Men’s 50m Freestyle
Cameron McEvoy (Australia) went fastest by 0.19 in the heats despite Jordan Crooks (Cayman Islands) setting a national record. Tom Fannon (Ireland), Diogo Ribeiro (Portugal), Florent Manaudou (France) and Ben Proud(Great Britain) qualified after winning other heats. In the first semi final Crooks edged Caleb Dressel (United States) to the line whilst Proud and McEvoy would tie in the second semi final. Manaudou would pump the crowd up leading into the final and it was enough to take him to a medal. McEvoy would beat Proud by 0.05 whilst Manaudou won bronze only 0.08 ahead of eighth.
🥇Cameron McEvoy 🇦🇺
🥈Ben Proud 🇬🇧
🥉Florent Manaudou 🇫🇷
I predicted six of the eight to qualify for the final. As will be a theme, I overestimated Dressel’s ability to get back to his best
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Jack Alexy (United States) would go fastest in the heats with David Popovici (Romania) and Kyle Chalmers(Australia) winning the other seeded semi finals. The big news was the struggle of Pan Zhanle (China), as he only qualified by 0.07 coming in tied thirteenth. The first semi final was won by a fast-finishing Chalmers ahead of Nandor Nemeth (Hungary) as the top four were separated by 0.14. A loaded second semi final would see Zhanle edge Popovici. Zhanle would go out fastest in the final and come back almost a body length clear of his rivals, setting an incredible world record. He was over a second of Chalmers in second, who was only half a second ahead of eighth.
🥇Pan Zhanle 🇨🇳
🥈Kyle Chalmers 🇦🇺
🥉David Popovici 🇷🇴
I did not expect that from Zhanle! I had the right second and third just in the wrong order
Men’s 200m Freestyle
David Popovici (Romania) went fastest in the heats ahead of Danas Rapsys (Lithuania). The first semi final was incredibly competitive as four men came within 0.5 seconds of Luke Hobson (United States) who took the win from Lukas Martens (Germany). The second semi final was more comfortable as Popovici took the win, over half a second faster, ahead of Duncan Scott (Great Britain). Martens led at 50m and at 100m. At 150m he still led ahead of Popovici and Matt Richards (Great Britain) in third. With 20m to go, it felt like there was a number of contenders. In the touch it was Popovici who won by 0.02 ahead of Richards. 0.05 behind was Luke Hobson (United States) with Scott a further 0.08 behind.
🥇David Popovici 🇷🇴
🥈Matt Richards 🇬🇧
🥉Luke Hobson 🇺🇸
Hobson was not someone who I really considered as a big medal contender
Men’s 400m Freestyle
Fei Liwei (China) laid down a marker in the third heat, eventually going third fastest. Guilherme Costa (Brazil) would win the fourth heat ahead of Samuel Short (Australia). Lukas Martens (Germany) won the fifth heat after a battle with Elijah Winnington (Australia). At halfway, Martens led from Kim Woo-min (South Korea). Heading into the final 100m, Short and Winnington were the chasers. Winnington would fly down the last 50m but it wasn’t enough to overhaul Martens.
🥇Lukas Martens 🇩🇪
🥈Elijah Winnington 🇦🇺
🥉Kim Woo-min 🇰🇷
Short disappointed me. I mentioned Woo-min as a contender.
Men’s 800m Freestyle
Daniel Wiffen (Ireland) went fastest in the heats ahead of Ahmed Jaouadi (Tunisia) who won the other heat. The big news was Samuel Short (Australia) missing the final. Elijah Winnington (Australia) led at the 200m stage, over a second ahead of Jaouadi and Wiffen. By halfway, Winnington had begun to fall off the pace as Wiffen led Finke by 0.07. At 600m, those two had escaped with Gregorio Paltrineri (Italy). They were separated by just 0.57. It was Paltrineri who begun to pull away and with 50m to go, he led Wiffen by 0.1 with Finke a second back. The American who was known for his fast finishes begun to catch but it was not enough to pass Wiffen who set an Olympic record.
