2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
By means of the Numbers – Ladies’s 50 Backstroke
- International Report: LIU Xiang, China – 26.98 (2018)
- International Junior Report: Minna Atherton, Australia – 27.49 (2016)
- Championship Report: ZHAO Jing, China – 27.06 (2009)
- 2022 International Champion: Kylie Masse, Canada – 27.31
In an tournament that already has the 3 quickest occasions this season underneath ultimate yr’s profitable time, it’s a bit unexpected that the International and Championship information have lasted this lengthy. But if it will get to the finals of the Girl’s 50 again, all of it comes right down to getting a hand at the wall to win.
Taking a look to head one-two and sitting on the best of the arena ratings is the American duo of Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith.
The American Hope
Regan Smith (picture: Jack Spitser)
The pair represented the USA on this tournament ultimate yr in Budapest. Berkoff, swimming in her first primary global lengthy direction meet, held her personal qualifying 2d out of prelims (27.49), fifth out of the semis (27.40), and in the end completed with the silver medal (27.39).
Her profitable time at this yr’s group trials, 27.13, is solely .01 slower than the time she swam to win ultimate yr’s trials, appearing she will have to be on the right track to contend for the medals once more. The one problem to that is that the time she swam at trials ultimate yr would have received the development on the 2022 Worlds.
Berkoff has additionally added occasions to her agenda because of putting 2d within the 100 again, so she most likely should handle the finals of the 100 again, which happen the night time ahead of the heats of fifty again, and the prelims of the medley relay which swim at the ultimate day.
Whilst Berkoff would possibly not have any conflicting agenda, her compatriot Smith definitely does. Smith who positioned 2d within the 50 via simply .01 (27.14) used to be awarded the 2d 50 spot because of her profitable the 100 again. Then again, her warfare within the 50 again lies with the 200 fly, which is scheduled to have its last at the identical day as the overall of the 50 again.
Closing yr, like Berkoff, Smith entered the meet with a time that in the end ended up being sooner than the gold medal-winning time. In truth, Smith’s semi-final time of 27.29, would even have crowned the sector within the last, however she in the end fell to fifth position within the last, touching in 27.47. She additionally completed off the rostrum within the 200 fly (4th 2:06.79).
Sitting in 3rd and 5th on the planet rating and most likely the stiffest pageant to Berkoff and Smith going one-two within the 50 again are the Aussies.
The Aussies Strike Again
Kaylee McKeown courtesy International Aquatics
Hailing from a land Down Below, backstroke ace Kaylee McKeown might be having a look so as to add the ultimate last long-course backstroke international document to her resume. Her time from March of 27.31 would have equaled the gold-winning time in ultimate yr’s last. In mentioned last, Mckeown in the end positioned fifth, tying with Smith.
McKeown didn’t swim the 50 again on the Aussie Trials, as this is a non-selection tournament, however she did submit a world-leading 57.50 within the 100 again. Whilst this time definitely displays off her pace, McKeown did choose to scratch the 100 again ultimate yr in choose of the 200 IM, so her center of attention is also on longer occasions than the 50.
Then again, one cannot deny the sprinting prowess of McKeown’s teammate Mollie O’Callaghan. In Budapest ultimate summer season, she walked away with six medals, 3 of which have been gold, however all in freestyle. Then again, on the Commonwealth Video games, she swam to silver within the 50 again, and afterward within the yr at Brief Direction Worlds she added a bronze within the 50 again and a silver within the 100 again, appearing some true backstroke credentials.
Her 27.38 from March lately ranks fifth on the planet this season and she or he swam a 58.42 on the Australian Swimming Trials to put 2d, so if she needs to swim the 50 again, the spot could be hers. That being mentioned, studies a couple of knee damage would possibly impede her talent to contest the sort of heavy agenda.
The French Connection
Closing yr’s bronze medalist, Analia Pigree additionally appears to be like to be within the combine this yr. She lately sits in ninth on the planet ratings with a time of 27.61 that she swam to win the French Championships in mid-June. A time this is simply .21 off her bronze medal-winning time. Pigree, like Smith posted a time of 27.29 (French Nationwide Report) within the semi-finals that in the end would have received the gold within the finals.
