Paris Olympics: Simone Manuel In Prelims for U.S. 800 Free Relay; Lani Pallister Returns

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Paris Olympics: Simone Manuel In Prelims for U.S. 800 Free Relay; Lani Pallister Returns

Simone Manuel has been drafted into the prelims of the U.S. women’s 800 freestyle relay on Thursday at the Paris Olympics, a race that also sees Lani Pallister return from a COVID-19 absence.

Manuel, who finished seventh in the 200 free at U.S. Olympic Trials, swam a solid anchor leg of the women’s 400 free relay to bring home silver for the U.S. She’s joined by Anna Peplowski, Erin Gemmell and Alex Shackell. Gemmell finished ninth in the 200 free in Paris. The U.S. will sub in Katie Ledecky (first at Trials), Claire Weinstein (second at Trials and eighth in Paris) and Paige Madden (third at Trials before withdrawing from the event in Paris) for finals, leaving the four prelims swimmers to battle for one spot.

Top-seeded Australia will rest its two biggest guns in Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus, who went 1-2 in the 200 free. Shayna Jack, fifth in the 100 free Wednesday night, will anchor.

Leading off is Lani Pallister, who had to withdraw from the 1,500 free due to a positive test for COVID-19. Jamie Perkins and Brianna Throssell are the middle two legs.

China will rest its top two 200 freestylers in Yang Junxuan, who finished fifth in the 200 free, and Li Bingjie, who was 10th. They roll with Tang Muhan, Kong Yaqi, Ge Chutong and Liu Yaxin in the morning.

Mary-Sophie Harvey, who was fourth in the 200, will anchor Canada’s bid to make a final. Emma O’Croinin, Ella Jansen and Julie Brousseau are that quartet. Penny Oleksiak and Summer McIntosh are presumably on hand for finals.

The other A finalist in the field is New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather, she’ll lead off the first heat. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, fresh off silver in the 1,500 free, will anchor France. Great Britain has a strong squad with Freya Anderson, Abbie Wood, Lucy Hope and Medi Harris.

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