2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Swimming: August 6-13
- Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
- Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
- SwimSwam previewsÂ
- Day 1 Schedule & Results
- Live Stream (NBC)
One of the main events of the evening, the women’s 400 free relay final, will be an exhilarating race after a fast prelims session. There will be some lineup changes, but who will be swapped out and who will come in?
For the top seed Aussies, it looks like Emma McKeon will come in, and Brittany Elmslie will stay after a fast split this morning (53.22). They will most likely join the Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte.
The Americans are the team with the most question marks surrounding their finals lineup, particularly the 4th leg. Three legs are locked up: Abbey Weitzeil and Simone Manuel finished 1-2 at US Trials, and Katie Ledecky put up the top split of the morning relay in 52.64. That leaves Amanda Weir, Dana Vollmer, and maybe even Missy Franklin as possible options for the final.
Weir had the second fastest leg on the morning relay despite leading off, clocking a solid 53.60. She did finish 3rd at Trials, but her spot isn’t certain.
Vollmer, who swam the 100 fly this morning and has it again tonight, finished 6th at the Trials and is a viable option, but her age may factor into the decision to put her in two key races on one night. However, at the Arena Pro Series in Charlotte Vollmer swam a time of 53.59, a time faster than Weir did this morning, so she may get the nod. The Americans know they’ll have to gamble to win.
Franklin could also get the nod, as she has experience swimming in this race on the biggest stage. She was part of the bronze medal winning relay four years ago, and has three World Championship medals in this event including a gold from 2013. Though she missed the final at the US Trials, she owns a best time of 53.36 and has a career best relay split of 52.79.
Other relays that will see changes will be the Canadians and the Netherlands, who both didn’t use their best swimmer this morning. Penny Oleksiak and Ranomi Kromowidjojo will come in, and (likely) Michelle Williams and Inge Dekker will come out.
wpDiscuz
Weitzel Weir Ledecky Manuel
YEPPP , thats the real deal team
You have to switch Ledecky and Manual and they will be in reverse alphabetical order 🙂
I personally want Ledecky to start relay, so it will be possible to check what her personal best is now. I know she played safe this morning but her rt wasn’t good. So take this pressure off her.
Franklin lol
it seems clear to me Weir Manuel Weitzel Ledecky in that order
Weir was 3rd at Trials and solid this morning and Vollmer has butterfly so Weir
and Missy no
Finals start at 5 Pacific time correct?
6:00 Pacific time. https://swimswam.com/time-prelims-finals-2016-rio-olympics/
Doesn’t that make it 11 in Rio? NBC at 6or actual event?
It is Vollmer per Start List!
Unfair. Weir was really good today, she deserved to be in the final.
But ok, I guess…
i agree, but i guess they think vollmer has the experience…? but in my opinion weir has just as much.
I’m betting on Weitzeil, Manuel, Ledecky and Franklin. I know, Franklin didn’t make the team in Omaha, but remember that anchor leg in the final of the Mixed 4 x 100 in Kazan? The woman can swim relays! Plus, she was ranked #1 in the US last year, and has the best PR of those in contention. People think Ledecky swam the anchor this am because she was trying to earn a spot in the final, but I’ll bet she swam the prelims anchor because they knew she’d be that fast and, unlike the sprinters, swimming 2 races today wouldn’t take any speed away from her swim in finals.
Just curious, why would Ledecky not lose speed for 2 races while sprinters would? Is this a physiological thing with sprinters versus distance, or just Ledecky being unusual? Also, I’m very curious to see how the 100s affect Ledecky. It seems like she was surprised by how they affected her during Trials, although she wasn’t tapered.
Missy Franklin only split 53.31 on that relay. She’ll need to be a lot faster tonight if she was put on the relay and she doesn’t seem to be in that sort of form.
I think: Weir-Weitzel-Manuel-Ledecky
For the medals:
Gold-Australia
Silver-Canada
Bronze-USA
Netherlands dark horse.
Canada looks fantastic!
Start list has Manuel, Weitzell, Vollmer, Ledecky
You’re right! Forget what I wrote above about Missy. 🙂
Vollmer in.
The Dutch have inexplicably kept in Dekker at the expense of van der Meer.
Sweden surprisingly putting Marko-Varga in over Lindborg.