2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
- Friday, July 29 – Wednesday, August 3, 2022
- Birmingham, England
- Sandwell Aquatic Center
- Start Times
- Prelims: 10:30 am local / 5:30 am ET
- Finals: 7:00 pm local / 2:00 pm ET
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Event Schedule
- Entry List
The Commonwealth Games will be Matt Sates‘ 13th high-level meet since September 2021.
The 18-year-old has done the FINA World Cup circuit and the Mare Nostrum Tour, with a stint in the NCAA in between. He raced at South African Trials and most recently, competed at Worlds. Sates planned a slight taper for Budapest, but came down with an illness at staging camp prior to the meet. Despite the illness, he qualified for his first Worlds final in the 200 IM, where he finished eighth.
Even with a busy last 12 months, Sates is not taking things easy in Birmingham. He’s been open that his focus this season is the Commonwealth Games. To that effect, he’s entered in a whopping six individual events, plus four relays.
Individually, he’s entered in the 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 100 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. If he makes it through the rounds in all of his individual events, his schedule will look like this:
Sates’ Potential Commonwealth Games Schedule
| Session | Event(s) |
| Day 1 Heats | Men’s 400 Free Heat
(Mixed 4×100 Free Relay Heat) |
| Day 1 Finals | Men’s 400 Free Final
Mixed 4×100 Free Relay Final |
| Day 2 Heats | Men’s 200 Free Heat
Men’s 400 IM Heat (Men’s 4×100 Free Relay Heat) |
| Day 2 Finals | Men’s 200 Free Final
Men’s 400 IM Final Men’s 4×100 Free Relay Final |
| Day 3 Heats | Men’s 100 Free Heat |
| Day 3 Finals | Men’s 100 Free Semifinal |
| Day 4 Heats | Men’s 100 Fly Heat
(Men’s 4×200 Free Relay Heat) |
| Day 4 Finals | Men’s 100 Free Final
Men’s 100 Fly Semifinal Men’s 4×200 Free Relay Final |
| Day 5 Heats | Off |
| Day 5 Finals | Men’s 100 Fly Final |
| Day 6 Heats | Men’s 200 IM Heat |
| Day 6 Finals | Men’s 200 IM Final
Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay Final |
Even if South Africa opts to rest Sates during the prelims relays, he will still have at least one race every session except the morning session on Day 5.
His packed schedule is highlighted by two finals sessions with a triple. On Day 2, Sates could potentially race finals in the 200 free, 400 IM, and the men’s 4×100 free relay. Then two days later, he’ll swim the 100 free final, 100 fly semifinal, and men’s 4×200 free relay final.
Even for the rising star, this is a lot of swims, and he’ll have to manage himself well throughout the week in order to remain competitive for the 200 IM and the medley relay on the last day of the meet.
This spring, Sates set lifetime bests in every individual event he’s racing except the 100 fly.
Personal Bests Sates Set in 2022
- 100 Free – 48.97
- 200 Free – 1:45.91
- 400 Free – 3:49.27
- 200 IM – 1:57.43
- 400 IM – 4:11.58
Sates faces fierce competition in all of his individual events, but his best chances at medaling will likely come in the IMs. He holds the third-fastest time in the Commonwealth in the 200 IM and fourth in the 400. However, not all of Sates’ competition have placed the same emphasis on Comm Games that he has, so we could see him fighting it out in the finals of the mid-distance freestyle events, too.
The next Michael Phelps
why the downvotes? this is clearly a (very justified) slight on the swimswam contributor article that hyped matt sates up as such
So should I draft him again?
SS is doing a fantasy draft again?
They should! Obviously smaller and less continent based. Perhaps 4 men and 4 women, one per country per gender max?
combine the british teams into 1 category to make the picks more competitive, and obviously balance the relay points this time
Pick Scott if you can
Pretty similar to Duncan’s and both were sick before Words. Big lineups for them.