2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 11th – February 18th, 2024
- Doha, Qatar
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Official Entries
- Live Results
- How To Watch
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
- Day 6 Prelims Recap | Day 6 Finals Recap
- Day 7 Prelims Recap | Day 7 Finals Recap
- Day 8 Prelims Recap
Women’s Medley Relay Lineups
With no Team USA, winners of the last 4 World Championships in the 400 medley relay, the women’s 400 medley relay is wide-open on Sunday at the 2024 World Championships.
The big news is that Sarah Sjostrom, the World Record holder in the 100 fly, will swim the butterfly leg for the Swedish relay in finals. They were 2nd in the heats without her, but a big reshuffle makes room for her.
Even though she no longer swims the 100 fly individually at big international meets, she still showed in October that she is capable by swimming 56.92 at a World Cup stop. This is a Swedish relay that has been tantalizingly-close to a gold medal in this 400 medley relay for years, but have been unable to get over that hump (though Coleman, Sjostrom, and Louise Hansson combined with Jennie Johnasson to take silver in 2015).
Other Changes:
- Canada subbed in Sophie Angus, who had a breakthrough 1:06.66 flat-start earlier in this meet, for the breaststroke leg and Taylor Ruck, who has been swimming well this week, on the freestyle leg. Ruck was an obvious choice – she should get the Canadians a second-and-a-half – but Sydney Pickrem‘s 1:06.14 split in prelims would have been enough to give pause on the other switch. Canada, previously in a pickle on the breaststroke leg, suddenly has a glut of choices.
- Australia brings in Iona Anderson for Jaclyn Barclay on the backstroke leg, which earns them about a second, moves Brianna Throssell to the fly leg from the free leg, which gets them a few tenths, and puts in Shayna Jack on the anchor, which gets them two seconds. While both Canada and Sweden ahead of them get better in finals, those changes put Australia right alongside them.
- China brings in Tang Qianting on the breaststroke leg on a good meet so far, but sticks with Ai Yanhan on the freestyle anchor (she was 55.75 in prelims, though she’s expected to be faster in finals). Sun Mingxia is still the only option on the backstroke leg, though, and that’s probably what will keep China out of the medals.
- Italy subbed in Benedetta Pilato for Arianna Castiglioni on the breaststroke leg.
- No Marrit Steenbergen for the Dutch women. She’s been on-fire at this meet, but the expectation must be that she’s gassed at this point.
Full Lineups – Women’s 400 Medley Relay Final
- Italy (Francesca Pasquino, Benedetta Pilato, Costanza Conocelli, Chiara Tarantino)
- China (Sun Mingxia, Tang Qianting, Yu Yiting, Ai Yanhan)
- Australia (Iona Anderson, Abbey Harkin, Brianna Throssell, Shayna Jack)
- Canada (Ingrid Wilm, Sophie Angus, Rebecca Smith, Taylor Ruck)
- Sweden (Louise Hansson, Sophie Hansson, Sarah Sjostrom, Michelle Coleman)
- Netherlands (Kira Toussaint, Tes Schouten, Maaike de Waard, Kim Busch)
- Hong Kong (Stephanie Au, Siobhan Haughey, Natalie Kan, Camille Cheng)
- Poland (Adela Piskorska, Dominika Sztandera, Paulina Peda, Kornelia Fiedkiewicz)
With Steenburgen not in for the Dutch that greatly diminishes their likelihood of a medal. Medals would seem to be between Swe, Aus, Can. See who has the most energy left in the tank. Imho Aus would be favoured for gold.
My money’s on Sweden.
I’m sure the Dutch coaches know better than we do, but no Steenbergen pretty much takes the Netherlands out of Gold contention. Australia the favorite followed by Sweden and Canada
So far Caesar’s wants no part of this.