2019 FINA World Championships: Day 4 Finals Preview

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
• Meet site
• Competition Schedule
• FinaTV Live Stream
• Entry Lists
• Results

Continuing on for the World Championships will be 5 medal events and 4 semifinals during the fourth evening session in Gwangju.

Day 4 Finals Events:

• Men’s 800 Free- Final
• Women’s 200 Free- Final
• Men’s 100 Free- Semifinals
• Women’s 50 Back- Semifinals
• Men’s 200 Fly- Final
• Men’s 50 Breast- Final
• Women’s 200 Fly- Semifinals
• Men’s 200 IM- Semifinals
• Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay- Final

It will be another night of re-writing the history books, with many top veterans aiming for elite feats. However, as the first 3 days have played out, it could be history for the newcomers toppling the big names and creating new names for themselves. Among the veterans chasing world title streaks are British breaststroke star Adam Peaty and Italian freestyler Federica Pellegrini.

The Sun Yang storyline also continues as the multi-time Olympic champ and world record-holder will be aiming for his 3rd gold medal of the meet in the 1500 free final. After podium mishaps with Mack Horton and Duncan Scott, Sun has received a FINA warning alongside Scott and Horton. With the Chinese racing Italian duo Detti and Paltrinieri as well as Aussie Jack McLoughlin and Frenchman David Aubry, one can hope the next medal ceremony (assuming Sun medals) will run smoothly.

Day 4 Finals Top Storylines to Follow:

• Italian freestyler Federica Pellegrini will be re-writing her name in the history books for the women’s 200 free. Pellegrini has medaled in this event at Worlds since 2005, with three of them being world titles (2009, 2011, 2017). This year, Pellegrini is the top seed into the final and has a great shot at earning her 8th-consecutive event medal and possible 4th event world title.
• Adam Peaty of Great Britain is chasing history yet again for his 3rd-consecutive 50 breast world title. If he wins tonight, he will become the first man in the event to do so. Brazilians Joao Gomes and Felipe Lima will be looming threats behind Peaty and aim to round out the top 3 medalists.
• American Caeleb Dressel has broken many NAGs and NCAA/American records, but has yet to carve his name into a world record. After putting up a smooth 47.32 during the 100 free prelims, that 46.91 supersuit world record from 2009 Worlds could be in grave danger.
• The last time an American woman won the 200 fly at a Worlds meet was in 1991. Fast forward 28 years, Hali Flickinger will be pursuing to break the dreaded streak. Flickinger leads into the semifinals with a 2:05.96, nearly 2 seconds ahead of Hungarian Boglarka Kapas. In roughly 24 hours, Flickinger’s chance to break the 200 fly world title drought for the American women will finally be within reach.
• The men’s 200 fly will be a passing of the torch as the top 2 qualifiers will carry on their country’s butterfly legacy. 19-year-old Hungarian Kristof Milak is the top seed by 3 seconds, and will chase on Laszlo Cseh‘s 2015 world title. Milak also has a chance at taking down the 10-year-old supersuit world record of 1:51.51. From the USA, Zach Harting will aim to be the US’s first event medalist since Michael Phelps‘ 2011 title.
• Italian distance studs Gregorio Paltrinieri and Gabriele Detti will be chasing down medals in the men’s 800 free final. In 2017, Detti won the event while Paltrinieri took the bronze. Paltrinieri was also the 2015 event silver medalist, now swimming a third time for an event world title. Looming in lane 8 will be Chinese Sun Yang, who has the 200/400 free world titles wrapped around his finger. Sun won the 800 free three times in a row (2011, 2013, 2015), and will certainly gun for a 4th world title this evening in Gwangju.
• American IM star Chase Kalisz continues his quest towards defending his 200 IM world title as the 3rd seed into the semifinals. In the top 3 to aim for more medals is Hungarian veteran Laszlo Cseh and 400 IM specialist Daiya Seto of Japan.
• Finals can’t come sooner with the women’s 50 back semifinals, as Chinese Fu Yuanhui and Brazilian Etiene Medeiros will shoot to claim their second World title. In 2015, Yuanhui earned the title while Medeiros took the silver. At the 2017 Worlds meet, Medeiros took revenge on Yuanhui and wrote her name on the title.
• The mixed medley relay will enter its 3rd Worlds final in history. So far, only Great Britain and the USA have claimed world titles since 2015. In 2017, the USA won the title utilizing a MFMF strategy, defeating the 2017 runner-up Aussies’ MMFF relay. In prelims, the USA went MMFF, likely pointing to re-using the MFMF that aided in the 2017 title. The Aussie prelims relay went FMMF, and with the Campbell sisters likely being included on the relay, they could also give the MMFF strategy a try as well.