Becoming a member of Pigree within the 50 again this yr is fellow Frenchwoman, Mary-Ambre Moluh. Moluh, simply 17, swam 27.69 which used to be excellent for 2d on the French Championships and used to be decided on for the group as her time used to be underneath the French Federation mandated time of 27.72. Her time lately ranks her thirteenth on the planet, there are 5 American citizens forward of her, regardless that, and with most effective two in line with nation ready to compete, Moluh may to find herself a few of the best 8.
The Go back of the Canadians
Kylie Masse (picture: Jack Spitser)
If you happen to mix potatoes, gravy, and cheese you get poutine. If you happen to mix the French and English audio system you get Canada and no ladies’s backstroke preview could be entire with out bringing up the Canadian contingent.
Closing yr’s gold medalist Kylie Masse will glance to throw her hat into the hoop as neatly. In 2022, Masse appeared to have an infatuation with the time 27.31. It received her gold in Budapest in addition to gold on the Commonwealth Video games. Like Smith and Pigree, Masse’s prelim time of 27.26 and semi’s time of 27.22 had been in the end sooner than her profitable time, supporting the concept that within the 50 again it’s extra about touching first within the last.
Masse lately sits 5th on the planet rating (tied with O’Callaghan) at 27.38, a time she swam on the Knoxville PSS again in January. Whilst now not an expansion tournament, she did swim the 50 again on the Canadian Trials, touching 1st in 27.41.
At the back of her at the ones trials, however forward of her on the planet ratings is her teammate, Ingrid Wilm. Wilm lately sits one spot forward of Masse within the ratings with a time of 27.37 from the Monaco prevent of the Mare Nostrum Swim Excursion. At their Trials, she completed .18 at the back of Masse within the 50 however set a brand new non-public supreme of 58.80 to overcome Masse within the 100. Wilm completed simply off the rostrum ultimate yr touching 4th in 27.43.
The Box Awakens
After putting two swimmers within the best 3 in 2013 and 2015, and one in 2017, the Chinese language ladies were quite quiet nowadays. Regardless of conserving each the International and Championship information, Chinese language dash backstrokers did not make the overall on the ultimate two iterations. However that is prone to exchange, as each Wan Letian and Wang Xueer rank throughout the international’s best 10. Wan sits in seventh and Wang in tenth with occasions of 27.51 and 27.62 respectively.
Group GB additionally has two possible contenders within the type of Lauren Cox and Medi Harris. Harris, who positioned seventh ultimate summer season enters the meet with a season-best of 27.86, simply at the back of Cox’s 27.81.
Score forward of the Brits on the planet ratings is Eire’s Danielle Hill who set a non-public supreme this previous April of 27.69, which ties with Moluh within the ratings at thirteenth.
Sitting simply in twenty fifth on the planet ratings with a time of 28.02 however at all times bad is ultimate yr’s Eighth-place finisher Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands. Toussaint, in spite of being off her supreme, has a non-public supreme of 27.10 relationship again to 2021.
The Verdict
In the end, as ultimate yr’s occasions display, it comes right down to who can submit a time speedy sufficient to make the overall after which simply slug it out within the last. Smith’s double with the 200 fly would possibly simply be an excessive amount of and if O’Callaghan swims the 50 again it could double up with the finals of the 200 loose. So whilst either one of them definitely have probabilities to podium within the 50 again, their points of interest are in all probability set on profitable gold in the ones Olympic Occasions. Between Masse, McKeown, and Berkoff it is rather shut and any 3 may finish up on the best, however Berkoff has the quickest time this season and received’t have the nerves related to competing in your first senior global lengthy direction group, as she did ultimate summer season.
SwimSwam’s Choices
Darkish Horse: Maaike De Waard, Netherlands – Incessantly at the back of compatriot Toussaint within the ratings, De Waard has a season-best of 27.94 from the prelims of the Eindhoven meet in April Whilst that point is slower than the Brits discussed above, De Waard’s non-public supreme is 27.54 which used to be excellent for bronze on the 2022 Ecu Championships, at the back of the aforementioned Pigree and Italy’s Silvia Scalia who used to be now not named to the Italian group. Harris and Scalia tied for Eighth position within the semi-finals with a 27.72, so if De Waard is close to her supreme she may sneak via.
