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The Men’s 200 Free Podium In Paris Is Guaranteed To Look Different

2024 BRAZILIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

With the start of swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games now fewer than 80 days away, we are beginning to form pictures of what certain events may look like based on the outcomes of nations’ Trials.

For instance, based on the completed Aquatics GB Championships and the in-progress Brazilian Championships we know that the men’s 200m freestyle podium between Tokyo and Paris is guaranteed to look different.

In Tokyo, British speedster Tom Dean wowed the crowd by pulling a minor upset in getting to the wall first, snatching the 200m free gold away from teammate Duncan Scott, Korean Hwang Sunwoo, Romanian David Popovici and more.

Dean topped the podium in a national record-setting effort of 1:44.22, followed by Scott’s 1:44.26 and Brazilian Fernando Scheffer who secured bronze in 1:44.66.

Men’s 200m Freestyle Final at the 2020 Olympic Games

  1. Thomas Dean (GBR) – 1:44.22 – GOLD
  2. Duncan Scott (GBR) – 1:44.26 – SILVER
  3. Fernando Scheffer (BRA) – 1:44.66 – BRONZE
  4. David Popovici (ROU) – 1:44.68
  5. Martin Malyutin (ROC) – 1:45.01
  6. Kieran Smith (USA) – 1:45.12
  7. Hwang Sunwoo (KOR) – 1:45.26
  8. Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:45.78

We know from last month’s Aquatics GB Olympic Trials that Dean did not qualify to race in Paris in the men’s 200m free. At those trials in London, it was Olympic relay medalist Matt Richards who stormed to the 2free victory in a time of 1:44.69 followed by Scott who touched in 1:44.75.

Reigning Olympic champion Dean was relegated to 3rd in 1:45.09; good enough for a 4x200m free relay slot but not enough to earn an individual Olympic berth.

Flash forward to day 2 of the Brazilian Championships and 2020 bronze medalist Scheffer found himself in a similar boat.

On day 2 in Rio, Scheffer clocked a time of 1:47.60 to place 3rd in the 2free, well behind winner Murilo Sartori who notched 1:46.98 for gold and Guilherme Costa who snagged silver in 1:47.10.

None of the top 3 hit the Olympic Qualification Time of 1:46.26 needed for Paris, although Costa did so at the 2024 World Championships with his semi-final swim of 1:46.06 to earn an Olympic bid.

As such, Scheffer will also not be among the individual men’s 200m free field in Paris.

From the remaining racers of the Tokyo top 8, Romania’s Popovici has qualified for the Olympics via his 1:45.10 produced at last month’s Romanian Nationals/Olympic Trials while Hwang has made the grade with his 1:44.40 from last year’s Asian Games.

Lithuanian veteran Danas Rapsys will also be among the Paris field, clocking 1:44.96 at this year’s World Championships.

We’ll need to wait and see what happens at the U.S. Trials to know if Kieran Smith will be among the Olympic contestants in this event while Russian Martin Malyutin‘s status is in limbo as the nation’s swimmers’ only hope of competing is via neutral status.

Newcomers Maximillian Giuliani of Australia and Luke Hobson of the United States look primed for a run at the podium but need to get through their own Trials first, a tall ask for the powerhouse swimming nations.

Then there’s Germany’s Lukas Maertens, the top performer in the world this season. He cranked out a big-time personal best of 1:44.14 to lead the rankings. China’s Pan Zhanle has also proven he’s a threat, adding this event to his Olympic lineup from last month’s Chinese Trials.

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Swordfish
5 months ago

Tom missing the boat to 200 free is disappointing for those who had high hopes for him to defend his title in Paris.

However even he had made it, Paris’ field of 200 free would stage a quite different vista before we probably see a brand new podium lineup.

Märtens, Popovici, Hwang,Pan and potential PB winners expected to come out of upcoming the US and Aus trials will combat to step up on the podium by all means….

Greg P
Reply to  Swordfish
5 months ago

No swimmer ever defended m200 free Olympics title.

