Paris Olympics, Day 4: Leon Marchand Third in 200 Breast, Qin Haiyang 15th

Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Paris Olympics, Day 4: Leon Marchand Third in 200 Breast, Qin Haiyang 15th

The men’s 200 breaststroke in Tokyo was something of an open question. By Paris, the answers have narrowed slightly, but the chase for the podium might yet contain a surprise or two. Prelims certainly did.

Home-country hero Leon Marchand coasted into the final with the third-fastest time of prelims, but the story was about who missed and who nearly did. The first category is 2021 bronze medalist Matti Mattsson, eliminated in prelims in 18th place in 2:11.18.

The near miss was from 2023 triple World Champion Qin Haiyang, who scraped into the semifinals in 15th place in 2:10.98, safe by just .18 seconds.

World record: Qin Haiyang, China, 2:05.48 (2023)
Olympic record: Zac Stubblety-Cook, Australia, 2:06.38 (2021)
Tokyo Olympic champion: Zac Stubblety-Cook, Australia, 2:06.38

The top time was posted by a surprising figure in South Korea’s Cho Sung-Jae, who went 2:09.45 and outtouched Leon Marchand in the final heat of four. Marchand went 2:09.55. In between was the reigning Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook of Australia, who was last in his heat before a typical final-50 surge brought him home first in 2:09.49.

Marchand, who also qualified without consternation in the 200 butterfly, could end up racing 1,000 meters on the day, with semifinals in both events at night and the outside chance of France making the final in the 800 free relay.

Caspar Corbeau, a finalist in the 100 breast, finished fourth in 2:09.78, but countryman and reigning silver medalist Arno Kamminga scuffled along to 12th place. That is behind both Americans, Josh Matheny in 10th in 2:10.39, a tenth ahead of Matt Fallon.

Ippei Watanabe of Japan and Dong Zhihao of China had the other two times under 2:10. Yu Hanagaruma and Sweden’s Erik Persson tied for seventh. Persson’s inclusion means just three of the eight Tokyo finalists (with Stubblety-Cook and Kamminga) are even back for the semifinals this year.

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