🥇Daniel Wiffen 🇮🇪
🥈Robert Finke 🇺🇸
🥉Gregorio Paltrineri 🇮🇹
I was sure Short would make the final but he struggled for the whole Olympics. Paltrineri just doesn’t seem to decline and I should have given his career more credit
Men’s 1500m Freestyle
Daniel Wiffen (Ireland) went quickest in the heats with Ahmed Jaouadi (Tunisia) and Kuzey Tunceli (Turkey) winning the others. At 100m, it was Robert Finke (United States) who led the final. At the 400m mark, Finke led, with a gap of 1.67 seconds ahead of Gregorio Paltrineri (Italy). At halfway, the gap had closed to 0.6 with Wiffen 2.23 off the leader. By 1000m, Finke was ahead of world record pace and the gaps had both grown. With 200m to go, it looked like a battle between the front two, with Wiffen going backwards. With 100m to go they were both ahead of the world record time. Despite him fading down the back straight he would take the world record ahead of the Italian.
🥇Robert Finke 🇺🇸
🥈Gregorio Paltrineri 🇮🇹
🥉Daniel Wiffen 🇮🇪
I thought the 1500m would look more like the 800m.
Men’s 100m Backstroke
Hubert Kos (Hungary) went fastest in the heats as one of three men under 53 seconds with Apostolos Christou(Greece) and Ksawery Masiuk (Poland) winning the other seeded heats. The first heat was incredible tight as six men finished within 0.39 of each other. It was Thomas Ceccon (Italy) who took the victory. In the second, Xu Jiayu(China) won impressively. In the final, Jiayu led Murphy at halfway but a fabulous turn from Murphy put him back in the lead. It would be Ceccon who took advantage as the American faded.
🥇Thomas Ceccon 🇮🇹
🥈Xu Jiayu 🇨🇳
🥉Ryan Murphy 🇺🇸
I had the right podium in the wrong order. My initial draft had Ceccon winning but I felt like United States were going to win more medals than I initially predicted
Men’s 200m Backstroke
It was Luke Greenbank (Great Britain) who went fastest in the heats only to be disqualified for spending too much time underwater. Roman Mityukov (Switzerland) took his place as the quickest qualifier ahead of Lukas Martens(Germany). The first heat was won by Hubert Kos (Hungary) with Mityukov taking the second, in a blanket finish that saw Ryan Murphy (United States) eliminated. It was almost a blanket first 50m led by Apostolos Christou(Greece). He still led at 100m, followed by Hugo Gonzalez (Spain). With 50m to go, the gap was a second ahead of Kos. Christou would start to tie up and Kos would pass him with about 10m to go.
🥇Hubert Kos 🇭🇺
🥈Apostolos Christou 🇬🇷
🥉Roman Mityukov 🇨🇭
Again, overestimating the American swimmers. Mityukov was one, I mentioned as a possible contender
Men’s 100m Breaststroke
Casper Corbeau (Netherlands) led the heats with the fastest time ahead of Adam Peaty (Great Britain). Qin Haiyang (China) could only qualify ninth fastest. The first semi went to Peaty whilst Haiyang rebounded to take the second. Ilya Shymanovich (Belarus) missed the final after qualifying in third. In the final Haiyang would get the best start and he led at halfway. Peaty would take over on the way down to last 50m but it was Nicolo Martinenghi(Italy) who would nail the final 10m to win gold by 0.02 ahead of Peaty and Nic Fink (United States) who tied to win silver. It was revealed after that Peaty had covid.
🥇Nicolo Martinenghi 🇮🇹
🥈Adam Peaty 🇬🇧
🥈Nic Fink 🇺🇸
Haiyang was the big disappointment here. I mentioned Fink as a possible contender. I do wonder if Peaty wins without Covid
Men’s 200m Breaststroke
Cho Sung-jae (South Korea) qualified quickest with Zac Stubblety-Cook (Australia) and Yu Hanaguruma (Japan) taking the other heats. Stubblety-Cook won the first semi with a strong finish. Leon Marchand (France) won the second semi with the opposite strategy, going hard from the front. Matt Fallon (United States), Qin Haiyang(China) and Sung-jae all missed the final. Marchand would again go out hard in the final, leading at 50m. He remained that way at 100m with Casper Corbeau (Netherlands) in second and Stubblety-Cook creeping into third. By 150m, Marchand was under world record pace, 1.18 ahead of Stubblety-Cook. It wasn’t to be a world record but he was able to take an incredible gold with an Olympic record.
