2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
Let’s start with this: I’m not calling the Australian 800 free relay that broke the world record by nearly two seconds a bad swim – quite the opposite. I’m amazed that the Australian women put together such a seemingly perfect swim. And yet, some of them didn’t even swim their best times, meaning that in theory, that world record could be even faster in the very near future.
Notably, Mollie O’Callaghan broke the world record last night in the 200 free (1:52.85). Tonight, she led off the AUS relay in 1:53.66, a sensational swim in itself (slotting in at the #9 performance all-time). But that’s .81 difference. Interestingly, this seems to be a trend in the women’s 800 free relay at major international meets.
For at least the last 15 or so years, the women’s 200 free has come before the women’s 800 free relay in world championship and Olympic lineups, often seeing the 200 free final coming the night before the 800 free relay. As such, we often see many of the top performers in that 200 free final swim slower times in the 800 free relay. It’s not rocket science. It’s just hard to swim multiple high-level 200 freestyles in succession, an event that is right in the middle of aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games where Australia broke the world record in 7:39.29, the 200 free was on Day 1 of the meet while the 800 free relay was on Day 3. I think it would be really interesting to see Australia swim the women’s 800 free relay on Day 1 or 2 of a meet, before the 200 free is swam. We saw how this impacted the 800 free relay at the NCAA level with new NCAA records on the men’s side nearly every year and consistently faster results on the women’s side (women’s record has been the same since 2018 because Stanford went videogame mode).
What do we think AUS (or any other team) could go if this relay was earlier in the meet?
Very interesting to see if Emma McKeon will want to swim in next year’s Olympics in the 800 relay?
Hasnt trained for it since tokyo, so i doubt she would start now
Mollie also had the 100 free semis earlier in the session.
Yeah, that’s just stupid scheduling.
Agreed. Two of the biggest events that have very common crossover swimmers
Pretty sure in Paris the relay is the day after 100 free has finished though
Tom Dean was the same after he won the 2free at Tokyo.
Them breaking that record by such a big margin is crazy! Interesting how close the margin is between the relay time and Sam short’s individual 800. The women were 0.26 seconds faster.
In Fukuoka’s aquatic domain,
A record shattered, a feat arcane,
Australia’s relay, a stunning display,
By two seconds, they led the way,
Yet more speed could they obtain.
Mollie O’Callaghan, a star aglow,
Her world record, a feat to show,
Leading the charge with brilliance rare,
In 200 free, a time to compare,
But in the relay, a bit slower, we know.
A trend in history, we’ve seen,
The 200 free, a taxing routine,
Before the 800 relay takes its place,
Fatigue sets in, a slower pace,
Could a change in schedule make it keen?
Imagine the relay on Day 1’s morn,
Before the 200 free is… Read more »
Quite anticipated result by places on the podium, but American team was expected after trials and was pretty much capable of being 2.8 sec faster when all 4 relay legs are under 1:55. It wouldn’t change the outcome of the race but there will be much more drama in the pool when leaders could change several time during the race because Australian record setting team had no swimmers who swam 1:54.
That is a general problem of American team when with a few exception swimmers are swimming slower than in-season results promised it to be.
The same could be said about the Aussie, with Jack, Pallister & Wilson swimming slower than their in season results.
Only if you break the record at WCs
So show up next January and do it again : )
I would say 7.34+