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: Gold Medalists Murphy, McKeown, Qin, Zhang, Douglass Highlight Mixed Medley Final (Full Lineups) In the final of the mixed 400 medley relay at the World Championships, five teams will march out largely the same lineups they used to qualify in the morning heats, with the major exception Canada’s insertion of Kylie Masse on the backstroke leg. But the three medal favorites each have wholesale changes, with five individual world champions entering the mix. The top-seeded Americans go with men’s 100 backstroke winner Ryan Murphy ahead of men’s 100 breaststroke co-silver medalist Nic Fink, women’s 100 butterfly bronze medalist Torri Huske and women’s 200 IM winner Kate Douglass. The Chinese team, seemingly the favorites for gold based on swims so far in Fukuoka, will have men’s 100 breast champion Qin Haiyang and women’s 100 fly winner Zhang Yufei on the middle legs, with Xu Jiayu leading off and Cheng Yujie anchoring. Finally, Australia also has a golden touch to the relay lineup with women’s 100 back winner Kaylee McKeown leading off before 200 breast world-record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook and Matt Temple handle the middle legs. Shayna Jack will handle anchor duties after she split 51.66 on that leg in the morning. Based on her speedy relay swims so far this meet, Jack gets the nod over defending 100 free world champ Mollie O’Callaghan, who will race in the 200 free final Wednesday night, but Australia will still be tough to beat if they are close heading into the anchor leg. Check out the full lineups here. The Netherlands, seeded third, will have an outside chance at reaching the podium with Maaike de Waard, Arno Kamminga, Nyls Korstanje and Marrit Steenbergen, who also has a 51-second split to her credit this meet, while Great Britain has Medi Harris, James Wilby, Jacob Peters and Anna Hopkin. For Canada, Masse will be joined by 100 fly silver medalist Maggie Mac Neil.
