2016 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 6th – December 11th, 2016
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- WFCU Centre
- SCM (25m)
- Prelims: 9:30 AM EST/Finals: 6:30 PM EST
- Start Lists/Results
- Live Stream ($)
As we reported this morning, South African Chad Le Clos missed the semi-finals of the men’s 100 freestyle posting a time of 48.31 that was good for just 30th place in the prelims. What is particularly interesting about that swim is that it is actually slower than the time he put up in the 100 fly final. In that event, he broke his own World Record and won gold in 48.08.
Also notable from his swim is the fact his back 50 of 25.13 was actually slower than his back 50 in the 200 free, where he came home in 24.93. It was difficult to tell exactly what happened in the swim this morning for Le Clos. Sure, it was just a prelim and he certainly wasn’t going all out, but he clearly gauged the heat and the field as a whole wrong, and that ultimately cost him a spot in the final. His freestyle is definitely on form this week, as he posted a time of 1:41.65 in the 200 free and a had a split of 20.83 in the 4×50 free relay.
Also missing the semis was the top seeded Russian Vladimir Morozov and the Olympic silver medalist in this event Pieter Timmers. A big factor in all three missing the semis had to be the fact they didn’t anticipate as much speed to come out of the non-circle-seeded heats as there was. Six of the sixteen qualifiers came out of those heats, and three of the top five. Instead they focused more on racing their own heat and paid the price.
Le Clos will swim the 50 fly final tonight, whereas Morozov and Timmers are done individually.
Chad and Vlad out. Disappointing and shocking.