Vlad Morozov Won’t Swim 100 IM at Short Course World Championships

2018 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Russian sprint superstar Vlad Morozov had an electric year at the FINA World Cup Series, where he won the title by a landslide margin of 171 points and took 22 event titles across freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and IM disciplines. That included sweeps of the series in the 50 free and the 100 IM, and World Record breaking, then World Record tying, performances in the 100 IM.

Even after showing that versatility all fall long, though, Morozov has ratcheted back to his primary Olympic distances for next weeks’s World Short Course Championships: the 50 and 100 free. He’s the top seed in the 50 (20.31) ahead of Britain’s Ben Proud; and holds the same position in the 100 (44.95) more than a second ahead of the #2 seed: American Blake Pieroni (46.25). Morozov is the Meet Record holder in the 100 free, and while he won the 2012 title in both races, he took neither in 2016 where he had a bigger schedule (that included a silver medal in the 100 breast).

That doesn’t mean that Morozov won’t be busy, however. Of the 6 relays available to him, he swam on, and won gold medals in, 5 at the 2016 Short Course World Championships – with the exception being the 800 free relay. With Russia sending effectively a full roster, they’re contenders to repeat in all 5 of those relays, though the Americans have a better squad than normal (including Caeleb Dressel) and should challenge for those titles.

In his absence, the defending World Champion Michael Andrew becomes the top seed in the 100 IM in 51.16. But, just because Morozov isn’t racing doesn’t meant that Russia won’t be hot-on-his-heels: the #2 seed is Russian Sergei Fesikov in 51.22, and the #3 seed is Kliment Kolesnikov in 51.35.

If Morozov had swum the 100 IM, it would have given him triples in the evening sessions on both Thursday, December 13th and Friday, December 14th.

Morozov’s Potential Schedule (50 and 100m races are prelims/semis/finals; all others are prelims/finals)

Tuesday, December 11th

  • No Entries

Wednesday, December 12th

  • Mixed 200 free relay (Prelims/Finals)

Thursday, December 13th

  • 50 free (Prelims/Semis)
  • Mixed 2o0 medley relay (Prelims/Finals)

Friday, December 14th

  • Men’s 200 free relay (Prelims/Finals)
  • 50 free (Finals)

Saturday, December 15th

  • Men’s 200 medley relay (Prelims/Finals)
  • 100 free (Prelims/Semis)

Sunday, December 16th

  • 100 free (Finals)
  • Men’s 400 medley relay (Prelims/Finals)

 

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Troy
5 years ago

This is a real shame. Handing the US and Andrew a gold medal on a platter.

Wondering
5 years ago

Mikey can finally win one!

Swimmy
Reply to  Wondering
5 years ago

He won one 2 years ago

Crannman
5 years ago

Putting all my money on Andrew retaining his 100m I.M crown now, would be surprised if he didn’t break 51 as well. Still hard to believe Morozov went into that 2016 final with a 50.3 PB and could only muster a 52.83, a time slower than some of his World Cup prelim swims.

IM FAN
5 years ago

Interesting. I think he wants to focus on getting the WRs in the 50 and 100 free…

The men’s side of short course worlds in going to be great:
Dressel vs Morozov in the 50-100 free
Dressel vs Santos vs Le Clos in the 50 fly
Dressel vs Le Clos in the 100 fly
Le Clos vs Seto in the 200 fly
Kolesnikov vs Xu vs Murphy in the backstrokes
And so many more. This is going to be like Doha 2014 with WRs just getting smashed if everyone is in their best shape…

samuel huntington
Reply to  IM FAN
5 years ago

um Ben Proud in the freestyle?

Swimming4silver
Reply to  samuel huntington
5 years ago

wait, the British are coming now?

Retta
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

Just 3, as listed on provisional entries announcement.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  samuel huntington
5 years ago

+ Pieroni & Chadwick in the 100 free

Will 37
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
5 years ago

Based on Chadwick’s winter nationals times and improvement curve, I think he is going to be good

Old Man Chalmers
Reply to  IM FAN
5 years ago

And Rylov in the 200 back

Wow
5 years ago

Wow
Not criticizing his decision, but if I were him I’d drop the 50 free instead of the IM because he’s so far ahead in that event

Pvdh
Reply to  Wow
5 years ago

Especially with the one guy who could beat him not swimming it either. But I ain’t saying no if Dressel and Morozov want to give us a showdown in the 50. Missed that matchup by a year because Morozov left college early.

Cheatin Vlad
Reply to  Pvdh
5 years ago

Morozov ran from Dressel.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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