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By Jinq En Phee, Swimming World College Intern.
This year’s FINA World Championships in Budapest is bound to be an exciting one, as this would be the year for Rio 2016 Olympic Champions to once again prove themselves at the world’s biggest stage. Will they retain their form from Rio and become world champions?
The most exciting race on the women’s side this summer will arguably be the 4x100m freestyle relay, with the favorites to win this event most likely being Australia or the USA. At the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, the Australian women touched first in a new championship record of 3:31.48, more than three full seconds ahead of the Americans, who touched third in 3:34.61; while the Netherlands finished second in 3:33.67. At the Olympic Games last year, the Australian women once again defeated the Americans, touching first in a new world record of 3:30.65, while the Americans finished second in a new American record of 3:31.89.
Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
With the Australian Swimming Championships having already concluded and the Australian roster for Budapest announced, we can more or less guess what their line up for the 4x100m free relay will be. World Record holder Cate Campbell made the decision earlier this year to opt out of this year’s World Championships to focus on next year’s Commonwealth Games, so her sister Bronte Campbell and Rio teammate Emma McKeon will be key figures on the relay team. Campbell’s club-mate and rookie Shayna Jack, along with backstroke ace Madison Wilson, finished fourth and fifth at the Australian Championships respectively, so they could very well fill the rest of the relay line-up.
Brittany Elmslie, who was part of the relay quartet that won the gold in Rio last year, finished sixth in the 100 free at the Australian Championships. In Rio, she split a 53.12 on the second leg of the relay, en route to helping the Aussies set a new world record for that event, so she could be in consideration for the relay line up as well. With the top four times from the Australian Nationals added up (minus Cate Campbell’s time), they would clock a 3:33.70, which would have earned them the bronze medal in Kazan, not taking into consideration relay starts.
In Kazan, the USA relay line up consisted of Missy Franklin, Margo Geer, Lia Neal and Simone Manuel, while in Rio, the relay team was made up of Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzel, Dana Vollmer and Katie Ledecky. Manuel was the only one who made it to both relay teams back to back. At the NCAA Championships last month, Manuel threw down a monstrous 45.56, becoming the first woman to go a sub-46 second 100-yard free, destroying the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open records all at once. Add in Manuel’s gold-medal winning swim in Rio and she looks to be in a fine position to once again make the relay for Team USA.
Meanwhile for Ledecky, she has already proved that she can handle the 100m freestyle just as well as the longer distances, which is what she excels at. Ledecky swam a 52.79 in Rio last summer, anchoring the Americans’ relay team to a silver medal.
For the United States, the World Championships trials will be held in Indianapolis from June 27 through July 1.With different people making up the relay team each year, the 4x100m freestyle relay is a wide open shot for everyone.
Comparing both the Australian and the USA relay teams, both have been posting consistent times over the past two years. With Cate Campbell missing out on this year’s world championships, the Americans might stand a chance to dethrone the Australians and re-claim the relay title. The Americans last won the relay title in 2013
Other than the two teams mentioned above, Canada and the Netherlands stand a chance to defy all odds and win the relay title.. Both Canada and the Netherlands will each have an Olympic champion swimming for their team; with Rio 2016 100m freestyle champion Penny Oleksiak swimming for Canada and London 2012 50m and 100m freestyle champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo swimming for the Netherlands.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
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USA
Australia could have Pellegrini leading off, Sjostrom on the end and Shane Gould and Dawn Fraser (Kornelia Ender/Kristin Otto?) in the middle. Won’t matter as long as we have Ledecky on anchor the gold will be ours! We could even spot ’em Phelps and Townley Haas ( Thorpedo/Hackett?)
Until we have a spread of times from US Nationals, this is all going to be speculative. At this point, USA has 2 swimmers with sub53 splits on their CVs; to win they would most likely require 3 below that mark and someone deliver that killer sub 52 (only a handful have ever done that).
With C1 in the line-up, AUS would still remain favourite … end of story. Without her, it certainly openS up the equation. C2 has delivered sub52s but not sure she’s in that shape this year. McKeon has split sub53 and has swum that flat start; much will rely on where they place her on the relay but they will most likely need a split well below 53 unless they place her “off the gun”. Jack has had a major break-out year domestically and her 53.4 PB hints at potential for a fast split but this is her senior intl debut so a question mark is warranted. The 4th leg is a concern. Elmslie would traditionally cover this and can deliver reliable 53mid to even 53low splits but she was awful at Trials. IF back in form, she’s in but otherwise you are then looking at 53 high flat start from Wilson
NED has Kromowidjojo & Heemskerk; both capable of monster relays splits but both edging very much to veteran class. Steenbergen splits in the 53s but their Achilles heel is finding a 4th leg; they really havent anyone who can split sub54
CAN made the podium in Rio and have to be seen as factors but any chance at the big money is reliant on (1) Oleksiak being at her Rio level if not better and the rest of their ruck of 53high/54low flat starters splitting 53 lows. IF both these happen then they’re potentially playing for the major prize, otherwise they’re most likely battling for bronze with NED.
At this point, its still probably Adv AUS but as yet, we haven’t the times from US to have the full picture
Canada
Australia