2017 FINA World Championships: Day 6 Prelims Preview

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
• Full Competition Schedule
• Meet Info
• Psych Sheets
• Omega Results
• Pick ’em Contest
• Event-by-Event Previews

The sixth prelim session from Budapest will be the busiest of the meet, save day 1, with six events scheduled. We’ll start off sprinting, with the men’s 50 free, women’s 50 fly and men’s 100 fly up first, followed by the women’s 200 back, men’s 4×200 relay, and the women’s 800 to close things out.

We’ll begin with the men’s splash n’ dash, the 50 free.

After winning gold by a mind boggling seven tenths of a second in the men’s 100 free, Caeleb Dressel certainly has the momentum swinging his way heading into a very busy end to the meet. Providing he advances through, Dressel will swim three rounds of 50 free, three rounds of 100 fly, and probably one 100 freestyle on the mixed relay over the next four sessions.

He’ll start with these 50 free prelims, where he’ll be in lane 5 of the first circle-seeded heat alongside Australian Cameron McEvoy, who was shut out of the medals in the 100 free in 4th place.

100m runner-up Nathan Adrian swims in heat 12 alongside Russia’s Vlad Morozov, as well as Brazilians Bruno Fratus and Cesar Cielo who will be back in the water for the first time since winning 400 free relay silver on day 1.

In the last heat we’ll find 50 fly champion and fastest man in the world this year Ben Proud, along with 50 fly bronze medalist Andriy Govorov and 2016 SC World champion Jesse Puts. Finland’s Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (21.58) and Poland’s Pawel Juraszek (21.68) will also be in the mix after obliterating their respective national records this season.

Next up will be the women’s 50 fly. The first circle-seeded heat will be headlined by Ranomi Kromowidjojo, and out in lane 0 will be 50m free Olympic gold medalist Pernille Blume, who could provide some outside smoke. Both Kromowidjojo and Blume have swam well here and advanced to the 100 free final tomorrow.

Heat 6 will pit teenagers Rikako Ikee and Penny Oleksiak head-to-head, and world record holder Sarah Sjostrom and 100 fly bronze medalist Kelsi Worrell will take the reigns in the last heat.

Approximately 15-20 minutes after the men’s 50 free wraps up the men’s 100 fly will get underway, where Dressel will be back in the pool in heat 6. Joining him will be China’s Li Zhuhao, who holds the Junior world record at 51.24. After Dressel split 49.92 on the mixed medley relay, he’s certainly capable of challenging for the gold medal, but the proximity to the 50 free could be too close come the final.

Heat 7 will be centered by hometown favorite Laszlo Cseh, with 100 free bronze medalist Mehdy Metella, two-time World Championship medalist in this event Konrad Czerniak of Poland, and British mid-distance freestyler James Guy also in the mix. Guy split a quick 50.51 in the mixed medley relay on day 4.

Reigning Olympic champ Joseph Schooling and defending champion Chad Le Clos take lanes 4 and 5 in the last heat, along with American Tim Phillips and Hungarian Kristof Milak.

There will be just four heats in the women’s 200 back, with Emily Seebohm starting things off in heat 2 as she looks to defend her title after taking 3rd in the 100. Kylie Masse, the winner of the 100, will swim alongside her.

Kathleen Baker and Olympic bronze medalist Hilary Caldwell will take heat 3, and Olympic silver medalist Katinka Hosszu headlines the last heat, along with WJR holder Daria Ustinova.

17 countries will race over two heats in the men’s 4×200 free relay, with favorites Great Britain and the U.S. in lane 4 in both heats. Lineups will be announced prior to the session.

Four heats of the women’s 800 will wrap things up, with the top eight advancing to finals on Friday.

The first of two circle-seeded heats sees Leah Smith, Boglarka Kapas, Ariarne Titmus and Simona Quadarella in action, while Katie Ledecky will swim alongside Mireia Belmonte and Li Bingjie in the last heat.

Find all day 6 prelim start lists here.