Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Prelim Lineups: Australia’s Depth Comes In Handy

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
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• Day 1 Prelims Heat Sheet

The first prelims session of the Tokyo 2020 Games will wrap up with the prelims of the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay. When Australia had 4 women go under 53 at their recent Olympic Trials, they asserted themselves as the favorites to win. They will be hoping to defend their 2016 title here which they won 5 years ago in a 3:32.39 world record.

Heat 1

1. Hong Kong – Tam, Cheng, Au, Ho – 3:40.40
2. Denmark – Blume, Bro, Jensen, Ottesen – 3:36.81
3. France – Gastaldello, Bonnet, Fabre, Martin – 3:35.64
4. USA – Smoliga, C. DeLoof, Schmitt, Hinds – 3:31.02
5. Great Britain – Hope, Hopkin, Wood, Anderson – 3:34.17
6. Sweden – Sjostrom, Coleman, Hansson, Junevik – 3:36.03
7. Brazil – Oliveira, Vieira, Medeiros, Balduccini – 3:38.59

Heat 2

1. Russian Olympic Committee – Daria S Ustinova, Surkova, Klevanovich, Andrusenko – 3:38.94
2. Japan – Igarashi, Ikee, Sakai, Omoto – 3:36.17
3. Netherlands – Busch, Kromowidjojo, Steenbergen, Heemskerk – 3:34.30
4. Australia – O’Callaghan, Harris, Wilson, Bronte Campbell – 3:20.21
5. Canada – Sanchez, Ruck, Smith, Oleksiak – 3:31.78
6. China – Cheng, Zhu, Ai, Wu – 3:35.83
7. Germany – Hopink, Bruhn, Pietruschka, Kuechler – 3:38.55
8. Czech Republic – Seemanova, Horska, Janickova, Apostalon – 3:40.78

Australia will race O’Callaghan, Harris, Wilson, and Bronte Campbell for their prelims relay, saving all-stars Cate Campbell and Emma McKeon for the finals.

The biggest question heading into the women’s 4×100 freestyle prelims was whether or not the USA’s contingent. While she didn’t qualify for the Olympic in the event individually, 2016 Olympic Champion Simone Manuel has enough of a reputation that it wouldn’t be too surprising to the American coaches to test her out on the prelims relay to see how she fares.

Manuel, however, won’t race the prelims of the relay as 3rd – 6th place finishers at US Olympic Trials Olivia Smoliga, Natalie Hinds Catie DeLoof, and Allison Schmitt will be taking care of the race.

One slightly surprising entry here is Great Britain’s Abbie Wood who will be racing during the 4×100 free prelims alongside expected British freestylers Lucy Hope, Freya Anderson, and Anna Hopkin. Wood is better known for her breaststroke and IM skills and will be racing individually in the 200-meter race of those disciplines.

Sarah Sjostrom will be getting in the water for the second time during prelims, having already swum the women’s 100 butterfly earlier on. She will take part in the Swedish 4×100 freestyle relay with Michelle Coleman, Louise Hansson, and Sara Junevik. The Swedes will have a shot at advancing into the finals but will need to hold off the likes of the USA, Great Britain, and Denmark in their own heat, while the Canadians, the Netherlands, Australia, and China are set to put up a good fight in the second heat of 2.