Swimming 2024 Paris Olympics Review
- Cain Bradley
- Aug 25, 2024
- 20 min read
Updated: Nov 5
Men’s 50m Freestyle
Cameron McEvoy (Australia) posted the fastest time in the heats by 0.19 despite Jordan Crooks (Cayman Islands) setting a national record. Tom Fannon (Ireland), Diogo Ribeiro (Portugal), Florent Manaudou (France) and Ben Proud (Great Britain) also qualified after winning their respective heats. In the first semi final, Crooks narrowly out edged Caleb Dressel (United States) whilst Proud and McEvoy would tie in the second semi final. Ahead of the final, Manaudou would pump the crowd up and it was enough to take him to a medal. McEvoy claimed gold, beating Proud by 0.05 whilst Manaudou secured bronze, finishing 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) posted the fastest time in the heats while David Popovici (Romania) and Kyle Chalmers (Australia) won the other seeded heats. The big surprise was the struggle of Pan Zhanle (China), as he only qualified by 0.07 coming tied in thirteenth. In the first semi final, Chalmers finished strongly to take victory ahead of Nandor Nemeth (Hungary) as the top four were separated by 0.14. A loaded second semi final would see Zhanle narrowly finish ahead of Popovici. Zhanle went out fastest in the final and came 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 swimmers finished within 0.5 seconds of Luke Hobson (United States) who took the win ahead of Lukas Martens (Germany). The second semi final was more straightforward as Popovici took the win, finishing over half a second ahead of Duncan Scott (Great Britain). In the final, Martens led at the 50m and 100m marks. He still held the lead at 150m ahead of Popovici and Matt Richards (Great Britain) in third. With 20m to go, several swimmers were still in contention. At the touch, it was Popovici who claimed gold 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) made a strong statement in the third heat finishing third fastest. Guilherme Costa (Brazil) would win the fourth heat ahead of Samuel Short (Australia) while Lukas Martens (Germany) won the fifth heat after a battle with Elijah Winnington (Australia). In the final, at the 200m mark, Martens led from Kim Woo-min (South Korea). Heading into the final 100m, Short and Winnington emerged as the main chasers. Winnington would surged down the last 50m finishing strongly, 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) qualified fastest in the heats ahead of Ahmed Jaouadi (Tunisia) who won the other heat. The big surprise was Samuel Short (Australia) missing the final. In the final, Elijah Winnington (Australia) led at 200m , over a second clear of Jaouadi and Wiffen. By halfway, Winnington began to fade as Wiffen edged ahead of Robert Finke (United States) by 0.07. At 600m, those two had broken away with Gregorio Paltrineri (Italy), 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, known for his fast finishes begun to close, 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. In the final, Robert Finke (United States) led at 100m. At the 400m mark, Finke had opened the gap to 1.67 seconds, ahead of Gregorio Paltrineri (Italy). By halfway, the gap had closed to 0.6, with Wiffen 2.23 behind the leader. At 1000m, Finke was ahead of world-record pace and the gaps had grown again. With 200m to go, it looked like a battle between the front two, as Wiffen dropped back. With 100m to go, both remained ahead of world-record time. Despite fading down the back straight, Finke held on to 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 semi final was incredibly tight, with six men finishing within 0.39 of each other, and Thomas Ceccon (Italy) taking victory. In the second semi, Xu Jiayu (China) won impressively. In the final, Jiayu led Murphy at halfway, but a superb turn from Murphy put him back in the lead. Ceccon then capitalized as the American faded to claim the title.
