2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, December 13 to Sunday, December 18, 2022
- Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- SCM (25m)
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MEN’S 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINALS
World Record: 6:46.81 – Brazil, 2018Championship Record: 6:46.81 – Brazil, 2018- 2021 Champion: 6:47.00 – United States
RESULTS:
- GOLD: United States – 6:44.12 (World Record)
- SILVER: Australia – 6:46.54
- BRONZE: Italy – 6:49.63
- South Korea – 6:49.67
- Japan – 6:52.04
- Spain – 6:53.13
- Canada – 6:56.02
- Bulgaria – 6:59.12
The United States’ squad of Kieran Smith, Carson Foster, Trenton Julian, and Drew Kibler closed out tonight’s finals session at the 2022 Short Course World Championships by shattering the World Record in the men’s 4×200 free relay. The splits were phenomenal all-around, providing some life to the U.S. men’s team, which has been very up-and-down here in Melbourne this week.
Smith was excellent on the lead-off, splitting 1:41.04 to get his team off to a great start. Foster then dove in for a blistering 1:40.48 on the second leg. Julian clocked a 1:41.44, and Kibler anchored in 1:41.16, touching first by well over two seconds. The Americans were in a tight race with Australia until Kibler pulled away from Australian anchor Mack Horton. In the end, the U.S. won the relay by 2.42 seconds.
The previous World Record was held by Brazil at the 2018 SC World Championships in Hangzhou, China. That mark stood at 6:46.81.
Here is a split comparison between the American 4×200 free relay tonight and Brazil’s 4×200 free relay four years ago:
| Splits | USA – 2022 SC World Champs (FINALS) | Brazil – 2018 SC World Champs (FINALS) |
| FIRST LEG | Kieran Smith (1:41.04) | Luiz Melo (1:42.03) |
| SECOND LEG | Carson Foster (1:40.48) | Fernando Scheffer (1:40.99) |
| THIRD LEG | Trenton Julian (1:41.44) | Leonardo Santos (1:42.81) |
| FOURTH LEG | Drew Kibler (1:41.16) | Breno Correia (1:40.98) |
| FINAL TIME | 6:44.12 | 6:46.81 |
The Americans were significantly faster than their Brazilian counterparts from 2018 on the first three legs. Brazilian anchor was faster than Drew Kibler, but only by 0.18 seconds.
Also of note, Kieran Smith already won the men’s 400 free this week, setting a new American Record. His 1:41.04 lead-off tonight bodes well for the individual 200 free, which will take place on the final day of the meet.
In 1965 I was the anchorman on a 200 freestyle relay that broke the HS National record with a time of 1:29.2 (Finals at Lawrenceville Easterns championships.) Lawrenceville is an old Civil War town in PA.
It ended 1965 on the All-American list 8 relays faster than Santa Clara’s HS relay with Mark Spitz on the SC relay.
Hinsdale HS in south Chicago went a full second faster that year at their Chicago State meet.
The USA will be favourites for this relay in Paris. They have depth plus scope for improvement. GBR cannot be ruled out but they need to find another swimmer as Guy is not the force he once was and hope that Scott, Dean and Richards all stay fit and in form. Australia doesn’t have any crack 200 freestylers but they’ll be a chance because of their depth. If instead of Horton they had Winnington or Graham or one of the up and comers like Short that relay last night would have gone down to the wire.
The Americans are not just limited to this crew.
In looking at times since 1/1/21(deleting those retired), they have one flat start under 1:45 (Smith); 3 more under 1:46 (Kibler, Foster, Hobson), 10 more under 1:47 (House, Magahey, Dressel, Julian, Mitchell, Dahlgren, Urlando, Carrozza, Apple, Callan), 7 more under 1:48 (Grothe, Jett, Held, Sammon, Hill, Bowers, Newmark) and numerous others under 1:50 whose relevence depends in large part on age as 15 and 16 year olds now at 1:50 or under can quickly be impactful. If a few of the special ones under 18 make large jumps they could be “players” (Williamson, Heilman, McFadden, Winkler, Diehl, Cooper, Shackell, Gibson, K Jones, Wimberly) by next summer and without question by… Read more »
Had the same order been decided in Budapest the US team would have gone sub 7:00
when was the last time siblings both were in the same event (relay) on the world stage
Hansson sisters? C1 and C2?
Campbell sisters?
The Hansson sisters yesterday (https://www.omegatiming.com/File/00011700030201F60104FFFFFFFFFF01.pdf).
