World Championships: Katie Ledecky to Swim Third Leg of Women’s 800 Free Relay Battle Against Australia, China, Canada

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Katie Ledecky -- Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

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World Championships: Katie Ledecky to Swim Third Leg of Women’s 800 Free Relay Battle Against Australia, China, Canada

The women’s 800 freestyle relay will conclude the Wednesday evening session of the FINA World Championships, and the race should shape up between four countries in lanes three through six: the United States, Australia, China and Canada. The Chinese team won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in world-record time, with the Americans taking silver and Australia, the pre-race favorite, taking third. The countries will battle it out again in Budapest with all making substantial changes to their lineups.

The Australians qualified first in prelims, and they will go with Madison Wilson, Leah Neale, Kiah Melverton and Mollie O’Callaghan anchoring. Wilson and Neale are back from last year’s finals quartet while individual 200 free gold medalist Ariarne Titmus and Emma McKeon are both absent from Worlds. O’Callaghan was the silver medalist in Tuesday’s 200 freestyle while Wilson also swam in the final.

China will have a pair of individual 200 free medalists from Tuesday bookending its relay with bronze medalist Tang Muhan going first and world champion Yang Junxuan last. Li Bingjie, who anchored last year’s relay, swims second, and Ai Yanhan swims third.

The Americans will go with a group of Claire Weinstein, Leah Smith, Katie Ledecky and Bella Sims. Ledecky is the only returning swimmer from last year’s bunch (none of the other three swimmers are in Budapest). Smith and Weinstein finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in the 200 free, while Sims will anchor after posting a sizzling 1:55.91 anchor split in prelims.

Finally, Canada will lead off with rising teenage star Summer McIntosh, and she will be followed by Kayla Sanchez, Taylor Ruck and 200 free Olympic bronze medalist Penny Oleksiak.

Expect a back-and-forth battle between these four countries to sort out the medals. The full start list is available here.

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