🥇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
Luke Greenbank (Great Britain) 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 semi was won by Hubert Kos (Hungary), with Mityukov taking second in a blanket finish that saw Ryan Murphy (United States) eliminated. In the final, 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, Christou held a one-second gap over Kos. Christou began 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) only qualified ninth fastest. The first semi-final went to Peaty, with Haiyang rebounding to take the second. Ilya Shymanovich (Belarus) missed the final despite being the third quickest in the heats. In the final, Haiyang got the best start and led at halfway. Peaty moved ahead on the 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 later revealed 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 fastest with Zac Stubblety-Cook (Australia) and Yu Hanaguruma (Japan) winning the other heats. Stubblety-Cook won the first semi with a strong finish. Leon Marchand (France) won the second using 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 rheld that lead at 100m, with Casper Corbeau (Netherlands) in second and Stubblety-Cook moving 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 the other heats. The first semi was won by Grousset but the surprise was Caleb Dressel (United States) missing out on the final. Milak won the second semi comfortably. In the final, the first 50m was close, with Nyls Korstanje (Netherlands) leading Liendo and Grousset by a total of 0.03. A superb turn ld put Liendo in front but it was Milak who finished strongest to 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) impressed by taking the first semi-final. Milak, also dominated in his semi, going slightly quicker and setting up a huge final. A massive roar greeted the start, but it was Milak who went out hardest, leading at 50m. At halfway, he led Marchand by 0.6 with Kharun in third. The lead grew slightly with 50m to go, but Marchand closed the gap on the turn. Marchand would use his stamina to surge 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), while Carson Foster (United States) also won a heat. Foster took the first semi-final, with Leon Marchand (France) winning the second. In the final, Wang Shun (China) led after the first leg. A strong backstroke from Marchand would put him into gold medal position. By 150m, his lead had increased, with Scott in second but almost two seconds behind. Scott managed to claw some of the gap back on the final leg but never threatened to take 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 (Great Britain), while Carson Foster (United States) won the other semi-final. Chase Kalisz (United States) disappointed, failing to make the final. With a rapturous French crowd behind him Marchand took the 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, but Foster was in second. The final 100m became a battle of Marchand against the world record. Behind him, Litchfield turned in second with 50m remaining. Marchand fell short of the world record but set 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 won the first semi-final thanks to a blistering last leg by Pan Zhanle (China) while Australia took the second after a fast Kyle Chalmers (Australia) leg helped them to overcome the 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 with Italy behind them in second. Caleb Dressel (United States) entered the pool with almost a two-second advantage, and Chalmers could not close it down this time. Italy held 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, beating Australia, while the United States edged France in the other heat. In the final, Britain led after the first leg, ahead of United States and Germany. At the halfway stage it was a four-way battle with Britain leading the United States by almost half a second, followed by Australia and Germany. Over the next 200m, the front three extended their advantage with Britain leading by 0.5. With 100m to go, the gap had grown, and Britain pulled over a second clear of the American team to secure victory.
🥇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. In the final, United States started fastest on the backstroke leg, but at the changeover China led, with France in third. A strong breaststroke leg from Adam Peaty (Great Britain) moved Great Britain into second behind China, while France closed in thanks to a strong Leon Marchand (France) leg. The butterfly leg saw France take the lead for the first time ahead of the United States. Pan Zhanle (China) began to close the gap on freestyle and with 50m to go the trio were separated by 0.3. Zhanle powered past to take gold with Manaudou (France) 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. Strong currents made it a challenging race, especially for those more accustomed to swimming in the pool. Kristof Rasovszky (Hungary) would surge into the lead early but was soon passed by Florian Wellbrock (Germany). A lead group of eleven formed, still led by Wellbrock. At the 6600m mark, Rasovszky would go into the lead and not relinquish it. Oliver Klemet (Germany) closed in on him heading towards the final lap but Rasovszky held on to win by 2.1 seconds. The battle for bronze was even tighter, with David Betlehem (Hungary) eding Domenico Acerenza (Italy) by just 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 swimmer to go sub 24 in the heats. Other heats winners included Katarzyna Wasick (Poland) and Shayna Jack (Australia), while Simone Manuel (United