🥇Leon Marchand 🇫🇷
🥈Zach Stubblety-Cook 🇦🇺
🥉Casper Corbeau 🇳🇱
I wasn’t sure Marchand would compete or be at his best given his schedule. Once you saw him in Paris, it was clear he was good enough to win a medal and as long as fatigue didn’t get him he would manage it.
Men’s 100m Butterfly
Kristof Milak (Hungary) was quickest in the heats with Josh Liendo (Canada) and Maxime Grousset (France) winning their heats. The first semi was won by Grousset but the news was Caleb Dressel (United States) missing out on the final. Milak took the second semi final comfortably. The first 50m was close with Nyls Korstanje (Netherlands) leading Liendo and Grousset by a total of 0.03. A superb turn would put Liendo in front but it was Milak who was able to finish best and take the gold by 0.09.
🥇Kristof Milak 🇭🇺
🥈Josh Liendo 🇨🇦
🥉Ilya Kharun 🇨🇦
I commented that I preferred Milak over further. Again, I had too much faith in Dressel
Men’s 200m Butterfly
Kristof Milak (Hungary) was fastest in the heats with Ilya Kharun (Canada) and Alberto Razzetti (Italy) winning the other seeded heats. Leon Marchand (France) would impress by winning the first semi final. Milak would also be dominant in his second semi going slightly quicker and setting up a massive final. A massive roar greeted the start and it was Milak who went out hardest in the final. At the halfway stage, he led Marchand by 0.6 with Kharun behind him. The lead would be slightly increased with 50m to go only for Marchand to close the gap on the turn. Marchand would use his stamina to go past Milak over the final 20m as Marchand set an incredible Olympic record.
🥇Leon Marchand 🇫🇷
🥈Kristof Milak 🇭🇺
🥉Ilya Kharun 🇨🇦
I had the front two, but in the wrong order
Men’s 200m Individual Medley
Daiya Seto (Japan) went fastest in the heats ahead of Duncan Scott (Great Britain) whilst Carson Foster (United States) also won a heat. The first semi final was won by Foster whilst Leon Marchand (France) took the second. In the final, Wang Shun (China) led after the first leg. A strong backstroke from Marchand would put him back into gold medal position. By 150m, his gap had only increased with Scott following in second but almost two seconds behind. It was he would chase Marchand on the final leg but he was nowhere near taking gold as Marchand won his fourth individual gold in an Olympic record.
🥇Leon Marchand 🇫🇷
🥈Duncan Scott 🇬🇧
🥉Wang Shun 🇨🇳
This was another strong call although I got second and third the wrong way round
Men’s 400m Individual Medley
This was all about Leon Marchand (France). He went fastest in the qualifying ahead of Max Litchfield (Japan) whilst Carson Foster (United States) won the other semi final. Chase Kalisz (United States) disappointed, unable to make the final. With a rapturous French crowd supporting him on he took a lead on the butterfly leg ahead of Daiya Seto (Japan) and never looked back. His gap extended through the backstroke with Seto battling Foster and Litchfield. By the end of the breaststroke no one else could fit in the picture frame with him, but Foster was in second. The final 100m became a battle of Marchand against the world record. Behind him Litchfield turned with 50m in second. Marchand would fall short of the world record but it was an Olympic record. Behind him Tomoyuki Matsushima (Japan) managed to sneak up in lane two and take silver ahead of Foster.
🥇Leon Marchand 🇫🇷
🥈Tomoyuki Matsushima 🇯🇵
🥉Carson Foster 🇺🇸
Matsushima was not someone I considered a contender.
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
China took the first semi final on the back of a blistering last leg by Pan Zhanle whilst Australia took the second with a fast Kyle Chalmers leg allowing them to overcome United States. Zhanle instead led off in the final and took China into the lead at 100m. By the halfway point, they had been headed by the United States whilst Italy had got into second. Caleb Dressel would enter the pool with almost a two second advantage and Chalmers could not close it down this time. Italy managed to hold onto third.
