Australians Set Up For Two Relay Wins After Final Prelim Session At 2014 Commonwealth Games

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In the final prelims session of the Commonwealth Games, no Games records were broken surprisingly, but many great finals were set up including a rematch of the 800m freestyle last night with the top three all making it through to tonight’s 400m freestyle final.

WOMENS 400m FREESTYLE

Silver medallist in last night’s 800m freestyle final, Lauren Boyle from New Zealand swam the fastest 400m freestyle in the heats this morning with a time of 4:07.06. There were about five or six swimmers who were also in that range which should set up the final to be quite a race as was the 800.

Qualifying second was 17-year-old Australian Remy Fairweather. Fairweather swam a 4:07.35 to finish just behind Boyle. She should be similar to that mark tonight in finals. You can bet she’ll be looking to add to her hardware as she’s already won a gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Bronte Barratt, her Australian teammate, was the third fastest qualifier this morning with a time of 4:08.81. She was just ahead of Canadian mid-distance freestyler Brittany MacLean who swam a 4:08.84, coming off a bronze medal performance in the 800m freestyle last night. MacLean was not able to win the gold, although her time wasn’t far off the winning time of 8:18.11 set by Jazz Carlin. MacLean was just behind Boyle’s time of 8:30.59 with a 8:20.91.

If anything, MacLean has shown that she can properly pace a race and stay with these two leaders. After racing them last night, there’s a fair chance she’ll be able to pass them and go for gold tonight as the 400m freestyle is her speciality. She broke the Canadian record last night in the 800, she’ll need to be under the 4:05.06 she swam at the London Olympics if she wants to grab another record.

Also in the final will be Hannah Miley from the host nation of Scotland who has made so many finals it’s tough to keep track. Miley was a 4:09.30 this morning, although not exactly a favorite for a medal, with the way she’s been swimming if she can stick with the leaders and try to push ahead on that last 100 she could very well be in the mix.

Qualifying behind her was last night’s 800m freestyle gold medallist Jazz Carlin from Wales. Expect Carlin to be up there fighting for the gold. She was a 4:09.76 this morning, but has the ability to be faster tonight.

MENS 200m IM

Daniel Tranter from Australia qualified first in the 200m IM this morning with a time of 1:59.05. Many of the Aussie males have been slower than what they were earlier in the season at this meet. Tranter will need to step up that time if he wants to get on the podium tonight. Heading into the meet he was one of the favorite’s for gold, but he’ll have to take down Scotland’s Dan Wallace who won the 400m IM in a Commonwealth Games record earlier in the meet.

Wallace qualified as the second seed in 1:59.36 over South Africa’s Sebastian Rousseau. Rousseau earned himself a bronze medal in the 400m IM already, so he should be looking to add to his hardware.

Also in the final will be Roberto Pavoni and Joe Roebuck from England. The two swimmers have made a presence in the IM events here in Glasgow and should not be counted out. Pavoni’s time of 1:59.79 this morning wasn’t that far off the 1:59.61 swam by Rousseau or the 1:59.36 swam by Wallace. Without being said it’s very clear that he’s in the mix. He’ll want to make the charge for a medal tonight.

Chad Le Clos is a wild card in this event. He was a 2:00.78 this morning but does boast a very fast 200m IM having already gone a 1:57.94 this season. On the fly, he’ll try to push the field since and he should be ahead after that first 50. If he can make enough of a lead where he can hold off some of the other guys he should be good. He’ll need to deal with Thomas Fraser-Holmes coming home though who has a great 200m freestyle and will be very fast on that last 50. Earlier in the meet Fraser-Holmes chased down Cameron McEvoy in the 200m freestyle which gave him the gold medal.

MENS AND WOMENS 4x100m Medley RELAYS

The Australians are seeded first in both the men’s and women’s relays and should have no problem coming home with two golds tonight. For the men, the team that will consist of Mitchell Larkin, Christian Sprenger, Jayden Hadler or Tomasso D’Orsogna, and Cameron McEvoy or James Magnussen will come very close to the Commonwealth Games record if not break it.

Most likely, Magnussen will be swimming that last 100 tonight. McEvoy swam in the prelims and after beating McEvoy head-to-head in the 100m freestyle final it’s safe to say that it was the right call by the Aussie staff to throw McEvoy into the prelims. McEvoy was only a 48.37 on that final leg this morning.

As for the butterfly, it looks as though Hadler will take it. Hadler placed above D’Orsogna in the actual 100m fly final, and D’Orsogna swam the prelims session this morning.

The Australian women were a 3:59.44 this morning. Throw in their ‘A’ squad and they could very well break the Commonwealth Games record of 3:56.30.

FULL RESULTS CAN BE FOUND HERE

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Pvdh
9 years ago

Magnussen is gonna have to make up over a second. He’s gonna have to be on his game or England is taking this.