States) failed to make the semi-final. In the first semi, Wasick took the win, with the top three separated by just 0.06. Sjostrom took the second semi-final, setting an Olympic record and finishing 0.51 faster than any other qualifier. In the final, Gretchen Walsh (United States) started fastest, but Sjostrom powered 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 swimmer under 53 seconds in the heats, with Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong) and Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) winning the other seeded heats. Haughey fought back to win the first semi-final ahead of Shayna Jack (Australia), while O’Callaghan produced another incredible final 50m to take the second semi ahead of Yang Junxuan (China). In the final, Torri Huske (United States) led Haughey. O’Callaghan began her trademark fast finish, but instead it would be Sjostrom who finished even faster taking the gold in an event that she only entered 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 focus on this event
Women’s 200m Freestyle
Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) put a marker out in the heats, as the only swimmer under 1.56, while Mary Sophie Harvey (Canada) and Li Bingjie (China) won the other heats. The first semi-final was taken by Claire Weinstein (United States) in 1.55.24, while Ariarne Titmus (Australia) edged O’Callaghan in the second, with both going sub 1.55. In the final, Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong) led at halfway ahead of Titmus. However, it was the finish of O’Callaghan that proved to be strongest as she managed to pass Haughey and her compatriot, to set 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), while Erika Fairweather (New Zealand) beat Summer McIntosh (Canada). In the final, Titmus led at halfway ahead of McIntosh with Paige Madden (United States) the leading American. Ledecky moved into third at 300m but was still more than 2.5 seconds behind. She was unable 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 in the heats, with Lani Pallister (Australia) taking the other. Ledecky led out the first 50m of the final and did not look back. At 100m, she led Ariarne Titmus (Australia) with Pallister a second behind. At halfway, Ledecky was still ahead, by 0.29. Pallister was in third, 3.06 behind, as a four-way battle developedfor bronze. By 500m, Simona Quadarella (Italy) was third, but at 550m Paige Madden (United States) had taken over. Ledecky
pushed on, and at 700m Titmus led Madden by 0.38. The gap tightened over the last 50m but the pair neither could get near Ledecky.
🥇Katie Ledecky 🇺🇸
🥈Ariarne Titmus 🇦🇺
🥉Paige Madden 🇺🇸
Madden surprised me with her performance
Women’s 1500m Freestyle
Katie Ledecky (United States) dominated the heats, winning by over seventeen seconds. She was nearly three seconds faster than Simona Quadarella (Italy), who took the other seeded heat. In the final, Ledecky pulled clear by 50m, making it obvious this was only going to be a battle for the other medal spots. Anastasiya Kirpichnikova (France) stayed closest to her ahead of Quadarella. At 400m, it remained that way with Isabel Gose (Germany) chasing in fourth. That order held for most of the way, with Ledecky’s advantage steadily growing. Gose overtook Quadarella with 100m to go to secure a medal. 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) set the pace in the heats, dipping under 58 seconds. The other heats were won by Regan Smith (United States) and Kaylee McKeown (Australia). Smith won the first semi-final, while McKeown claimed the slower second semi. In the final, McKeown surfaced in the lead, but by halfway it was a line of four led by Kylie Masse (Canada) and Smith with Berkoff 0.03 behind. McKeown surged 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) set the fastset time in the heats, with Kylie Masse (Canada) and Kaylee McKeown (Australia) winning the other seeded heats. Pheobe Bacon (United States) took the first semi final, while McKeown produced a strong final 25m to win the second. In the final, Masse led after 50m, but by halfway Regan Smith (United States) had moved into first. With 50m to go, Smith still held a narrow lead, just 0.18 ahead of McKeown. McKeown soon surged ahead to take 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) was fastest by over half a second in the heats, ahead of Tang Qianting (China), while Lilly King (United States) won the other seeded heat. Qianting took the first semi-final ahead of Alina Zmushka (Belarus). A stacked second semi saw Smith claim victory, ahead of Mona McSharry (Ireland). In the final, Qianting went out fast and led at halfway, with McSharry close behind. Smith surged in the second half of the race and finished incredibly to overcome Qianting to take gold. McSharry looked in danger of missing the podium, but touched out King and Benedetto Pilato (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) posted the fastest time in the heats, with Tes Schouten (Netherlands) and Kate Douglass (United States) winning the other heats. Schouten dominated the first semi-final comfortably despite a late surge around her. Douglass and Smith pulled clear of the others 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 close behind. Douglass gained a massive advantage at the third turn and with 50m to go led by 0.19, Schouten trailling by a further 0.7. Again, a massive turn increased the lead of Douglass and she despite Smith closing the gap, Douglass was able to repel her to win gold, winning by 0.2.