🥇United States 🇺🇸
🥈Australia 🇦🇺
🥉Italy 🇮🇹
This pretty much went as expected aside from France not making the final.
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Great Britain went fastest in the heats when beating Australia. United States would edge France in the other heat. At the end of the first leg, Britain led United States and Germany. At the halfway stage it was a battle of four with Britain leading United States by almost half a second with Australia and Germany behind. The front three would only extend their advantage over the following 200m with Britain leading by 0.5. The gap had grown with 100m to go and would pull over a second clear of the American team.
🥇Great Britain 🇬🇧
🥈United States 🇺🇸
🥉Australia 🇦🇺
I believe Britain were strong enough to take gold and could go under seven minutes. I mentioned South Korea needed a fourth swimmer under 1.48 which they didn’t have
Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay
France were quickest in the heats with United States winning the other. On the backstroke leg United States would start quickest but at the changeover China led them with France in third. A strong leg from Adam Peaty would put Great Britain into second behind China with France in thanks to a strong Leon Marchand leg. The butterfly leg would see France go into the lead for the first time ahead of United States. Zhanle would begin to pull the gap back and with 50m to go the trio were separated by 0.3. Zhanle would go past the pair with Manadou fading into bronze medal position.
🥇China 🇨🇳
🥈United States 🇺🇸
🥉France 🇫🇷
I did think Italy would make the final. Without them, I got the prediction pretty much correct
Men’s Open Water Swimming
After much controversy about racing in the Seine, the race went ahead as scheduled. The currents made it a tricky race, especially for those who usually swim in the pool. Kristof Rasovszky (Hungary) would surge into the lead but soon be passed by Florian Wellbrock (Germany). Soon there was a lead group of eleven still led by Wellbrock. Rasovszky would go into the lead at the 6600m mark and not give it up. Oliver Klemet (Germany) would close in on him heading towards the final lap but Rasovszky would remain in the lead, holding on by 2.1 seconds. The battle for bronze was even closer, David Betlehem (Hungary) beating Domenico Acerenza (Italy) by 0.6.
🥇Kristof Rasovszky 🇭🇺
🥈Oliver Klemet 🇩🇪
🥉David Betlehem 🇭🇺
I struggled with this. I did mention Rasovszky as a possible contender.
Women’s 50m Freestyle
Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) was the only woman to go sub 24 in the heats. Other winners of heats were Katarzyna Wasick (Poland) and Shayna Jack (Australia). Simone Manuel (United States) would not make the semi final. In the first semi, Wasick took the victory with the top three separated by 0.06. Sjostrom took the second semi final and set an Olympic record going 0.51 faster than any other semi finalist. Gretchen Walsh (United States) would start fastest but Sjostrom would soon take over and fly through the field to take gold.
🥇Sarah Sjostrom 🇸🇪
🥈Meg Harris 🇦🇺
🥉Zhang Yufei 🇨🇳
Sjostrom got a well deserved gold. I got the wrong Australian. Wasick under-performed.
Women’s 100m Freestyle
Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) was the only woman under 53 seconds in the heats with Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong) and Mollie O’Callaghan winning the other seeded heats. Haughey fought her way back to win the first semi final ahead of Shayna Jack (Australia). O’Callaghan came home with another incredible final 50m ahead of Yang Junxuan (China). In the final, Torri Huske (United States) led Haughey. O’Callaghan would begin to come through with her fast ending but instead it would be Sjostrom who finished even faster taking the gold in an event that she hadn’t even entered until days before the Games.
🥇Sarah Sjostrom 🇸🇪
🥈Siobhan Haughey 🇭🇰
🥉Torri Huske 🇺🇸
I got the American entries wrong but aside from that I got the final correct. I did not see Sjostrom winning given her lack of concentration on this event
Women’s 200m Freestyle
Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) put a marker out in the heats, as the only woman under 1.56, whilst Mary Sophie Harvey (Canada) and Li Bingjie (China) won the other heats. The first semi final was won by Claire Weinstein(United States) in 1.55.24 whilst Ariarne Titmus (Australia) edged O’Callaghan with both going sub 1.55. Haughey would lead the final at halfway ahead of Titmus. However, it was the finish of O’Callaghan that proved to be strongest as she managed to pass Haugjey and her compatriot, setting a big new Olympic record.