The closest were Ian Thorpe (had he not lost to PVDH in 2000) and PVDH (had be not lost to Thorpe in 2004).

And no swimmer ever defended w200 free Olympic title.

The closest was Federica Pellegrini had she not lost to Potec in 2004.

Titmus has a chance to be the first female swimmer to do it, but…. she will have to beat her training partner and WR holder MOC.

Swordfish
Reply to  Greg P
5 months ago

wow, you are a lasting swimming spectator.

Knew there is no precedence regarding defending a 200 free title ( not sure for women’s cases).

Anyhow the dust has settled in the wake of a fair meet, simply wish a sprint swimmer I root for could clinch a gold in the event in Paris.

Alison England
Reply to  Swordfish
5 months ago

I think Richards will win the 200 free.

Dee
Reply to  Swordfish
5 months ago

Yeah, Popovici, Richards & Hwang is my idea of the podium right now. Martens the main danger.

peter
5 months ago

Australia is the sleeper in the 4/200

Sub13
Reply to  peter
5 months ago

Sleeper for bronze or silver maybe. For us to win gold we would need to massively overperform and GB would need to misfire pretty badly

commonwombat
Reply to  Sub13
5 months ago

AUS hasn’t had a truly significant 200fr performer in recent memory but in recent years they have been able to salvage minor medals due to 1.45 performers with the odd 1.44 split from time to time.

With RUS ruled out, it would’ve appeared that the “old firm” of GBR/USA & AUS had the inside run but the emergence of CHN & KOR with arguably stronger hands or presence of bigger hitters has probably thrown that script out the window.

Whilst it would be wonderful to see at least one, preferably more, 1.44 at Trials; I’m not betting on it given they always seem to match-race each other. For mine, they’re probably going to overperform themselves and at least one… Read more »

Greg P
Reply to  peter
5 months ago

A sleeper for minor medal. Australia doesn’t have the fire power of GBR.

Greg P2
Reply to  peter
5 months ago

China is winning the 4×200. They were world champions and are bringing Sun Yang for the relay. Pin this comment

John26
5 months ago

So did Italy’s talented generation peak in 2022 or do they have more to give?

Each year that they appear to peak, they keep getting better 😶

Sub13
Reply to  John26
5 months ago

They did much better in 2022 than 2023 tbh. But they certainly have the talent to do well in Paris

John26
Reply to  Sub13
5 months ago

To improve on 2022, the 4×1 free and 4×1 medley relays need to both be at least a silver and one of them gold.

Ceccon would need to win the 100back, and Martenenghi and Miressi would both need to medal. Seems like a tall task for all this to happen

Sub13
Reply to  John26
5 months ago

Ceccon winning the 100 back is plausible, as are the two relay medals and Martinenghi. Seems unlikely they beat 2022 though

Italian Fan
Reply to  John26
5 months ago

Sara Curtis and Alessandro Ragaini are the two newcomers to watch. I am also hoping to see Jasmine Nocentini compete at Sette Colli and do something good in the long course.

Italian Fan
5 months ago

Maybe you should spare a word for Alessandro Ragaini. He won the Italian title and a pass to Paris last March. Granted, his winning time of 1:45.8 is not as impressive as the PBs of the athletes you mentioned, but he was only 17 and he swam like a veteran. He will turn 18 in August.

Last edited 5 months ago by Italian Fan
Ron
5 months ago

Maybe we could start calling in the 2021 Olympic Games. Or the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Just somehow get the year correct.

Greg P
Reply to  Ron
5 months ago

The official name is actually 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Every media uses it. And all official sports institutions use it.

CELL
5 months ago

Is Alexy swimming the 2 free at trials?

Greg P
Reply to  CELL
5 months ago

.
.
.
.
.

