Paris Olympics, Day 7 Prelims: Caeleb Dressel, Pan Zhanle Highlight Mixed Medley Relay Qualifying

Caeleb Dressel -- Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Paris Olympics, Day 7 Prelims: Caeleb Dressel, Pan Zhanle Highlight Mixed Medley Relay Qualifying

The mixed 400 medley relay prelims will take place at the conclusion of Friday’s prelims session at the Olympic Games, and several top countries will deploy big names in their bid for finals spot and a shot at medals.

View the full prelims lineup here.

The top-seeded Chinese squad will swim four swimmers who have earned individual medals in their events this week: Xu Jiayu, the silver medalist in the 100 backstroke, leads off ahead of 100 breaststroke runnerup Tang Qianting and 100 butterfly bronze medalist Zhang Yufei. Pan Zhanle, who smashed his own world record in the 100 freestyle on his way to gold, anchors.

The Americans will swim one lane over, with a team of Regan Smith, Charlie Swanson, Caeleb Dressel and Abbey Weitzeil. The swims come in the midst of big days for Smith, who has the 200 back final in the evening, and Dressel, who has the first two rounds of the 100 fly along with the 50 free final.

The Americans typically change out their entire lineup for the final, so the inclusion of Smith and Dressel, the top women’s backstroker and men’s butterflyer, respectively, in prelims indicates that neither will swim in the final, which would suggest a male backstroker (likely Ryan Murphy) and female butterflyer (either Torri Huske or Gretchen Walsh).

Also in the final heat is defending Olympic champion Great Britain, with a lineup of Kathleen Dawson, James Wilby, Joe Litchfield and Anna Hopkin. The women swimming here are the same ones who bookended the gold-medal-winning team in Tokyo three years ago. Provided he is recovered from a COVID-19 diagnosis, Adam Peaty should handle breaststroke in the final.

In the first heat of the event, Australia will go with Iona Anderson, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers. The Aussies could also turn over their entire team for the final, with Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan, both individual gold medalists this week, likely inclusions to bookend the squad.

Canada will swim Maggie Mac Neil and Taylor Ruck on the fly and free legs, respectively, while the Netherlands has 200 breast bronze medalist Caspar Corbeau on the second leg and Marrit Steenbergen anchoring. Italy will swim 100 breaststroke Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi on his signature stroke, with 100 backstroke winner Thomas Ceccon sitting out but available for the final.

French and Swedish squads will leave off their biggest stars, Sarah Sjostrom and Leon Marchand, respectively, but both would be obvious inclusions if their respective teams advance. Apostolos Christou, the silver medalist in the 200 back, leads off for Greece.

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