🥇Mollie O’Callaghan 🇦🇺
🥈Ariarne Titmus 🇦🇺
🥉Siobhan Haughey 🇭🇰
Another one where the entries led me astray. I would have got the top three correct if I knew McIntosh wasn’t competing
Women’s 400m Freestyle
Four swimmers qualified with a time of 4.02. Katie Ledecky (United States) was fastest, beating Ariarne Titmus(Australia) whilst Erika Fairweather (New Zealand) beat Summer McIntosh (Canada). At halfway Titmus led McIntosh with Paige Madden (United States) the leading American. Ledecky was back into third at 300m but was still over 2.5 seconds behind. She was barely able to cut into the gap, with Titmus taking another gold.
🥇Ariarne Titmus 🇦🇺
🥈Summer McIntosh 🇨🇦
🥉Katie Ledecky 🇺🇸
I got the top four correct
Women’s 800m Freestyle
Katie Ledecky (United States) went fastest, winning her heat with Lani Pallister (Australia) taking the other. She would begin by leading out the first 50m and not look back. At 100m she led Ariarne Titmus (Australia) and it was already a second back to Pallister. At 400m, Ledecky was still ahead, by 0.29. Pallister was in third, 3.06 behind Ledecky with a four-way battle developing for bronze. By 500m, it was Simona Quadarella (Italy) in third but at 550m it was Paige Madden (United States). Ledecky would push on and at 700m Titmus would only lead Madden by 0.38. The gap was tighter with 50m to go but the pair would close the gap to Ledecky without catching her.
🥇Katie Ledecky 🇺🇸
🥈Ariarne Titmus 🇦🇺
🥉Paige Madden 🇺🇸
Madden surprised me with her performance
Women’s 1500m Freestyle
Katie Ledecky (United States) was dominant in the heats, winning by over seventeen seconds. She was almost three seconds quicker than Simona Quadarella (Italy) who won the other seeded heat. Ledecky was clear after 50m and this was clearly only going to be a battle for the other medal spots. It was Anastasiya Kirpichnikova(France) who was closest to her ahead of Quadarella. At 400m it remained that way with Isabel Gose (Germany) following in fourth. The race would stay that way with Ledecky’s advantage steadily growing. Gose would get ahead of Quadarella with 100m to go. Ledecky would set an Olympic record with a massive win.
🥇Katie Ledecky 🇺🇸
🥈Anastasiya Kirpichnikova 🇫🇷
🥉Isabel Gose 🇩🇪
I mentioned Gose as a possible contender but not Kirpichnikova
Women’s 100m Backstroke
Katharine Berkoff (United States) went fastest in the heats by going under 58 seconds. The other heats were won by Regan Smith (United States) and Kaylee McKeown (Australia). Smith would win the first semi final with McKeown winning the slower second semi final. In the final, McKeown emerged from the water in the lead but by halfway it was a line of four led by Masse and Smith with Berkoff 0.03 behind. McKeown would fight back over the final 40m and set a new Olympic record ahead of the two Americans.
🥇Kaylee McKeown 🇦🇺
🥈Regan Smith 🇺🇸
🥉Katharine Berkoff 🇺🇸
I got the top four correct here.
Women’s 200m Backstroke
Peng Xuwei (China) went quickest with Kylie Masse (Canada) and Kaylee McKeown (Australia) winning the other seeded heats. Pheobe Bacon (United States) would win the first semi final. A strong final 25m from McKeown saw her take the second semi. In the final, it was Masse leading after 50m but by halfway it was Regan Smith (United States) in first. With 50m to go she still led McKeown by only by 0.18. McKeown would soon go into first and took gold. Behind her Masse would edge Bacon over the final 20m to take bronze.