Last edited 5 months ago by Greg P
Jimmyswim
Reply to  CELL
5 months ago

Does it matter? His PB is a 1:53

Swimmer.
Reply to  CELL
5 months ago

He was 2:15 in Westmont

Notanyswimmer
5 months ago

How can Americans compete at this event when they train for an inherently shorter race (200y) to mimic swimming the 200m? That’s why Americans can only fly and die at this event, which isn’t particularly a bad strategy, but pianos only seem to land on American swimmers.

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 months ago

Silver medal as afterthought from an outside lane is not a bad sounding piano

Horninco
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 months ago

Carson Fosters 1:43, Smith’s and Hobson’s 1:44’s, and Kibler’s 1:45.00 have entered the chat

GB respectfully gets the title of favorites but I wouldn’t hand them the Gold just yet

Post grad swimmer
Reply to  Horninco
5 months ago

Foster 1:43?

Jimmyswim
Reply to  Post grad swimmer
5 months ago

He split a 1:43.94 in Doha

Mark O
Reply to  Horninco
5 months ago

I would 🇬🇧

M L
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
5 months ago

Phelps, Lochte, Dwyer, Davis, Biondi, Heath, and Spitz would like a word.

anty75
Reply to  M L
5 months ago

US as a dominant nation in swimming had a lot of success in all events. But compared to sprint events 50 free and 100 free Americans historically are not as good in 200 free, a lot less titles both individually and in relays.

RealSlimThomas
Reply to  anty75
5 months ago

We’ve been equally as dominant in the 2IM and 4IM in my opinion. Those two events take the same, if not more, endurance than the 2free.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  anty75
5 months ago

Huh?

USA Swimming won the gold medal in men’s 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. In addition, USA Swimming won the gold medal in the men’s 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay at the 2017, 2019, 2022 World Aquatics Championships. As for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, two words:

Ryan
Held

It’s the finest Trenton Julian 200 meter butterfly impression in the history of 100 meter freestyle. We’re talking grand piano, Steinway in fact.

SwimBikeDone
Reply to  M L
5 months ago

As would Katie Ledecky and Allison Schmitt

NoFastTwitch
Reply to  M L
5 months ago

Please don’t include Dwyer on that list, for obvious reasons

M L
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
5 months ago

Why

Greg P2
Reply to  M L
5 months ago

Maybe because he was caught cheating?

Greg P2
Reply to  M L
5 months ago

Phelps has never been a short course yards or meters swimmer

M L
Reply to  Greg P2
5 months ago

I imagine he grew up swimming yards three out of four seasons a year like other Americans.

Anyway, maybe a better reply to the original post is that Americans don’t rely solely (or even primarily) on 200yd training to prepare for the 200LCM. See, e.g., Bowman’s stuff about training for the 500yd/400m to come down to the 200s. Also, of course, there’s all the LCM training Americans do when it’s long-course season.

Smglsn12
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
5 months ago

Hobson is the opposite of fly and die in this race

Beginner Swimmer at 25
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
5 months ago

Popigoat hit the piano twice last year, perhaps he should’ve trained in the American bathtubs 🛁

American Bathtubs 🇺🇸 🧼 = Anti-Piano 🚫🎹

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Beginner Swimmer at 25
5 months ago

LOL!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
5 months ago

There was a time, not so long ago, that Lochte and Phelps finished first and second in the men’s 200 meter freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships. Thus, the 2011 World Aquatics Championships marked the end of Paul Beidermann and the supersuit era. Let be known this transpired long after the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Greg P2
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
5 months ago

13 years ago…it feels like yesterday but it’s not

Beginner Swimmer at 25
5 months ago

Popigoat is gonna smash Dunkin Donuts Scott depriving him of his last chance at a gold medal

Sub13
Reply to  Beginner Swimmer at 25
5 months ago

Duncan Scott already has an Olympic gold medal

Curious
Reply to  Sub13
5 months ago

Relay

Greg P
Reply to  Curious
5 months ago

Sooo?

Swimswam always say Michael Andrew is an Olympic champion.

At least Duncan Scott also has individual medals

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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