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Like the women’s 1500 free and men’s 800 free, the mixed 400 medley relay was also recently added as a new Olympic event for 2020. While the event was exciting when it made its debut at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, the intensity and strategy should be ratcheted up to a new level this year in Budapest.
In Kazan, Adam Peaty led Great Britian to gold almost single-handedly, splitting 57.98 to put the Brits well in front, and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and Fran Halsall held on from there. But it’s tough to see that strategy paying off again with Halsall retired and Britain’s male backstrokers struggling.
In the 2015 final, seven out of eight teams went with male swimmers on the backstroke and breaststroke legs, followed by females on the fly and free legs. But this time around, coaches might be more willing to buck conventional wisdom, particularly if they are looking for creative solutions to dealing with Peaty’s dominance in men’s breaststroke.
Different countries will employ different strategies, but the general goal is this: Find your four swimmers whose aggregate times add up to the fastest. Of course, with two women and two men on each team, that’s much easier said than done.
Read below to see what Swimming World’s trio of experts think will happen in Budapest. David Rieder, John Lohn and Andy Ross will each offer their predictions for who will finish on the podium.
Mixed Medley Relay
Current Records:
World Record: Great Britain — Walker-Hebborn, Peaty, O’Connor, Halsall (2015) — 3:41.71
Championship Record: Great Britain — Walker-Hebborn, Peaty, O’Connor, Halsall (2015) — 3:41.71
American Record: Murphy, Cordes, Stewart, Neal (2015) — 3:42.33
2015 World Champion: Great Britain — Walker-Hebborn, Peaty, O’Connor, Halsall (2015) — 3:41.71
Swimming World Predictions
David Rieder’s Picks:
Gold: United States
Silver: Great Britain
Bronze: Australia
John Lohn’s Picks:
Gold: United States
Silver: Great Britain
Bronze: China
Andy Ross’ Picks:
Gold: China
Silver: United States
Bronze: Great Britain
Previous Events
Day One:
Day Two:
Day Three:
Day Four:
- FINA CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE
- ULTIMATE SCHEDULE GUIDE
- QUALIFIED HIGH DIVERS
- MEDAL TABLE
- 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
- LIVE RESULTS
- OPEN WATER LIVE RESULTS
- PSYCH SHEET
- DAY EIGHT FINALS HEAT SHEETS
- DAY ONE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY ONE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY TWO PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY TWO FINALS RESULTS
- DAY THREE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY THREE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY FOUR PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY FOUR FINALS RESULTS
- DAY FIVE PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY FIVE FINALS RESULTS
- DAY SIX PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY SIX FINALS RESULTS
- DAY SEVEN PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY SEVEN FINALS RESULTS
- DAY EIGHT PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY EIGHT FINALS RESULTS
I wish for the relays David, John, and Andy would predict the line-up in addition to the winning team especially in the mixed relay where the lineup is half the fun.
Ha! All these predictions were hard enough. It’s tough, and a lot will depend on how everyone performs at the meet. My guess is the U.S. decides to go with a woman on breaststroke (i.e., King) just because of the Peaty factor. Perhaps: Murphy back, King breast, Dressel fly, Manuel free? Again, way, way too early to know for sure.
Totally understandable. Some teams have been selected a while back, there’s no way to know how fast they will be at Budapest.
There is one near certainty with this relay. Unless they break (or miss the bus to the pool), USA will win this one.
Picking the minors is a tad problematic for a reason that the author of this article managed to overlook; namely that the Olympic announcement re Tokyo inclusion was made AFTER most teams had been selected. Some teams will have scope to enter a team; others may still not want to throw another couple of races at their “guns”. It goes without saying that this will change in 2 years time !
Am thinking that GBR & CHN should be USA’s only real competition.
IMO GB won’t use CWH. Davies, Peaty, O’Connor, Scott ? It would be interesting.
Or Thomas for the fly.
Hhhmm. Davies would certainly be competitive against most female backstroke legs and I completely understand the attraction of swimming Scott on anchor as he would most likely be giving away very little if anything to the US (unless they put in a complete stormer) and be in advance of all other male anchors.
Lets agree that Peaty on BRS is the one “lock” for selection. Starting with CWH & Peaty then locks you into finishing with 2 womens legs where neither of their likely reps are likely to be “on the pace” of the best women on those legs. Opening with Davies does open up the possibility of swimming either Guy on fly or Scott on anchor but sadly you cannot play both these cards PLUS Peaty.
Whilst neither SMOC or Thomas are likely to be on the pace and will most likely drop seconds to the best female flyers, I might be tempted to take up your F-M-F-M set-up on the score that Scott is likely to be able to make up ground on all other male anchors with the possible exception of USA.
Using CWH they”ll loose it. What can you do?
After Davies (against a man) the gap will be about -7,6-7,7 s, with Scott (against a woman) the totalized gap will be abot – 1,4-1,5 s. With Peaty….
So it could be an option. At least as good as CWH with his current form.
CW, you didn’t have a reply box…
Reading again what you wrote I’m sure the US relay will be M-M-F-F.
C’mon Andy!