Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment. World Championships, Day 8: Canada Leads Way in Women’s 400 Medley Relay It hasn’t been the usual meet for Team Canada, at least not according to the new normal a golden generation has established. The Canadians enter the final day of the World Aquatics Championships with just four medals to their name, a bevy of their international stalwarts either injured, short on form or staying home for an extended run-up to the Paris Olympics next year. What remains, though, on the women’s side was fast enough to claim the top time in prelims of the 400 medley relay Sunday morning. The team of Ingrid Wilm, Sophie Angus, Maggie MacNeil and Mary Sophie Harvey won the final heat of three in a time of 3:55.93, edging out the Americans for the top seed in Sunday night’s final at Marine Messe Hall. Third are the Swedes, who by a fast second heat of three in 3:57.49, .25 seconds up on Australia. Netherlands is the fifth seed, thanks to a rally on the anchor by Marrit Steenbergen – in her 19th swim of the Championships, to get them in fifth. Speaking of uncharacteristically light medal counts, the U.S. enters the medley relays without a gold in any of the team swims, garnering four silver and two bronze. The men pulled through prelims of the medley by nearly a second, with medalists in all four strokes ready to sub in. The women are less certain in their jump from prelims to finals. Lilly King, who finished behind bronze medalist Lydia Jacoby, will sub in after Jacoby swam in the morning. Torri Huske swimming prelims means the U.S. could get creative in the finals, with Kate Douglass hopping in somewhere in the final two legs. Sweden’s A squad of Michelle Coleman, Sophie Hansson, Louise Hansson and Sarah Sjostrom are third, Sjostrom coming back in 52.41. The Aussies were fourth, 1.81 seconds back of the Canadians. But they went with a full reserve squad of Madison Wilson, Abbey Harkin, Brianna Throssell and Meg Harris. They have Mollie O’Callaghan on deck for back, maybe Kaylee McKeown in breaststroke, plus Emma McKeon and Shayna Jack off the end. The Dutch were fifth in 3:57.81, followed by China (3:58.13), France (3:58.54) and Japan in eighth in 3:58.58, to the joy of the home fans.
