OlympicsFan

Could someone please tell me why Canada got so freakishly strong in women's swimming (apart from hiring a great coach)?

Waaaaaay slower than expected, but expected winner. Not sure if Ruck regrets dropping the 200 free now ...

What about 2018? I don't know what it is, but italian swimming has found something after 2016. Everyone peaking at the right time + new talents (Miressi, De Tullio, Martinenghi, Burdisso, Ceccon, Quadarella, Cusinato, Gaetani, Pilato) every year. Currently Italy is number 2 in europe (behind Russia) and number 6 in the world behind USA, Russia, Australia, China and Japan.

If Sun Yang is their leader, then help us god ...

Duncan Scott and Mack Horton are my new idols. It is just so sad that they feel the need to do this, because they don't trust FINA to do the right thing. Apparently FINA hasn't learned anything from what happened to UCI some years ago.

I don't get it ... I mean it is one thing to blatantly cheat and then just don't give a shit about what other people think (like Efimova), but how can you cheat so blatantly and then be surprised that other people don't respect you? I almost have the feeling as if he is only surrounded by people in China who treat him like a god and now he doesn't understand why not everyone treats him like that.

I think he was disqualified because he twitched before the start, it's just weird that FINA doesn't show a replay ...

1) This is a recent development, Italy only became good 3 or 4 years ago and GB wasn't really good until 5 or 6 years ago. France used to be better than both. 2) I think the answer is that they just spend more money on swimming. I think it also helps when you are able to swim outdoors 8 months or so of the year (like in Italy) compared 3 or 4 months (in Germany), swimming outdoors is much less depressing.

Winning a medal with 1:45.63, what a sad state men's 200 free is in ...

I think this was both the minimum and maximum they could have achieved here, given that they only had to beat Japan and South Africa to get into the QF and that Croatia was the clear favorite. I still feel as if they wasted a chance here, both Italy and Croatia seemed beatable and then they could have made the SF.

1) I think part of the reason why Smith isn't very good in the 1500 free is that until now it wasn't an olympic discipline. She might very well swim this event next year and then she will be among the favorites. The chinese girls are indeed not performing well here, but they are very young (4 years younger than Quadarella), so time is on their side. Also Pignatiello was missing here. 2) I think it is McKeon (McKeown is the girl who swims 100/200 back). Not sure how results from 2 years ago are important in this discussion ... ? 3) I think it is too late for him to turn it around here. Given his age and trajectory i would still consider him the favorite for next year in the 1500 free.

1) Didn't see Bingjie or Smith swimming the 1500 free, must have missed them. 2) Fair point, but with Ledecky, Ruck and McKeon all competing, Pellegrini would have had very slim medal chances at best, now she is a favorite for a medal. 3) Wellbrock refused to give interviews after the race, but his coach said that a) His technique was sloppy and b) He had the feeling that after his 10k gold medal, everyone in Germany was expecting him to "save" german swimming here and that pressure apparently got to him. His coach also said that currently Wellbrock is pretty destroyed and has the feeling as if he doesn't know how to swim anymore, so i would say it is more likely for him to not make the 1500 free final than to win a medal. I guess he will have to choose between open water and pool swimming next year and if he is smart, then he will choose pool swimming.

I don't know what italian swimming officials offered to the devil, but it must have been exremely valuable. There is no other explanation for what is currently happening to italian swimming. 1) Ledecky dropping 1500 free + all the other top 800 free girls not even competing -> Gold for Quadarella 2) Everyone dropping out of the 200 free -> Gold for Pellegrini? 3) Wellbrock almost falling asleep in the 800 prelims -> 2 medals for Italy

I have to say that with everything that is happening here, the results will be as good a predictor for the olympic games as the results of track cycling world championships usually are, so they will basically be worthless.

Huge upset by MacNeil, let's see if she can stay at the top longer than Oleksiak.

I think she only was below 59 seconds one time and usually she is at least half a second slower, so i wouldn't be that dramatic, although she doesn't seem to be in top shape. Her in-season 200 back time was so good, that she might even medal being 1-1.5 seconds slower, but when it comes to the gold medal, i would give Masse the edge right now.

She seems to be off her best, but i don't think she is that far off. Even if she would be 20 seconds slower than her best, she should take gold. Quadarella is the favorite for silver this year, only Kesely could be dangerous for her.

Ok, i thought from the beginning that you weren't interested in a discussion, i am just asking myself why you still felt the need to respond ... By the way reading comprehension seems to be a huge problem for you, since i never reasoned the way you are claiming it.

I think both Gina Lückenkemper and Tatjana Pinto achieved the standard in women's 100 m (London Diamond League) yesterday, Pinto already had the standard in women's 200 m. Now Germany should have a maximum of 3 athletes "qualified" in women's 100 m with the potential for 3 more girls (Mihambo, Mayer, Kwayie) getting there.

I think USA can still win it, but it will be close. USA still has gold medal chances in men's 50/100 fly, men's 500/100 free, men's 50/100/200 back, men's 200/400 IM, men's medley relay, men's 800 free relay, both mixed relays, women's 50/100/200/800/1500 free, women's 50/100/200 breast, women's 50/100/200 back, women's 200 fly, women's medley relay and women's 800 free relay. China still has gold medal chances in men's 200 free, men's 50/100/200 back, men's 200 IM and maybe women's 200 breast + women's 800 free relay. I would say USA ends up at 16 golds at best and then we will have to wait what China will do. Right now i would give China the edge, because i think that they could very well win 3 more golds on the men's side, but if it comes to a tie in gold medals, then the US will probably win.

Don't know what you mean, but maybe this helps? http://www.omegatiming.com/2019/18th-fina-world-championships-sw-live-results

Agreed, i thought you meant that she would win gold ... Normally sub 4:00 should be enough for a medal, but you never know what Smith and the chinese girls (who are even younger than Kesely) will do next year.

Sure ... if i remember correctly Oleksiak hasn't improved since 2016 (when she was 16 years old), i don't see why that should change. In most other sports you would be almost certain that a 16 year old can only get better, but not in swimming. Ye Shiwen and Missy Franklin both peaked in 2012 at the age of 16/17.

At least you guys are not alone, i don't see any european nation winning a relay medal on the women's side here. Of course it doesn't help that Steenbergen (so far) didn't develop into the star most people expected her to be.

Ruck seems to be in a good shape, i think she could finish 4th in women's 100 free behind Campbell, Sjöstrom and Manuel.