🥇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
Zhang Yufei (China) qualified fastest in the heats, ahead of Mizuki Hirai (Japan) and Torri Huske (United States). In the semi-finals, Gretchen Walsh (United States) got her trademark fast start and won the first semi in an Olympic Record, over a second ahead of Angelina Koehler (Germany). Compatriot Torri Huske (United States) claimed the second semi ahead of Zhang Yufei (China). In the final, it was Walsh who led coming out of the water, maintaining that lead until halfway where she led Yufei by 0.02. She extended her lead underwater but she begun to tie up and it was Huske who finished best to take 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) set the fastest time in the heats, with Regan Smith (United States) and Keanna Macinnes (Great Britain) winning the other heats. Summer McIntosh (Canada) beat Smith to win the first semi final, while Yufei edged Alex Shackell (United States) in the second semi. In the final, Yufei started quickly, leading McIntosh by 0.3. At halfway, the gap had narrowed with Smith in third. McIntosh would assert her quality down the third leg, opening a lead of more than half a second over Yufei. Smith closed slightly over the first 25m of the final leg but McIntosh would get the win with a new Olympic record.
🥇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 heats as the only swimmer to go sub 2.10. Compatriot Sydney Pickrem (Canada) and Alexandra Walsh (United States) won the other heats. Pickrem took the first semi-final, while Walsh was brilliant in taking the second semi. In the final, McIntosh led after the butterfly leg ahead of Kate Douglass (United States). By the end of backstroke, her lead was 0.67 over Kaylee McKeown (Australia). Walsh surged in the backstroke leg and turned for the final leg 0.51 ahead. McIntosh produced an incredible final 25m to reclaim the lead and set a new Olympic record. A disqualification would cost Walsh her medal for an illegal turn, handing McKeown 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), while Summer McIntosh (Canada) won the other semi-final. In the final, Mcintosh led after the butterfly leg, with Grimes in second. McIntosh had already opened a gap of over four seconds to third. At halfway, the order remained the same, with Freya Colbert (Great Britain) in third. Entering the final leg, McIntosh had a commanding lead with Grimes in second and Colbert in third, fighting to hold off Weyant. McIntosh powered home to win by a massive 5.6 seconds while Colbert was unable to match 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 fielding their strongest team. United States won the other heat. In the final, Australia led China and Sweden at the end of the first leg. By halfway, they had pulled clear, with the same two teams chasing and the United States in fourth. A strong third leg propelled the United Stats 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 Simone Manuel's (United States) late surge secured silver for the United States.
🥇Australia 🇦🇺
🥈United States 🇺🇸
🥉China 🇨🇳
I expected Canada to be closer to the front of the pack
Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Australia dominated qualification, finishing over seven seconds clear, while the United States won the other semi-final. In the final, Australia led at the first changeover by a second from China. At the halfway stage, they were slightly ahead of world record pace, however the third leg was slower, allowing the other challengers back into contention. Katie Ledecky (United States) managed to cut the gap down to just 0.33. On the anchor leg, Ariarne Titmus (Australia) would move away, just about missing 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. Kaylee McKeown (Australia) led early on 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 Americans were 2.65 clear of Canada with Australia in third. The gold was sealed by 300m with United States ahead of world record pace. China moved into third, ahead of Australia. United States finished with a world record while Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) managed to drag Australia to silver.
🥇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) took the early lead, and by lap four a pack of five had formed. On the fifth lap, Johnson was joined by Sharon Van Rouwendaal (Netherlands) and Ginevra Taddeucci (Italy) 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 opened 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
The United States and Australia won their heats. In the final, the backstroke leg was led by United States with Australia leading those with female swimmers. On breaststroke, China edged ahead of the United States again as both swum with male legs. The race remained incredible tight, with United States leading by 0.04 from China with Australia in third. Torri Huske (United States) anchored the United States home, setting a new world record time.
🥇United States 🇺🇸
🥈China 🇨🇳
🥉Australia 🇦🇺
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