🥇Kaylee McKeown 🇦🇺
🥈Regan Smith 🇺🇸
🥉Kylie Masse 🇨🇦
I got third and fourth the wrong way round.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke
Tatjana Smith (South Africa) went fastest by over half a second ahead of Tang Qianting (China) with Lilly King (United States) winning the other big heat. Qianting took the win in the first semi ahead of Alina Zmushka (Belarus). The second semi was stacked and it was Smith who took the victory ahead of Mona McSharry (Ireland). Qianting went out fast and led at halfway ahead of McSharry. Smith would begin to come back into the race and won with an incredible final half overcoming Qianting. It looked like McSharry might miss out on the touch, but she beat King and Benedetto Pilata (Italy) by just 0.01.
🥇Tatjana Smith 🇿🇦
🥈Tang Qianting 🇨🇳
🥉Mona McSharry 🇮🇪
I was too bold with an Evans medal prediction. I had switched my mind heading into the final on the gold medal winner.
Women’s 200m Breaststroke
Tatjana Smith (South Africa) went quickest in the heats with Tes Schouten (Netherlands) and Kate Douglass(United States) winners of the other heats. Schouten would take the first semi comfortably despite a late surge around her. Douglass and Smith pulled clear of the others impressively in the second semi final with Douglass edging it. At halfway in the final, it was Douglass who led Smith by 0.12 with Schouten behind. Douglass would pull out a massive advantage on the third turn only and with 50m to go led by 0.19, with Schouten a further 0.7 behind. Again, a massive turn gave the American the edge and this time she was able to sustain the lead for longer. Smith would narrow the gap to 0.2 but it was not enough to get the gold.
🥇Kate Douglass 🇺🇸
🥈Tatjana Smith 🇿🇦
🥉Tes Schouten 🇳🇱
King was not as close to the medals as expected. I was the wrong way round with the lesser medals.
Women’s 100m Butterfly
In the heats, Zhang Yufei (China) qualified fastest ahead of Mizuki Hirai (Japan) and Torri Huske (United States). In the semis, Gretchen Walsh (United States) got her patented fast start and won the first semi with an Olympic Record over a second ahead of Angelina Koehler (Germany). Compatriot Torri Huske (United States) won the second semi ahead of Zhang Yufei (China). In the final, it was Walsh who led coming out of the water. At halfway Walsh led ahead of Yufei by 0.02. She took out a big gap underwater but she begun to tie up and it was Huske who managed to get the gold from Walsh by just 0.04.
🥇Torri Huske 🇺🇸
🥈Gretchen Walsh 🇺🇸
🥉Zhang Yufei 🇨🇳
I thought this would be good. The gap that the Americans got surprised me. I got fourth place as well. The biggest shock to me was Wattel not making the final.
Women’s 200m Butterfly
Zhang Yufei (China) was quickest in the heats with Regan Smith (United States) and Keanna Macinnes (Great Britain) winning the other heats. Summer McIntosh (Canada) would beat Smith to win the first semi final. Yufei would edge Alex Shackell (United States) in the second semi. In the final Yufei would go out quickly, leading McIntosh by 0.3. At halfway it was even closer with Smith in third. McIntosh would assert her quality down the third leg and had over half a second lead from Yufei. It was Smith coming back at her over the first 25m of the final leg but McIntosh would get the win with a new Olympic record and
🥇Summer McIntosh 🇨🇦
🥈Regan Smith 🇺🇸
🥉Zhang Yufei 🇨🇳
Almost sub 2.03 from McIntosh. I had the next four but in a different order
Women’s 200m Individual Medley
Summer McIntosh (Canada) led the field in the heats, being the only swimmer to go sub 2.10. Compatriot Sydney Pickrem (Canada) and Alexandra Walsh (United States) won the other heats. Pickrem won the first semi whilst Walsh was brilliant in taking the second semi. McIntosh would lead the butterfly leg ahead of Kate Douglass (United States). By the end of backstroke her lead was 0.67 from Kaylee McKeown (Australia). Walsh would pull it back in the backstroke leg and lead at the turn by 0.51. McIntosh would catch her with an incredible final 25m to set a new Olympic record. A disqualification would cost Walsh her medal for an illegal turn and instead McKeown got bronze.
