Paris Olympics: Carson Foster, Kieran Smith in for U.S. 800 Free Relay; Australia Adds Elijah Winnington

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Paris Olympics: Carson Foster, Kieran Smith in for U.S. 800 Free Relay; Australia Adds Elijah Winnington

The United States has made three changes from its morning lineup in the 800 free relay by adding Carson Foster and Kieran Smith to the final.

Luke Hobson, bronze medalist in the men’s 200 free, will lead off and hand to Foster, who won silver in the 400 individual medley. Drew Kibler is the lone holdover from prelims, and he’ll hand off to Kieran Smith. Smith was just fourth at Olympic Trials and didn’t make the final of the 400 free, but he’s blasted 1:44s off the end for the U.S. to get silver at Worlds in 2023 and gold in 2022.

Smith led off and Kibler swam second on the ill-fated Tokyo relay team that finished fourth.

Australia has gone outside the box to add Elijah Winnington after a so-so prelims from them in which they finished 7:05.63. Max Guiliani, who finaled in the 200, is in, as is Thomas Neill, who was 10th in the event. Neither Kai Taylor nor Zac Incerti, with 1:47s, stated their case to join Neill and Flynn Southam.

Reigning Olympic champion Great Britain is going with the same foursome, despite Jack McMillan’s 1:4568 standing as the best time of prelims. Matt Richards subs in, while James Guy earned his way in prelims with a 1:45.04 that would’ve been fifth in the individual event. Richards was second, Duncan Scott was fourth and Tom Dean is the former Olympic champion.

Israel subs in Tomer Frankel for Eli Ben Shitrit. The Israeli’s are in Lane 0 after tying with Japan in 7:08.43.

South Korea, which scraped into the final in seventh, gets to add Hwang Sun-Woo on the anchor. Pan Zhanle likewise comes in from China.

Germany and Japan are unchanged from prelims. France, which finished third in prelims surprisingly, resisted the urge to add Leon Marchand and his 1:46.44 to the mix. It would’ve made 1,000 meters of racing for him on the day, discretion being the better part of valor. The French change the order slightly, with Wissam-Amazigh Yebba leading off ahead of Hadrien Salvan, Yann le Goff and Roman Fuchs.

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