Dee
9 years ago

I’m curious as to why England “need” at least 2 seconds at 300m. It would be helpful, but need? Brown never fails to full a 48 split out the bag, he is a great relay swimmer (47.7 in London, streaking Ervin at Duel in the pool etc.) – If he does say even a 48.9 and England has a 2 second lead, has Magnussen really shown 46.9 split shape? 48.1 Individually and 47.49 anchor split (In a scrap with Saffas so he would have been pushing it). The maths just don’t add up to me. If England get 1.5s out of the first three legs, it is 50/50 – If England get 2s, England would be gutted to lose. If… Read more »

JM90
Reply to  Dee
9 years ago

After Chris Walker-Hebborn’s swimming so far I would put him ahead making England the leaders after the backstroke (probably by about 0.2secs) and then pulling away from there!!

Dee
Reply to  JM90
9 years ago

It wouldn’t surprise me – I just think Larkin is getting better as the meet goes on. Walker-Hebborn hasn’t swam for a few days – It’ll all be on the 50m turn, Walker-Hebborn took .5 out of Larkin at the turn in the 100BK final, if he can do that again, England will be in the ascendancy.. If he can’t, it’s a scrap.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
9 years ago

Dear Mitch , in your relay title , u did put 400 freestyle relays in stead of 400 Medley relays ! just to inform u ; Thanks for your good work with Swimswam .

swimmer 123
9 years ago

England on paper at this meet should win the 4*100 medley relay
Gold in the 100 Bk 53.12
Gold in the 100m Brs 58.94
Bronze in 100m butterfly 51.9 ( ahead of the Australians)
James Disney mays 48.3 leg in the 4 * 100m free heats ( showing England definitely have the speed)

LBOROSWIMFAN
9 years ago

This certainly isn’t going to be plain sailing for the Ozzies tonight. England Teams in both the Men’s and Women’s will be ahead after the fly legs…….just a matter of whether or not Halsall and Brown have enough of a lead with Cambell and Magnusson chasing. Going to be a great race and I think at least 1 England Team will win 😉

9 years ago

Mitch, I think you should read Braden’s article here: http://swimswam.com/national-records-fall-england-distances/ – sure Australia are favourites, but it should be an awful lot closer than you’ve suggested in the men’s

JM90
Reply to  pullbuoy
9 years ago

I totally agree, with the way England are swimming at this Games i reckon, if they can keep it up, the will be very close if not faster than the Aussies. They just need to have a 2 second lead by the freestyle leg!

aswimfan
Reply to  pullbuoy
9 years ago

I agree. Australian men will need to be near their best form to beat the inspired English lads. It seems unlikely, based on the past 5 days results.

The Aussie girls will be a bit more fortunate, and again it depends on how close Tonks will get to Taylor.

JM90
Reply to  aswimfan
9 years ago

Is the reason why the Australians arent swimming as well because they also have Pan Pacs which is more important and we only have Europeans or is it really the home crowd advantage?

Billabong
Reply to  JM90
9 years ago

Pan Pacs is not more important than the CWG to the Aussies. Just ask any Aussie, is it worth getting whipped by the English, so that you can save yourself for the Pan Pacs? They will just laugh…..beating England is THE National sport of Australia.

Admin
Reply to  Billabong
9 years ago

Billabong – I agree with you in almost every year, but I do think that being the host of the Pan Pacs changes the equation a bit. Then in 2018, they host the CWG’s in the same pool, so there’s a little bit of a “buildup” effect going on in that regard, I would guess.

M Palota
Reply to  Billabong
9 years ago

Billabong, I agree with you 100%! Braden, only an American would think there’d anything right – at any time, for any reason – about England beating Australia in any sport, let alone swimming!

aswimfan
Reply to  Billabong
9 years ago

I agree with Billabong.
I lived in Australia for 5 years and I can attest that thrashing the poms in any sport is Australia’s national sport.
Australian swimmers are fully tapered for the CWG (talk about Magnussen being slow was erased by his Medley relay swim, and there was also unconfirmed report about Coutts’ massive taper backfired). Australians will have extended taper for pan pacs of course.

Mitch
Reply to  pullbuoy
9 years ago

With Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, Adam Barret, and im assuming Adam Brown they will be competitors for the Aussies. Theyve been swimming better than them here but I think Sprenger’s breaststroke leg will be key. If he swims it similarily to what he produced in semis that means trouble. Other than that the Aussies have better swimmers on at least 2 of the 4 legs. Add a good split for Sprenger and the Aussies should win.

JM90
Reply to  Mitch
9 years ago

2 of the 4 legs? Chris WH is the quickest 100 backstroker at the meet, Peaty has the Breaststroke and Barrett the fly over the Aussies, only the freestyle leg has Aus over England

About Mitch Bowmile

Mitch Bowmile

Mitch worked for 5-years with SwimSwam news as a web producer focusing on both Canadian and international content. He coached for Toronto Swim Club for four seasons as a senior coach focusing on the development of young swimmers. Mitch is an NCCP level 2 certified coach in Canada and an ASCA Level …

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