There were two Matsumotos on Japan’s mens 4×200 relay today, I haven’t been able to figure out if they are bothers though.
I can think of Steve and Bruce Furniss back in the 70s
Where does that 200 Free split for Carson Foster rank all time?
I was doing a little research on this earlier. I couldn’t find 2008 SC Worlds results, but from 2010 on, it looks like Chalmers’ split tonight is is the fastest-ever and Foster’s ties Lochte for #2. Again, that was just from scrolling fairly quickly through SC Worlds results, not any other SCM meets (e.g., ISL). I may try to do a little more digging later on today.
That is consistent with the SWIMS database, but I don’t believe it is nearly as impressive as it sounds.
While I know conversions are fraught with risk, SCM to/from SCY is about as fair as it gets in that field. Using the SwimSwam Swimulator Real Time Converter, Carson’s 1:40.48 SCM is equivalent to 1:30.90 SCY. This suggests Carson has made a small but recognizable advance through the year, as his anchor in March, ’22 on the SCY NCAA winning Texas 4×200 relay was 1:31.05.
That was a fine anchor, but on swims FROM JUST THAT MEET ALONE (not all-time {faster performances reach back to at least 2006 when Englishman Simon Burnett swam a flat start 1:31.20 for Arizona}, not… Read more »
There was no 4×2 in isl
Remember when back in Tokyo the US 800 free relay was likely the weakest event for us and they didn’t podium? Well now I would say it’s one of our strongest events and will say they could make a run at their world record in LCM.
Kieran was only swimmer in Budapest under 1:45. To break record, would think Carson and Kibler would need to dip into 1:44 mid-high and Kieran needs to stay 1:44 low or even faster. Gotta avg. 1:44.6 to break record. They seem motivated to get that record for sure.
Carson was 1:45.0 on the relay last year its definitely doable especially splitting nearly a second faster than last year at the SC worlds lets say it was the same order as Budapest next summer. Also they could realistically go these splits next summer,
Kibler- 1:45.1
Foster- 1:44.5
Julian- 1:44.9
Smith- 1:44.1
This adds up to 6:58.6 now I believe this is a very possible time and swim here for the US, they would need to nail the relay exchanges and potentially fight off any other countries that could be close to them but I believe that they could be close to the WR next summer
Kibbles was 1:45.01 w/a flat start last summer and Foster looks like he’s headed for the 1:44s.. all relatively young or at least in their prime.. I’d say they have a reasonable shot. Hard to say favorites over GB but there’s lot of depth to think they can find at least another 1:45 by Paris…
Foster is even better and Longcourse than short course
They could slip under the record, but the problem is that peak GBR would absolutely annihilate it. We’ve gotta keep in mind that when they missed by 0.03 in Tokyo Tom Dean was 1.5sec off his best when he led off. If Matt Richards returns to form GBRs relay could very easily be 1:45, 1:44, 1:43, 1:43
I think their last chance to break that was in Tokyo. They have to find another 1:43
I really struggle to see how Tokyo was the last opportunity. There’s no reason Scott can’t be at his best in Paris. Tom Dean was 21 in Tokyo and Matt Richards was 18. James Guy is the one unlikely to be able to recapture his Tokyo form (he’ll be knocking on 29 in Paris), but he has come out swimming well this winter so who knows. McMillan’s recent 1.41 indicates he has settled well and is progressing in Stirling too, so we’ll see what he can do LCM. Our big problem is having limited room for error in regards to options should one go down unwell or injured.
I think at this point the Brits still have a higher ceiling in this relay so even if the US sneaks under the WR the Brits could very well still be in front of them.
Scott still split 1:44.4 this year weeks after getting floored by covid so I’d be surprised if he can’t still get back to 1:43 under better circumstances.
I believe that USA is much more likely to break the world record than Great Britain at this point. The group of Americans that are talented in the 200 freestyle is growing and their improvement is nowhere near slowing down.
Richards seems destined to be another 1:44 flat start swimmer for them.
Can’t wait for tomorrow and it’s gonna be good
Can someone just explain what Trenton Julian did already
Fr tho, whenever he’s swimming I automatically have to be mad but I don’t even know what I’m mad about specifically.
(In general I’m mad someone on the SafeSport list is even at these meets, tho.)
I feel like some lawyers got heavily involved somewhere along the road. The SwimSwam article about 6 months ago…then nothing.