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Prelims Day 4 Recap

Women's 50 Back

Canadian Kylie Masse nearly won the 100 Back yesterday in 58.4. She's the top seed going into Finals with a speedy 27.2.

Double backstroke Olympic Champion, Kaylee McKeown, is sitting in 8th quite aways away, just breaking 28.

Ingrid Wilm was the ISL breakout short course star. She gives Canada a good chance to nab 25% of the finals heat.

Predictions?This is seemingly going to be Canada vs. America. Little Sis vs. Big Sis.

Getting in her first swim this morning was Katharine Berkoff. She has excelled at getting faster and faster as she goes from Heats to Semis to Finals. She's scrappy. I like her in this race a lot.

Men's 100 Free

We've had some amazing swims thus far on the Men's side. Leon Marchand's 4 IM. David Popovici's 200 Free. Thomas Ceccon's 100 Back.

But this one could top them all. The Holy Grail of swimming events: the 100 Freestyle.

The World's Fastest Man Caeleb Dressel vs. 17 year old Romanian phenom David 'Chlorine Daddy' Popovici who just ripped a 1:43.2 200 Freestyle the fastest time in a decade.

They will be in different SF heats tonight, as they are the top seeds from this morning, the only two under 48. Chlorine Daddy with a 47.6, his fastest time since putting down that 47.3 prior to the Olympics.

Predictions?Many people believe the World Record is going down. It could be right here, in Semi Finals right after Caeleb swims.

Want to send a message? Break the World Record in Semis.

Can Chlorine Daddy comes back in sub 24 like Kyle Chalmers dreams about?

I think he can.

Men's 200 IM

Hugo Gonzalez, Shun Wang (Olympic Champ), and Tom Dean all sneak in just under 2 minutes.

It's crowded near the top. Top 6 within half a second. Leon Marchand tied for 8th.

Predictions?Carson Foster made his first American Worlds team, crushed his best time in the 400 IM to win Silver, and is now the top seed after Prelims of the 2 IM.

Kinda crazy he barely swims fly in practice - it's a world leading stroke in the IM.

Women's 200 Fly

Hali Flickinger eats 2:07 200 Flys for breakfast and she likes it. She will probably need to drop a second off her PB to beat Summer McIntosh in Finals. Her PB is from Tokyo.

Olympic Champ Yufei Zhang is not swimming too hot. She struggled to come home.

Predictions?Regan Smith has been busy so far. Don't count her out.

4x100 Mixed Medley Relay

Team USA could go with this...

Regan Smith 58.5Nic Fink 58.2Torri Huske 55.5Caeleb Dressel 46.8

But Regan would just be exiting the 200 Fly. How about this...

Hunter Armstrong 52.0Nic Fink 58.2Torri Huske 55.5Claire Curzan 52.7

No Caeleb Dressel? That would be silly. Maybe this?

Claire Curzan 58.7Nic Fink 58.2Caeleb Dressel 49.5Torri Huske 52.7

Predictions?Bunch of different choices here for Team USA. Any of them should win. Claire Curzan and Torri Huske provide a lot of versatility. Depends on how spent Regan is after the 2 Fly.

If we go with a woman swimming breaststroke like we mistakenly did at the Olympics, Italy will gain an ~8 second advantage just on that leg. Let's not relive that again.

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