Three rounds are behind us, and the 400 IM and 200 fly have made the final by identical 71-29 margins in the semis.
Round 3 Recap
200 Fly (71%) over 200 Free (29%)
The 200 fly actually faced a tougher test in round 2, only getting 68% of the votes against the 200 breast. The 200 free had barely scraped by in its first two matchups (55% against the 200 IM and 52% against the 500 free) and the Cinderella story finally ends in the final four.
400 IM (71%) over 1650 Free (29%)
The 400 IM got slightly more votes than the 200 fly, though the total percentages were about the same – this semifinal had a few more total votes. This was definitely the toughest test for the 400 IM so far, though, after it got 96% and 92% in the first two rounds.
Consolation Bracket: 5th-8th
5th Place: 200 Backstroke (38%)
6th Place: 200 Breaststroke (32%)
7th Place: 500 Freestyle (26%)
8th Place: 50 Freestyle (4%)
The 200 back and 200 breast were the clear favorites, with the 500 free holding its own. The 50 free, predictably, fell to the bottom of this consolation poll.
Consolation Bracket: 9th-16th
9th Place: 1000 Freestyle (42%)
10th Place: 200 IM (40%)
11th Place: 100 Butterfly (6%)
12th Place: 100 Backstroke (4%)
13th Place: 100 Freestyle/100 Breaststroke (tie – 4%)
15th Place: 100 IM (0%)
Updated Bracket
Final Round Matchups
The Championships Matchup: 200 Butterfly vs 400 IM
Which event is harder? (short course yards)
- 400 IM (66%)
- 200 Butterfly (34%)
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Bronze Medal Consolation Match: 200 Freestyle vs 1650 Freestyle
Which event is harder? (short course yards)
- 1650 Freestyle (64%)
- 200 Freestyle (36%)
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800 IM
I personally think the 200breast had an unfair match-up, much harder than the 200fr or 1650 in my opinion. As a 400IMer, I both love and hate the race, but I still think the 200BR is by far the hardest race. It used to always hurt my fingers whenever I swam it because I would squeeze them so hard, and I can still imagine that burn in my forearms and quads. I still remember at NCAAs loving the 200IM and 400IM the first two days and then dreading that final day with the 200BR. I used to beg my coach to let me do 200BK instead, which is also painful, but a race I still consider less painful than that… Read more »
Anyone who voted for the 400 IM over the 1650 isn’t swimming the 1650 correctly.
1000 and 1650 are way harder than 200fly. 400IM is probably the hardest event though.
Agree with the 2 back sentiment, as for the 400 IM vs the 200 fly, the GOAT has stated his dread/respect for the 400 IM in the past, “there is no hiding in that event” and that’s good enough for me.
Phelps famously swore off the 400 IM after Beijing only to fail to medal in London. In the 200 fly in London he barely lost to LeClos while admitting he barely did any 200 fly training leading up to the Games. The 400 IM is painful, the training is grueling, you need to have great technique in all 4 strokes, plus to have the resiliency to recover for a heats/finals format in a short amount of time makes the… Read more »
200 backstorke got screwed here. easilly the hardest race. it is the only race where I consitantly hear people on a range of levels (11-12 boys to Olympic champions) talk about activly biting their lip or tongue during the race to try to feel more pain in there mouth to distract from the pain in their legs.
Fun poll. 4IM will probably rightfully win, but…
There are a couple of problems.
First, different events are “hard” for different reasons:
50 Fr is hard because it demands absolute perfection – at flat out speed. The duration of pain is very limited though.
200 Fly is hard because if you go push the front end too much there is a very real possibility that you will not finish, or at least you will be vertical when you do, with shoulders so tired you can’t get complete the recovery and legs so dead you can’t drive forward.
200 Fr is arguably the most difficult to pace, it’s a sprint, but it isn’t. Really, how many times… Read more »
Horse pucky. The 1650 is harder to train for (think D Lane still in the water when every other group is heading for the locker room) and harder to race, based on sheer minutes of pain. How many people who took the survey have actually swum a high level 1650 or multiple ones? Not even you, Mel ! 😉 I’ve swum the 4IM and 2Fly at a high level (D1) too and they are just not as hard as the 1650/1500.
— NCAA D1 All-American, 1650 and OT Qualifer 800 meters.