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2025 World Championships: Day 4 Prelims – Relay Lineups (Mixed 4×100 Medley)

Comments: 83
by Mark Wild 83

July 29th, 2025 International, News

2025 World Championships

Day 4 Prelims Heat Sheet 

Hungary and Nigeria have both opted not to field relays this morning, but the big news is that the United States has called upon Keaton Jones to occupy the backstroke leg for their mixed medley relays. Both of the male backstrokers for the USA failed to advance out of the heats, with Tommy Janton finishing in 18th (53.87) and Jack Aikins in 44th (56.54). The pair who finished one-two at trials in times of 53.00 and 53.19, both seemed to be severely affected by the illness that was reportedly going through the Team USA ranks.

Jones, who made the team as the USA second entrant in the 200 back, placed 4th at US trials with a time of 53.79, a new personal best. Behind Jones, the USA are using Campbell McKean on breaststroke, Torri Huske on butterfly and Simone Manuel on freestyle. McKean was the slower of the two male breaststrokers, likely meaning that Josh Matheny will sub in for tonight. With Huske on the fly duties, that likely means Walsh would sub into those duties, with Huske, Douglass or Manuel taking on the freestyle, if they stick to the MMFF order.

Australia, one lane below them, have left Kaylee McKeown off the relay, likely saving her for tonight, and are using Hannah Fredericks to lead them off.

In the heat before the USA and Australia, the Chinese are opting to go MMFF and are leading off with Xu Jiayu, and Dong Zhihao, and will likely sub Qin Haiyang for the breaststroke. One lane below them, the French, who finished 4th in Paris, are opting for Mewen Tomac and Jeremie Delbois on the front half. In Paris, Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, who just broke 52 for the first time and set a new national record in the 100 back, led the team off with Leon Marchand, who has the prelims of the 200 IM this morning, taking on the breaststroke duties.

Heat 1 – Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay

Heat 2 – Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay

Heat 3 – Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay

Heat 4 – Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay

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Khase Calisz
10 months ago

Sam is out due to food poisoning: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMuTGRgJUIh/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

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Troyy
Reply to  Khase Calisz
10 months ago

Is it from the hotel food or the same illness now spreading from the Americans?

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Maria H
Reply to  Troyy
10 months ago

Seems like a very unlucky championships. One of the Hungarians was also in the hospital due to an infected spider bite.

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FUN AT PARTIES
10 months ago

Moot

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BobbyB
10 months ago

That might have been the worst coaching decision in the history of Olympic level USA Swimming. As noted below there were any number of options that would have put us through easy but the decision was made to go with pretty much the only combination that screwed us. I assure you that this relay team was the result of coaches egos getting in the way of common sense. The Director needs to lay down the law on these guys before it gets out of hand.

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Andy
10 months ago

Almost seems like the coaches didnt want the mixed relay to final. Just the same dumb decisions as the Olympics. None of that made sense

Last edited 10 months ago by Andy
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Jeff
Reply to  Andy
10 months ago

would not have used Huske if they didnt want to final. Big fail.

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SwimGuru
10 months ago

Has Meehan been fired yet? That was coaching malpractice..
You have really strong U.S. women 100m backstrokers: Berkoff or Curzan (both top 6 times in the world this year) or mediocre male backstroker who can’t make a semifinal…

You have a strong male U.S. butterfliers who are fresh, in Heilman or Rose (both top 12 times in the world this year) or you go with your sick 100m butterfly Huske…

Like come on USA Swimming, come on Greg Meehan…

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Lpman
10 months ago

Should have gone
Berkoff. 58.5
McKean. 59.0
Heilman. 51.00
Manuel. 52.7

341 and change

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Justin Pollard
Reply to  Lpman
10 months ago

Your order is probably a wash with the order they chose, plus means Berkoff doesn’t have to swim 2x in the session.

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BobbyB
10 months ago

Well they (USA) completely sh*t the bed on that one. The coaches need to answer for that one. Swimming politics clearly got the best of the coaches. Probably a big argument going on in the backrooms.

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oxyswim
10 months ago

Curzan on back and Heilman or Rose on fly gets it done too. Jones was completely grasping at straws and Torri isn’t healthy. Impossible how bad Keaton’s 1st 15 is and there’s no way he showed enough in camp to justify that.

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oxyswim
Reply to  oxyswim
10 months ago

Then Berkhoff-Matheny-Walsh-Alexy for finals tonight if they made it through.

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Justin Pollard
Reply to  oxyswim
10 months ago

Why are you so down on Keaton? He went a 53.7 at nationals, faster than Janton & Aikins did here. Maybe he was less tapered at nationals? Or maybe executed his 2nd taper better? Or maybe never got sick?

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BobbyB
Reply to  Justin Pollard
10 months ago

We are so down on Keaton because he was so slow and just looked severely out of place. So much so that it is obvious that it was a poor decision to include him. You don’t perform that poorly without there being some clue. Same thing with Tori. We know what she can do but based on just what we saw her actually do the same thing applies. Perspective was lost, coaching egos likely got in the way and there was dishonesty coming from somewhere, or at least delusion. Any way you look at it the results speak for themselves.

Last edited 10 months ago by BobbyB
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Coach
Reply to  Justin Pollard
10 months ago

I don’t think people are upset with Keaton. People are upset that the staff put Keaton in that position.

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Smglsn12
Reply to  Coach
10 months ago

^this

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BobbyB
Reply to  oxyswim
10 months ago

I concur

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