The men’s 4×100 freestyle relay at the international level is always emotionally charged. A lot of national pride resonates. Predictions from swim fans run wild.
At the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Team USA has to step up, has to fill the void of Michael Phelps…no easy feat. At the moment, Team USA’s 4×100 freestyle relay appears to be Nathan Adrian, Jimmy Feigen, Anthony Ervin and Ryan Lochte (though that may change depending on Matt Grevers, Ricky Berens or even Conor Dwyer’s performances). Challenges will come from France, lead by Yannick Agnel, Russia, helmed by Vlad Morozov, and of course the Aussies, starring James Magnussen.
I spoke with SwimSwam’s editor-in-chief, Braden Keith, aka The Machine, a man who is not afraid to make predictions. The Machine said this:
SwimSwam’s Braden Keith picks the Aussies, lead by James Magnussen, to win the World 4×100 Free relay.
“The Aussies are focused, doing no media before Worlds. They’re sharp. The French will have trouble repeating without Yannick Agnel feeling in full shape, unless he dupes us all and is in full shape. The Russians have already performed, but they need to prove that they can perform twice in a month… At the end of the day, I think the Australians win this one with Magnussen at the helm. Without Michael Phelps, I don’t know that the US has the 4th guy to get on top, and even if Russia and Australia are both ‘good’ and not ‘great,’ at least one of the two will be too talented to lose.”
I’m picking Team USA over the Aussies by a fingernail. Russia takes the bronze. France finishes out of the medal hunt after a stunning performance in this event at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
See full coverage of the 2013 FINA World Championships here.
This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host, Gold Medal Mel Stewart, is a 3-time Olympic medalist and co-founder of swimswam.com.
The way Ervin goes out in his 100 with easy speed, he could drop an absolute bomb!
VLAD will anchor this relay in Sub-40.00 for the win 😉
Did anyone see the other Swimswam article about the oddsmakers from the European books? On the one book I saw so far the odds ratios favor Russia for gold, Aussies 2nd, and France/USA tied for 3rd, but they are all very similar odds: 2:1, 9:2, and 5:2 respectively. But looking at all their odds, they seem to favor simply world fastest times for individual events and/or added-up individual times for relays, so there is money to be made, though not necessarily on this event in particular. If I was going to bet based on this relay and odds, I’d put a small bet on France or U.S.A. Are you going to bet, Bobo?? ASwimFan? Anyone else? I think I’m finally… Read more »
I’ll do the swimswam prediction contest, but I’m not going on betting/gambling 🙂
That’s cool, would you mind sending me your picks? You seem pretty good at this. 😉
ASWIMFAN you might want to consider negotiating for a cut of the 1st million that LIQUIDASSETS will be making from your picks 😉
The Contest is open??
not yet, but BK said they will open once the psych sheet is out, which should be tomorrow I assume.
Ohhhhhhh finally the contest ! Ready to fire the prediction guns here .
I am really frustrated because I have no idea how/what shape the french sprinters are.
Their showing at the Open De France was slow, but it could be that they were in the final stages of heavy work and not started their taper yet.
France is the real joker here. They could finish 1st or out of medal.
I think only AUS and USA that can be “guaranteed” for medal, although there’s no guarantee.
I only have 2 things to say to all ye OZ doubters & unbelievers out there.
– THE MISSILE
– THE ROCKET
I need say no more.
Do you really think Rocket can swim 47 mid or even 47 high again?
Without a shadow of a doubt. They are not exactly the favourites for no reason, are they?
The lads are really focussed on earning their redemption for their uncharacteristic London 2012 hiccups: and dreaming of sweet revenge!
All their hard training without a let up and their complete attitude adjustment will surely reap top rewards here.
Their 2012 trials potential will finally be unleashed and surpassed, so the whole bloody world had better watch out!
Without a shadow of a doubt.
If you’ve been following the AUS squad closely, you would have picked up that all the lads have been massively training as never before experienced anywhere.
They are all really focussed on earning their redemption and exacting just revenge for their uncharacteristic London 2012 hiccup.
Missile and Rocket’s 2012 trials warning will finally be unleashed with deadly fallout, so the whole bloody world had better watch out!
I disagree re Roberts. He got the ride of a lifetime on Magnussen’s 47.10 – he could go 48.0 flat start which is still handy.
If I remember correctly McEvoy was having trouble this time last year timing his relay starts. If there’s still an issue I think he will lead off.
Roberts was a huge disappointment last year. It was not only Magnussen who let down the AUS 4×100 free, but it was Roberts big fault as well. It took the failure of two top swimmers to not win the free relay medal.
Also, since 2012 trials, Roberts has swum nowhere near the 47.6 that he swum while drafting Magnussen.
James R races very rarely.
I’m so excited for this event, you guys. I can talk myself into any of the big four countries either winning or coming in 4th.
USA: All four swimmers’ll be capable of doing something huge. (Well, at least Ervin, Feigen and Adrian; who knows for the 4th leg) But they’ll need pretty much all those huge swims to win, methinks. Anything less and they’re fighting for bronze, probably.
France: I’m guessing Agnel’ll be in shape, given that it seems like he’s gonna swim some individual events now, but seems unlikely he’ll be anything near what he was last year. (Which was just goddamn transcendent.) And I could see Manaudou going out in a 21.5 and then just swimming… Read more »
My random thoughts:
Ervin scares me on relays. If he goes out too ‘hard’, he can die hard big time.
Also, Roberts went super fast last year qualifying but he got a HUGE draft off of Magnussen. Not sure he will ever repeat that.
Agnel will be fine. He wouldn’t be swimming individually if he wasn’t in good shape. You know he still put in more work than Cielo in the last 6 months or some other sprinters.
With all that said, any of the 4 teams could win…just who will have legs bring it on that day!?
Adrian?