2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 11th – February 18th, 2024
- Doha, Qatar
- LCM (50m)
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- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
The lineups for the men’s 4×200 freestyle relay heats at the Doha 2024 World Championships are now public.
Defending champions Great Britain have opted to go with Matthew Richards, Jack McMillan, Max Litchfield, and Joe Litchfield for today’s prelims. Richards won the 2023 World title in the individual 200 free, but opted to only focus on the 100 free here in Doha. He placed 4th in yesterday’s 100 free final. McMillan is a 1:46-range 200 freestyler, so he should play a pivotal role in today’s relay. It’s anticipated that Duncan Scott will join the finals squad later, so Team GB looks to be a feature on the podium again this year.
Team USA is leading off with the bronze medalist from the individual event, Luke Hobson. Sprint specialist Hunter Armstrong will swim the second leg, while David Johnston and Shaine Casas will comprise the rest of the relay. Armstrong has never broken the 1:50-barrier in the event, while Johnston (1:49.70) and Casas (1:47.88) have. Carson Foster will almost certainly be on the finals quartet with Hobson, but the other two spots seem up for grabs.
China, who claimed gold in the men’s 4×100 free on day one, are anchoring with Pan Zhanle. Pan ripped a new world record in the 100 free leading off the gold medal relay on day one, and won the individual event yesterday.
South Korea is expected to be a major contender in this relay alongside Great Britain, China, and the United States. Hwang Sunwoo, who won the 200 free title on night three, will anchor them this morning. Kim Woomin, who snagged gold in the men’s 400 free on night one, will take over third leg duties.
Brazil, Canada, and Italy are among the other contenders in this race. Brazil is leading off with Fernando Scheffer, who won bronze in the 200 free at the Tokyo Olympics. Canada is slotting Finlay Knox into the opening leg, after winning 200 IM gold last night with a strong freestyle leg.
Danas Rapsys, who grabbed individual silver in the 200 free on night three, will lead off Lithuania in heat one.
Australia, who claimed bronze in this event at the Fukuoka Worlds, is not swimming the event here in Doha.
FULL LINEUPS
Heat 1:
- Lane 1 – Bulgaria (Mitsin, Bratanov, Levterov, Yanchev)
- Lane 2 – Poland (Sieradzki, Chowaniec, Filipiak, Sztolcman)
- Lane 3 – Brazil (Scheffer, Costa, Oliveira De Moraes, Correia)
- Lane 4 – United States (Luke Hobson, Hunter Armstrong, David Johnston, Shaine Casas)
- Lane 5 – China (Ji, Zhang, Wang, Pan)
- Lane 6 – Spain (Dominguez, Castro, De Celis Montalban, Quijada Roldan)
- Lane 7 – Lithuania (Rapsys, Navikonis, Lukminas, Jazdauskas)
Heat 2:
- Lane 1 – Thailand (Kaewsriyong, Thammananthachote, Wongcharoen, Kanteemool)
- Lane 2 – Vietnam (Tran, Q.T. Nguyen, Ngo, H.H. Nguyen)
- Lane 3 – Italy (Ragaini, Di Cola, De Tullio, Megli)
- Lane 4 – Great Britain (Richards, McMillan, M. Litchfield, J. Litchfield)
- Lane 5 – South Korea (H. Lee, Y. Lee, Kim, Hwang)
- Lane 6 – Canada (Knox, Acevedo, Tierney, Wigginton)
- Lane 7 – Mexico (Iga, Dupont Cabrera, Ruvalcaba, Porges Avila)
- Lane 8 – Greece (Markos, Englezakis, Stamou, Vazaios)
I think people are exaggerating Casas’ swims. Nobody truly knows how rested he is – it’s not like these World Championships are in August.
No one exaggerate I hope..I think coaches want him to have medals too..giving him a free pass to 400 free relay was unfair over possible 47.7 or better of Armstrong..casas not only went 48.45 even that time was slower of aikins’ prelim swim..so USA cost a guaranteed silver..today even coashes should have used forster for the preliminary swim also..they almost lost a final relay lane..casas is a good swimmer..but he should trust him self in the big stage..and he should think about of the commitment towards a group effort when swimming on a relay..if casas miss 100fly final here, zach or MA should be on the medley relay to grab the gold..
That doesn’t mean much with Casas, who rarely PBs when tapered.
Am I reading it correctly that Casas had the slowest of the splits for Team USA?
1:48.87? Ugh!
Poor guy seems to be having a bad day and a utter disappointment as a meet.
Can see him swimming this in the finals tonight.
No way, if the USA wants to sneak in to podium finish, Casas should not be there..he also has 100 fly semies
Unfortunately nerves can be person’s worst enemy. Some can deal with it and some don’t.
oOOPS – MY BAD – MEANT TO WRITE “CAN’T SEE HIM. . . .”
Where is Australia
Qualified already for olympics, dont need to do it at doha
Korea seems to be the only country in full force unlike other teams mostly lacking freestylers. They’ve been training the 4×200 relay with the same lineup for years.
CHINA?
China’s strongest team would have Wang Shun
USA final line up seems, Hobson, Akins, Armstrong and C Foster
I was impressed / surprised by Armstrong’s split! Impressive to be the 50Back WR holder and beat the 800 free national teamer and the 200IM national teamer in the 200 free.
Good for him.
Forgot about Akins. I have no clue how much faster than Casas he will be but its seems worth the gamble cause otherwise we are at best 3rd. – Without really looking at other sub-ins from the finalists. I’d expect a 2fly and 2back swimmers to translate into the 2 free well.
The obvious connection is I wish he was entered in the 200 back at this meet to see what he could do there.
Aikins only has 30 minutes between the 200 back final and the relay. If I had to guess, I’d think it’ll be Foster, Armstrong, Johnston, and Hobson.
Yes..the only disadvantage is that..but Johnston is really inconsistent and another 1.48 will not help..After racing 50 free, matt King seems the only liable option other than Aikins..
Hobson, akins/King, Armstrong and forster..i want USA to win at least the bronze badly
Bear in the pool steps it up!
that’s a sight better than what we had this morning, just barely squeaking into 8th position.
I’m guessing we’ll take 2nd or 3rd, if everyone works out.
Weik wasn’t expecting that to be but am curious what Hunter can do in a 200 free.
I’d say none too shabby for him! Now I want him to try the 200 back.