Team GB medal hopes - Swimming

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

4x100m Free Relay

 

Disappointing result in Doha but I expect them to improve come Paris and challenge for Gold. 

 

4x200m Free Relay

 

A tad disappointing in Doha but no Dean or Guy, who'll replace McMillan and Max Litchfield who raced here. I still expect us to win Gold in Paris and break the world record in the process. 

 

4x100m Medley Relay

 

All depends on what form Peaty's in, if he's going low-sub 58 then I reckon we'll take the Gold. If not then we'll be lucky to get bronze. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

Women's 

 

50m + 100m Free

 

Anna Hopkin will represent us here in both where she'll make both finals but ultimately come up short. Freya Anderson will also be aiming for a final in the 100. Skye Carter has an outside chance of qualifying in the 50. 

 

200m Free

 

I expect both Freya's (Anderson and Colbert) to get the quotas here. Colbert may choose to decline this in favour of other events but I doubt that she will. Given her performances in Doha, Abbie Wood could challenge but I don't think she'll go for the 200m Free here. Both Anderson and Colbert will be aiming for a final in Paris. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

400m Free

 

Similarly to the Men, it would take a minor miracle for Colbert to reach the standard. Although if she gets close enough she could be in the same position as Jervis where she's allowed to choose by the selectors if she wants to compete in the event (If I remember correctly she was given this luxury in Fuokoka last year despite not reach the qualifying time). 

 

800m Free

 

Don't expect us to qualify for this. Colbert won't be able to shave off 10 seconds and, despite her smashing her times everytime she swims, I think it'll be too hard for Amelie Blocksidge to shave off the 7 seconds she requires to qualify. 

 

1500m Free

 

This is the one where I think Blocksidge gets the time. It's a big ask for her to shave another 9 seconds off her PB but the way she's been going I can see her doing it. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

100m Back

 

Lauren Cox, Kathleen Dawson and Medi Harris will battle it out for 2 spots on the team, all 3 will be targeting a medal but could ultimately miss out. 

 

200m Back

 

Katie Shanahan should represent GB alongside either Freya Colbert or Honey Orsin. Colbert's performance in Doha could persuade her to give this event a shot in Paris, if not then Orsin should be able to take her spot. Shanahan will be targeting a medal, with the other 2 looking at a final. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

100m Breast

 

Kara Hanlon might be able to achieve the standard, but even if she doesn't the selectors may let her compete if she achieved the OQT and if the relay qualifies to give her a feel for things. Angharad Evans and Imogen Clark are outsiders to achieve the time. 

 

200m Breast

 

This all depends on if Abbie Wood wants to swim this or the 200m Free alongside to 200m IM. If she can get back to her 2021 form then she got a better chance at qualifying through this than she has the Free. She also has a good chance of reaching the final if she can replicate 2021. If she opts against racing this then there's no one else who is capable of reaching the standard. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

100m Fly

 

It's unlikely that we'll qualify anyone in this but Keanna Maciness and Laura Stephens aren't a million miles away. Even getting close to the standard here would be a big boost for the Medley Relay. 

 

200m Fly

 

Laura Stephens and Emily Large will represent us in this event, with Stephens challenging Bach and Pudar for bronze and Large looking to make the final. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

200m Medley

 

Katie Shanahan and Abbie Wood will both represent us here, with both looking to make the final and possibly challenge for a medal. 

 

400m Medley

 

Colbert and Shanahan will represent us here, with both looking to make the final. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

4x100m Free Relay

 

The girls will be looking to reach the final in Paris and challenge for a medal. 

 

4x200m Free Relay

 

After a brilliant result in Doha, the girls will be looking to challenge for a bronze in Paris. And with Anderson to come back into the squad we've got a brilliant chance to do so. 

 

4x100m Medley Relay

 

This is dodgy one. Our lack of Fly leg and Mollie Renshaw means that ours girls are 2 seconds off the standard time. It'll be tight to see if they'll achieve it, and they might just fall short. However a big focus of this Olympics was to qualify every relay, so I can see the selectors being a bit lenient if we only just miss out - especially if Hanlon qualifies in the 100m Breast and Maciness gets the 100m or 200m Fly. 

[Cinnamon Bun 911]

4x100m Mixed Medley Relay

 

Like the Men's Medley Relay, it all depends on if Peaty is reaching sub-low 58 seconds. He'll need to claw back a lot from Cox/Harris on the backstroke leg. And if we put Guy and Hopkin and on the Fly and Free respectively, there's a good chance we could snatch gold and retain our title. 

Edited February 17, 2024 by Cinnamon Bun

[mpjmcevoy 377]

2 minutes ago, Cinnamon Bun said:

4x100m Mixed Medley Relay

 

Like the Men's Medley Relay, it all depends on if Peaty is reaching sub-low 58 seconds. He'll need to claw back a lot from Cox/Harris on the backstroke leg. And if we put Guy and Hopkin and on the Fly and Free respectively, there's a good chance we could snatch gold and retain our title. 

Having three big hitters going for the women's 100 back is a major help here, and if Peaty is even competitive (i.e there or thereabouts for a medal) then its plausibly game on. There are some good young sprint breaststrokers coming through (eg Bilbao), but my gut says Peaty will be OK, in that case almost everything turns on 100 fly, and specifically the form of Guy and Peters - Guy looked at the Euro short course (frankly a better barometer, in my view, than this odd Worlds of where GB hope to be) to have found some of his 2015 Mojo - if that's the case, he may step back from the medley relays, at least partially, to protect his newfound 200 free form.

 

I think this event was almost the GB banker last time - this time, I think the banker is the mens 4 x 2 free, and the men's medley may actually be stronger than the mixed. I still think if Peaty is even 95% there (I'd reckon he's about 80% atm but he knows he's gonna get a wildcard if required) then medals in both relays is likely and gold in either/or is possible.