2022 Commonwealth Games: Only 1 Team Opts for Typical MMFF Mixed Medley Order

2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

• Friday, July 29 – Wednesday, August 3, 2022
• Birmingham, England
• Sandwell Aquatic Center
• Start Times
  • Prelims: 10:30 am local / 5:30 am ET
  • Finals: 7:00 pm local / 2:00 pm ET
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Event Schedule
• Entry List (PDF)
• Live Results
• Day 5 Finals Recap

MIXED 4X100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: 3:37.58, Great Britain – 2021
• Commonwealth Record: 3:37.58, Great Britain – 2021
• Commonwealth Games Record: 3:45.34, Australia – 2022
• Relay Lineups

1. Australia, 3:41.30
2. Canada, 3:43.98
3. England, 3:44.03
4. South Africa, 3:44.38
5. Wales, 3:47.76
6. Scotland, 3:48.55
7. Jersey, 4:01.10
8. Guernsey, 4:02.79

• Full Results

The 4×100 mixed medley relay here at the Commonwealth Games definitely had some interesting choices. Typically, mixed medley relay teams used the male-male-female-female lineup order. Tonight though, only one of the eight teams went with this typical order. Scotland swam Craig McNally, Ross Murdoch, Keanna Louise Macinnes, and Lucy Hope.

In addition to the typical MMFF order, teams also typically use a male breaststroke. Here, all teams did so except for South Africa who used Lara Van Niekerk on the breaststroke leg. Earlier in the session, Van Niekerk won the women’s 100 breaststroke. The men for South Africa only had 1 finalist in the men’s 100 breast as Brendan Crawford finished eighth.

Even gold medal-winning Australia did not go with the MMFF order instead using World Record holder Kaylee McKeown on the backstroke leg.

In sum, most relays went with a F-M-M-F order. Typically, the MMFF order is used to allow for clean water during the back half of the race.

Fastest Backstroke legs:

Only two men were used on the backstroke legs both giving their respective countries an early lead. The three medaling relays all swam the female leg here. Notably, gold medal winning Australia used the World Record holder in the women’s 100 backstroke as Kaylee McKeown led off in a 59.01. McKeown’s best and world record stands at a 57.45.

Fastest Breaststroke legs:

Van Niekierk of South Africa was the only female here on the breaststroke leg, although her split of 1:05.41 was not far off of some of the men’s splits. World record holder in the men’s 200 breast Stubblety-Cook of Australia had the third fastest split of the seven men.

Only three women were used on the fly leg. Nottably, Canada’s Maggie MacNeil had the fastest female split with a 56.50. Earlier in the meet, MacNeil won the women’s 100 fly swimming a meet record of 56.36. Canada’s Josh Liendo won the men’s 100 fly earlier in the night with a 51.24.

Australia’s Matt Temple, who finished second behind Liendo in the 100 fly earlier, had the fastest split with a 50.89. That was faster than his individual finish of 51.40.

Only two men anchored on the free leg. Ruslan Gaziev came home in a 47.80 for Canada to touch in second. Australia’s Emma McKeon had the fastest split of the women by over a second swimming a 51.88. Even though Canada used a male at the end, the gap was too big in addition to McKeon’s sub-52 split to overcome.