🥇Summer McIntosh 🇨🇦
🥈Kate Douglass 🇺🇸
🥉Kaylee McKeown 🇦🇺
I thought the schedule would hamper McIntosh but she was imperious. I mentioned Walsh as next best and she deserved to win a medal.
Women’s 400m Individual Medley
Emma Weyant (United States) qualified fastest ahead of compatriot Katie Grimes (United States) whilst Summer McIntosh (Canada) won the other semi final. After the butterfly leg, McIntosh led Grimes with the gap between first and third over four seconds. The positions remained the same at halfway with Freya Colbert (Great Britain) in third. With 100m to go, McIntosh had a massive lead with Grimes in second and Colbert in third being chased by Weyant. McIntosh won by a massive 5.6 seconds. Colbert was just unable to keep up with the Americans on the freestyle leg.
🥇Summer McIntosh 🇨🇦
🥈Katie Grimes 🇺🇸
🥉Emma Weyant 🇺🇸
As referenced this was McIntosh against the clock. I had Colbert to medal but she came fourth.
Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Australia were almost a second clear in the heats despite not having their strongest team. United States won the other heat. At the end of the first leg, in the final, it was Australia leading China and Sweden. Australia had gone clear by halfway followed by the same two with United States in fourth. After a strong third leg, United Stats were up into second. There was no catching Australia who set an Olympic record and the battle was actually for the silver medal. China were ahead for most of the final leg, but the fast finish from Simone Manuel got them the silver.
🥇Australia 🇦🇺
🥈United States 🇺🇸
🥉China 🇨🇳
I expected Canada to be closer to the front of the pack
Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Australia had a massive edge in qualification, quickest by over seven seconds with United States winning the other semi. They led at the first changeover by a second from China. At halfway, it was still the same front three with Australia, slightly ahead of world record pace. The third leg was slow from Australia and brought the other two contenders back into the race with a monster leg from Katie Ledecky, they were only 0.33 behind. Ariarne Titmus would move away on the last leg and would just about miss out on the world record, setting a new Olympic record.
🥇Australia 🇦🇺
🥈United States 🇺🇸
🥉China 🇨🇳
I had the top five correct but I expected Canada and Great Britain to be closer to China.
Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay
Australia won the first heat with Canada taking the second. McKeown would lead the field to begin the backstroke leg but United States touched at 50m first. It remained that way at the changeover with United States leading Australia and Canada. At halfway the lead was 2.65 back to Canada with Australia in third. The gold was sealed by 300m with United States ahead of world record pace. China would get into third ahead of Australia. United States would set a world record with Mollie O’Callaghan coming home to take silver for Australia.
🥇United States 🇺🇸
🥈Australia 🇦🇺
🥉China 🇨🇳
I referenced the top four being close. United States were instead clear with an incredible world record.
Women’s Open Water Swimming
The River Seine made this an incredible tough race. Moesha Johnson (Australia) would take the early lead. It was soon a pack of five still led by Johnson on lap four. She was joined by Sharon Van Rouwendaal (Netherlands) and Ginevra Taddeucci (Italy) on the fifth lap in establishing a breakaway with a gap of thirty seconds. Van Rouwendaal would time her attack perfectly as she navigated quickly around a pylon and struck up a gap. The Dutch lady would win her second gold by five seconds.
🥇Sharon Van Rouwendaal 🇳🇱
🥈Moesha Johnson 🇦🇺
🥉Ginevra Taddeucci 🇮🇹
Experience is key in these races, especially when the water is as choppy as it was
Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay
United States and Australia would win their heats. The backstroke was led by United States with Australialeading the female legs. On the breaststroke, China edged United States again as both swum with male legs. The two teams would remain tied together with United States leading by 0.04 from China with Australia in third. Huske would bring the United States home with a new world record time.
🥇United States 🇺🇸
🥈China 🇨🇳
🥉Australia 🇦🇺
I thought this would be close but got the wrong winner. Netherlands were just not as strong as I expected and I should have gone for the obvious Australia pick
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