2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Day 7 Prelims Event Schedule
- Women’s 50 Freestyle
- Men’s 50 Backstroke
- Women’s 50 Breaststroke
- Mixed 4×100 Freestyle Relay
- Men’s 1500 Freestyle
It’s the penultimate day of competition at the 2024 Doha World Championships and we have five more events on the morning schedule.
The women’s 50 free will get things started, where Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden is the top seeded entrant. She is the only swimmer in the field to have ever cracked the 24-second barrier, and is the current world record holder in the event (23.61). Australia’s Shayna Jack and Poland’s Kasia Wasick are two additional names to watch for through the rounds, both having best times close to dipping under that 24-second threshold.
Jack’s best time of 24.01 from Fukuoka makes her a clear podium contender, and she has already been as quick as 24.09 this season. She was extremely consistent in Fukuoka where she clocked 24.01, 24.02, and 24.10 throughout the meet.
Wasick moved to train under Ozzie Quevedo at SMU (in the United States) at the beginning of the season, and the move is clearly paying off. She posted a time just 0.07 off her best time in the event this season already, and her best time of 24.11 makes her a clear podium threat. She clocked a silver medal performance at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, but fell to 12th in Fukuoka.
While we usually don’t get to see Kate Douglass race this event on the international stage due to its conflict with the 200 IM at the U.S. Trial meets, she will get the opportunity here in Doha. She posted a best time of 24.38 at the U.S. Open in November, just minutes after winning the 200 IM.
The men’s 50 back will be highlighted by former world record holder Hunter Armstrong. Armstrong won the world title in this event in Fukuoka and claimed silver the year prior in Budapest. He also claimed individual gold in the 100 back on night three here in Doha, so he is seeking his second individual gold (third overall gold) of the meet.
Pieter Coetze (RSA) and Isaac Cooper (AUS) are the 2nd and 3rd seeds, with Cooper already posting a best time in the 50 fly earlier in the meet. The Australian record holder is a clear medal threat in this event but missed the final in the last year in Fukuoka. He seemed to struggle with the 50 free/50 back double there, but will face the same obstacle tonight, assuming he advances to the semifinals.
Polish star Ksawery Masiuk missed the semifinals of the 100 back earlier in the meet, but showed early speed leading off Polish relays here in Doha. He has consistently flipped through the first 50 of his 100m relay races in 25-low, indicating that he is in form to challenge his best time of 24.44.
Michael Andrew of the USA will join teammate Armstrong in this event, after securing silver in the 50 fly earlier in the meet. He notably missed the final in the men’s 50 breast but is in tonight’s 50 free final.
World record holder Ruta Meilutyte will be front and center in the women’s 50 breast, but appears to be a bit off her best in Doha. She placed 17th in the 100 breast (1:07.79) earlier in the meet, missing the semifinals there. She also split 1:07.29 on Lithuania’s prelim 4×100 mixed medley relay, with both swims well off her 1:04.35 best time. She won the 100 breast world title last year in 1:04.62, and broke the 50 world record (29.16) en route to gold too.
While Meilutyte is seemingly not at her best, she is known to be able to produce a fast 50 no matter the time of year. Yes, she is known as a big taper swimmer for the 100 distance, but still clocked 29.56 at the World Cup in October when she was multiple seconds off her 100 best. If she can match her performance from October, she may have a clear path to defend her world title.
China’s Tang Qianting, who won the 100 breaststroke on night two, could pose a big threat to Meilutyte’s title defense. Tang is seeded 6th in the event and owns the Asian record with a time of 29.92, but showcased significant opening speed in her 100m earlier in the meet. Notably, she opened her gold medal winning 100 breast with a time of 30.25 at the 50m turn.
The United States and Australia appear to be among the top contenders in the mixed 4×100 free relay. Australia walked away victorious in this event in Fukuoka, and clocked a new world record time in the process. They return half of their record-breaking relay in the form of Shayna Jack and Jack Cartwright. It’s anticipated that they’ll field a finals line-up of Jack Cartwright, Kai Taylor, Brianna Throssell, and Shayna Jack.
The USA will have Matt King and Luke Hobson as viable options for the finals relay, with the possibility of Kate Douglass and Claire Curzan comprising the final two spots. It’s unclear if Douglass will feature in this relay, as she stated prior to the meet she wouldn’t make relay appearances, but she did help Team USA to gold in the mixed 4×100 medley relay earlier in Doha.
China and Great Britain can’t be discounted either, as both have the firepower to challenge for the podium. China’s front half will be particular strong, with world record holder Pan Zhanle and Wang Haoyu expected to feature. Team GB will presumably have Matt Richards, Duncan Scott, and Anna Hopkin as three of their four legs, and could certainly mount a charge for gold.
The men’s 1500 free will cap the session, with defending champion Ahmed Hafnaoui looking to make his first final in Doha. He missed the finals in both the 400 and 800 distances, so he clearly is not in near world record form as he was in Fukuoka. 800 Free champion Daniel Wiffen will feature this morning, along with Florian Wellbrock (GER), Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), Mykhalio Romanchuk (UKR), Kristof Rasovszky (HUN), and Sven Schwarz (GER).
Brazil’s Guilherme Costa, who placed 4th in the men’s 400 free, has scratched the men’s 1500 free. After Brazil missed the final in the men’s 4×200 free relay, he opted to return home to continue training. Though he is more known for his 400 success, he is the South American record holder in the 1500.