2 seed with a 2:05.26.
After David Popovici finished off the podium in the men’s 200 free last night, which was probably the most shocking finish of the meet so far, all eyes will be on him in the 100 free today. The World Record holder in the event, the 18-year-old Romanian superstar is entered with his WR mark of 46.86. He shouldn’t have any problems whatsoever advancing to the semifinals with his swim this morning, but it will be interesting to see how he responds to his disappointing swim last night.
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Matt Richards, who won the men’s 200 free last night in stunning fashion, will also be competing in the 100 free this morning.
The men’s 200 IM will feature French superstar Leon Marchand, who took down Michael Phelps’ legendary World Record in the 400 IM on Sunday night. Though there is plenty of talent in this men’s 200 IM field, it’s hard to bet against Marchand at this point. He’ll no doubt cruise to a spot in tonight’s semifinals this morning.
In Fukuoka, Day 4’s in sight,
Katharine Berkoff’s set for the fight,
In the 50 BK,
She’s the top seed today,
A World Record, she might ignite!
Not only that, McKeown was the fastest in the field on the first 50m of the 100 last night, splitting a blistering 28.03 going out.
—
No she wasn’t.
Smith was the fastest on the first 50. McKeown was second.
And Berkoff had her best first 50 in a 100 ever.
After a great performance in which she earned the silver medal in the women’s 100 back last night, American Katharine Berkoff
—
No she didn’t win silver
For finals, it looks like the U.S. might be best going
Smith/Berkoff
Fink
Rose
Douglass
Huske is worse than at Nationals, and Rose looks better. That makes the fly differential now greater than the backstroke differential, even if they went with Berkoff instead of Smith. (Going Berkoff over Smith would allow Smith to avoid a triple.)
Murphy,fink,Smith Douglas
Didn’t even think about putting Smith on fly. She might be faster than Huske if there were no triple, but the triple probably negates that.
Dare Rose’s 100 form is a question mark but assuming finals flat times the Berkoff/Rose lineup adds to 58.2 + 50.4 (?) = 1:48.6 while the Murphy/Huske lineup adds to 52.2 + 56.6 = 1:58.8. Not too much difference in honesty unless you drop 0.4 by using Reagan Smith but she has a heavy schedule that finals evening already so not sure she’ll be in shape to swim it
Yes, but Huske has also been known to not be good on relays. I say this not as an insult, but just as a fact.
Murphy, Fink, Huske, Douglas
The most logical option.
Murphy-Fink-Douglass-Weitzeil I think would end up being their best chance to beat China. But I think they’ll go Murphy-Fink-Huske-Douglass
Forgot about Douglass on fly. I feel like the benefit from her on fly is just negated by the loss from her on free.
I’d say China is the favorite, but I’m really not sure with Zhang having the 200 fly before. She herself says she’s not in her Tokyo 2020(1) shape.
China faces a dilemma where they should want to run a different breast/fly prelims leg (their strongest legs) given schedule conflicts with Qin/Zhang but they might not want to risk not qualifying (especially with the Breaststroke leg, although I think 3:44 will qualify and a hypothetical Chinese “B” team without these two gets around 3:41-3:42)
Looking back at Regan’s season, I see why she would be disappointed w the 100 back. I think she is in PB shape and wondering if she can get it leading off the medley relay.
When will we know the relay lineup?
Feeling good about Kylie! Praying for an excellent start!!!
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