Paris Olympics, Day 2 Prelims: David Popovici Leads 200 Free Prelims
There will be a new Olympic champion in the men’s 200 freestyle. That much was known in April. Who it will be remains an open question.
David Popovici is certain that he wants to be in the conversation for it.
Popovici led a jumbled prelims swim in the 200 free, his time of 1:45.65 one of only two under 1:46 in an event where a 1.95-second spread covered the top 19 swimmers.
Only Popovici and Danas Rapsys broke 1:46. The Lithuanian was second in 1:45.91.
- World record: Paul Biedermann, Germany, 1:42.00 (2009)
- Olympic record: Michael Phelps, U.S., 1:42.96 (2008)
- Tokyo Olympic champ: Tom Dean, Great Britain, 1:44.22
Most of the contenders are through to the semifinals with two notable sprinting exceptions. Chris Guiliano of the United States went 1:47.60, which gets him 19th place. China’s Pan Zhanle was 22nd in 1:49.47.
The upheaval in the event is such that only four finalists from Tokyo are even entered. That does not include Tom Dean, the reigning Olympic champion, who did not qualify for the event at British Trials behind teammate Duncan Scott, the Tokyo silver medalist, and Matt Richards. Bronze medalist Fernando Scheffer also qualified only for the relay in Paris.
Max Guiliani of Australia won the first of three circle-seeded heats in 1:46.15, .04 up on Richards. It was a crowded one, with the top six bunched within .86 seconds.
Rapsys controlled the third heat, the slowest of the bunch, finishing .68 seconds up on Lukas Martens. Martens, who won the 400 free Saturday night, was 10th. He had finished tied for 17th in Tokyo in this event.
The fourth heat was the quickest, with Popovici’s oversight. Lucas Henveaux of Belgium brought the outside smoke to finish second in 1:46.04. Third in the heat and fourth overall was Hwang Sun-Woo in 1:46.14. (Hwang has a precedent for quick prelims times: In Tokyo, he turned in the fastest time in prelims at 1:44.62, then a world junior record, but didn’t get back to it in later phases.)
Richards was through in sixth overall. There was a tie for seventh between Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto and Luke Hobson or the U.S. Scott is 11th, with 400 free bronze medalist Kim Woo-Min 12th.
The pool is very slow,shame that they work so hard,not just for USA but for all counties..