U.S. Team Breaks Mixed Medley Relay World Record

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

After seeing the lineups for this morning’s mixed medley relay, it’s no surprise that the U.S. team broke the world record in the prelims.

100 back bronze medalist and 2016 Olympic champion Ryan Murphy led them off in 52.34, a time faster than the gold medal winning time last night (though he had open water, and lead-off times in mixed events don’t officially count).

They then followed with individual medalists Kevin Cordes and Kelsi Worrell, rather than going with Trials runners-up Cody Miller and Sarah Gibson. Cordes split a solid 58.95, and Worrell followed up with a 56.17 on fly. Mallory Comerford, who set an American Record leading off the 400 free relay, anchored in 52.82 to give them a time of 3:40.28.

The swim breaks Great Britain’s world record of 3:41.71, set at the 2015 Championships when the mixed relays were first introduced on the LC World Championship stage.

Expect the U.S. to sub-in Matt Grevers and Simone Manuel for Murphy and Comerford in the final, while keeping on Cordes and Worrell. The Australians finished 2nd in 3:44.13, and have many potential substitutions to make including Mitch Larkin on back, Emma McKeon on fly and Bronte Campbell on free. Canada (3:44.46) and Great Britain (3:44.79) qualified 3rd and 4th.

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Swim analyst
6 years ago

Wouldn’t it be faster to switch Cordes with king, and worrell for dressel? While keeping Murphy and Comerford

kwabbit
6 years ago

Can NCAA athletes receive the WR bonus while maintaining eligibility?

Years of Plain Suck
6 years ago

My guess? NBC will tell the coaches to put Ledecky on the mixed medley relay final so she can go for 7 golds!!!

Coco Pazzo
6 years ago

Wonder why FINA doesn’t recognize World Records for a backstroke leg in the Mixed Relay. Seems like the swimmer covers the requisite distance, adhering to all rules for the 100 back, in a sanctioned meet. Guess FINA doesn’t think the Mixed Relays are “real events”?

JP input is too short
Reply to  Coco Pazzo
6 years ago

Question for which I don’t know the answer – would a time trial count for a world record?

I know it does for American records and such (i.e. Conger’s first 200 fly American record), but I don’t know about for world records.

He Gets It Done Again
Reply to  JP input is too short
6 years ago

Yes, Popov went 21.64 in a time trial back in 2000, that was the WR until 2008

JP input is too short
Reply to  He Gets It Done Again
6 years ago

Ah yes, forgot about the circumstances on that swim.

I would guess the reason they don’t could mixed medleys then is that a woman leading off could conceivably grab an advantage that couldn’t be had in a single-gender event in drafting off a man next to her.

SchoolingFTW
Reply to  Coco Pazzo
6 years ago

Because it’s men vs women.

A man or woman breaking 100 free WR leading off 4×100 mixed free relay is also not recognized.

He Gets It Done Again
Reply to  Coco Pazzo
6 years ago

The only thing I can think of is that for the women they could potentially have the opportunity to draft off a male swimmer going 5-6 seconds faster. That could be considered an advantage when compared to the regular individual event. Back in 2007, Libby Trickett swam next to Phelps on the first leg of the mixed 4×100 Free at the Duel in the Pool. She went 52.99, the first women to break 53, but FINA did not count it as an official WR.

KC4∞
6 years ago

Change it up, let them all get medals…

Grevers
King
Dressel
Manuel

commonwombat
6 years ago

I’d say 2-3 seconds as I expect they may drop 0.5-1.0sec from their heats time.

There will be no real competition. No other country has the depth, end of story. The Olympic announcement came AFTER most teams had been selected and teams in these post Olympic years tend to be smaller. Therefore for most countries its a case of juggling your resources as to when it comes to relays and how you best employ any stars you may have. The mixed races just add to the equation. In two years time, almost certainly you will see more countries come out to play and the other stronger nations treat this race as seriously as any of the other Olympic relays they… Read more »

Swimnerd
6 years ago

Or we could just have a mens and womens 200 free/medley relay instead of these mixed relays

Daaaave
6 years ago

Presumably they get to split the $30k WR bonus? Then another combo could lower the WR again tonight. Then they all get to split the gold medal bonus. Cha-ching!

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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