#Tokyo2020 Top 5: Titmus Wins, Peaty Defends, Russia Flops in Relay on Day 2

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

SEE DAY “ONE” TOP-5 HERE

SwimSwam’s Top 5 Swims of the 2020 Olympic Games: Day 2. 

#5 – W 100 Back: Regan Smith breaks the 100 back Olympic record (4th time it went down in less than 24 hours) with 58.76 to take the top seed heading into the final tomorrow night

#4 – M 4×100 Free Relay: USA Men defend their gold in the 400 free relay, putting on a dominant performance of 3:08.97 and winning by over 1 second

#3 – W 100 Fly: Maggie MacNeil, after winning 100 fly gold at world champs in 2019, backs it up with an Olympic title, swimming the #2 time ever in 55.59

#2 – M 100 Breast: Adam Peaty defends his Olympic title in the 100 breast, swimming the #5 time all-time at 57.37 and dominating the field as per usual for him

#1 – W 400 Free: Ariarne Titmus vs. Katie Ledecky round 1 did not disappoint as we saw the two titans battle it out for 400 free gold, where Titmus ultimately got her hand on the wall first, touching at 3:56.69, the #2 time ever, while Ledecky finished at 3:57.36, the #4 time ever

Belly Flop of the Day: Russia Men’s 4×100 Free Relay

Coming into the meet, our editor-in-chief Braden Keith had picked them to take gold, and just about everyone else knew they were looming as a title contender. After a shaky prelims, we saw Russia put together an even shakier finals performance, back-ended by a 48.1 from relay-stalwart Vlad Morozov and a 48.4 anchor from Kliment Kolesnikov, coming off of a 52.2 swim in the 100 back semi less than an hour before.

This led the team to finish 7th overall, nearly 2 seconds outside of the medals.

Hot Topic of the Day: Titmus vs. Ledecky

Titmus took round 1 of this Clash of the Titans, but what does this say about both swimmers moving into the rest of the meet? We know Ledecky is firing, and it seemed like she played into Titmus’ hand in the 400 free strategically. In the 200, Ledecky could make it interesting but it seems like Titmus has too much speed to catch.

Meaning it all comes down to the 800 free.

We say Ledecky swims her own race at the end of the meet, learning from her 400 and staying away from Titmus early on so she has no wave to ride, successfully defending her last 2 Olympic titles i in the event.

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Tigerswim22
3 years ago

The women’s 400 freestyle was a great race. It was a privilege to witness it.

I disagree with your prediction for the 800. Titmus will be much fresher and, therefore, her speed advantage will play out in her favor. Ledecky has lots of swims between now and then (1500 FR, 200 FR, 800 FR Relay) and that will factor in to the outcome of the women’s 800. Titmus won’t be intimidated and Ledecky has, over the years, had but one race plan. Titmus will use her back half speed and win again. Wish I were wrong, but that’s my call.

All in all, it looks like the Aussie women are going to dominate the freestyle events in Tokyo (based… Read more »

TeamDressel
Reply to  Tigerswim22
3 years ago

I completely disagree because Ledecky is simply better at the 800. Titmus doesn’t really know how to swim it and Ledeckys pb is 11 seconds faster. I’d say it may be a relatively close race but I think Ledecky wins by at least 2-3 seconds

jim
Reply to  TeamDressel
3 years ago

Yeah, both of you make points. I have to guess that at this level Titmus is every bit as good at the 800 as she is at the 400, and maybe around the 400-500 mark, she overtakes Ledecky AGAIN and just pulls away from her (she (Titmus) may be thinking world record in the 800)…but, the counter argument is, the 800 is a VERY different race than the 400. How would Adam Peaty do in the 200 breast? How would Dressel handle the 200 fly? I’m sure both would do well, but probably unlikely to win because their training focus is more towards lower yardage events, and different muscle systems and endurance in the body. I know the aussies train… Read more »

Cate
Reply to  Tigerswim22
3 years ago

Amen to your first statement. It’s a privilege to witness greatness.

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

….a tiny bit sad the old man (37 year old) Brent Hayden dropping that 47.99 relay lead-off didn’t make the top 5 (Coleman). That’s impressive.

TeamDressel
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

Yeah that is ridiculously fast especially for 37 year old

jim
Reply to  TeamDressel
3 years ago

Especially that he retired from the sport at least once!

Cate
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
3 years ago

Ouch!

SBOmega
3 years ago

Ledecky’s swim was the 4th fastest time ever. titmus also swam 3:56 at trials

Texas Tap Water
3 years ago

Deleted

Last edited 3 years ago by Texas Tap Water
SMO
3 years ago

what about McIntosh’s 402 400FR – at 14 years old and first Olympics? Faster than Evans or Ledecky at that age.

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  SMO
3 years ago

…what I’m hearing is… PULL SOME BIG SWIMS THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE PODIUM – LEGIT big swims like your example – into the top-5….? Yes? I think that’s fair. (I up-voted you.)

SMO
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

Yep! Mel you know better than anyone what a pressure-cooker the Olympics are. Its great to see athletes who truly breakthrough – they are equally as inspiring as, say, Jakoby’s or Hafnoui’s golds. (and, plus super-interesting to all the swim-nerds – like me – out there!)

Philip Johnson
Reply to  SMO
3 years ago

Titmus better keep an eye on her 😉

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  Philip Johnson
3 years ago

truth…..no one is safe anymore. (When Regan dropped the 57 100 back, 2:03 200 back at ’19 WC, I thought she would have cushion for years to come….and I was FLAT WRONG.)

Troyy
Reply to  Philip Johnson
3 years ago

So far her best events seem to be the same as Titmus.

jim
Reply to  Philip Johnson
3 years ago

That’s kind of how i feel about Huske. She’s 18. She’s gonna have 4 (well, 3) years with Meehan and will get much stronger, be able to hold her taper longer and ultimately just have more speed in her 100 fly. I also think she’ll be able to refine her 100 free and make that 400 free relay to add to her event schedule in 2024. Being 21ish at next olympics is pretty prime, peak development for a swimmer…and who knows, she may even have 2028 when she’s 26, and a seasoned veteran!

Big T
3 years ago

What about Kyle Chalmers clawing his country from 6th to 3rd in the relay.

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  Big T
3 years ago

Hmmmm…..Chalmers will have his moment.. When I saw that split I thought, “that’s a 46.9 or 47.0 flat start.” (100 free final is getting more and more interesting…… And what about Dressel’s stroke on the leadoff??? I have never seen him gallop that much. He was bouncing up and down. I could determine if it was nerves or what, but his gallop unlike anything I’ve seen. Should Team USA fans be concerned? Will we see that big gallop again?)

He said what?
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

Nerves AND he always performs so-so in his first race and then takes off. Will be fun to watch.

Chris
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

exactly! Why was he bouncing? If Mel Stewart mentions it, I will too! lol

TeamDressel
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

He’s definitely going to look back on that race and make improvements for the individual 100 free. Dressel also typically doesn’t swim as fast in his first event but seeing that he went 47.2 in his first swim his individual race is going to be very fast. Based on that swim and the way he dropped from a 47.6 on the relay to 46.9 individually at 2019 worlds I see him going anywhere between 46.5 and 46.7.

jim
Reply to  TeamDressel
3 years ago

I agree with this….Dressel’s stroke looked wild and too much unnecessary movement for my liking. His time looked fine but he also died a bit at the end. If it’s going to take a 47.1 to win, he may need to eliminate some of the wasted movement. And to be fair, it was his 1st olympic race of these olympics, has waited 5 years for this, and it all happened in 1 race…I get that, but with his slate of events in this meet, I hope he keeps a bit more control for each of them.

PenguinMan
Reply to  jim
3 years ago

Bro french lead off dude drafted the heck off Dressel the second half

DDias
Reply to  TeamDressel
3 years ago

While I think Dressel will be much faster in individual 100free than his relay, I think Chalmers will be crazy fast too.His relay start(not talking his 0.28RT) was too much conservative.

DDias
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

But did you see his start?It´s from another planet…

Khachaturian
3 years ago

Biggest choke at this olympics is probably gonna be the russians

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Khachaturian
3 years ago

We all questioned whether KK could do the double, appears he could not. Not sure if it would have make a difference though. Also Vlad appears to be done as a 100 swimmer, that was straight embarrassing to swim back-to-back 48 splits.

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  Philip Johnson
3 years ago

coming off of a 52 100 back…I feel a smidgen of compassion for Kliment, but 48.4 is time from the 1990s….

Coach Macgyver
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

You are right. That time would have gotten him second, just ahead of Cody Madison, at the 1996 Olympic trials*.

*Baywatch

Last edited 3 years ago by Coach Macgyver
Eouai
Reply to  Philip Johnson
3 years ago

Any chance KK just didn’t give it his all, knowing his team was out of any medal shot whatsoever? He could easily have seen the Americans and Italians starting their 4th leg a full 4 seconds ahead of him. Australia and Canada had a 2-3 second jump, but is he really gonna make up 2 seconds against Chalmers?

Idc
Reply to  Philip Johnson
3 years ago

We knew he couldn’t handle the double after erous

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  Khachaturian
3 years ago

yeah….. that was a big goose egg (90% sure Braden Keith picked them to win….but he may have hedged and said would challenge Team USA for the win… going back and reviewing the preview on that.)

Cate
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

I still think that was a good pick.

Cate
Reply to  Khachaturian
3 years ago

I would only say that if none of them had to do a double.

Kitajima Fan
3 years ago

Completely disrespecting Hafnaoui in the men’s 400 free

Joel
Reply to  Kitajima Fan
3 years ago

That was on day 1. This is day 2 highlights.
And I don’t think Titmus was riding Ledecky’s wave. But whatever.
Hot topic is probably all the Dean memes

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  Joel
3 years ago

…there are two waves…the emotional wave and the real wave. Lucky swimmers get to ride both, but sitting in the pocket and waiting to charge is riding an emotional wave home. Titmus certainly felt that in the 400 free.

Texas Tap Water
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

I expected this from you.

Cate
Reply to  Kitajima Fan
3 years ago

I think you’re in the wrong thread…or the wrong day.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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