FINA World Championship Podium Predictions: Men’s Edition

Column by John Lohn, Swimming World senior writer

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico, July 11. WELCOME back to our loyal readers. After unveiling my early women's picks for the World Championships a week ago, I've been itching to reveal my preliminary selections for the men's competition. As the competition begins and psych sheets become finalized, it's my intent to release my final choices. Thanks to you all for your thoughts and comments, and we look forward to more give-and-take this week. So, without further ado, here is where I'm leaning for the guys.

50 Freestyle
Gold: Cesar Cielo
Silver: Fred Bousquet
Bronze: Nathan Adrian
**This is an event that could surely change depending on the outcome of Cesar Cielo's hearing with CAS in light of a failed drug test.

100 Freestyle
Gold: Nathan Adrian
Silver: Cesar Cielo
Bronze: Brent Hayden
**American's premier sprinter follows up his win at last summer's Pan Pacific Champs by ruling the globe.

200 Freestyle
Gold: Michael Phelps
Silver: Tae Hwan Park
Bronze: Ryan Lochte
**Honestly, this thing could go so many different ways. It should be the best event of the competition.

400 Freestyle
Gold: Tae Hwan Park
Silver: Sun Yang
Bronze: Ous Mellouli
**The Olympic champion could be the first man under 3:40.

800 Freestyle
Gold: Sun Yang
Silver: Ous Mellouli
Bronze: Ryan Cochrane
**A near-miss in the 400 free is eased with a victory over twice the distance.

1500 Freestyle
Gold: Sun Yang
Silver: Ous Mellouli
Bronze: Ryan Cochrane
**Can the most vaunted record on the books, Grant Hackett's historic performance, survive the onslaught of Sun? Time will tell if Sun is can do it, or is too worn down by his previous races.

50 Backstroke
Gold: Camille Lacourt
Silver: Liam Tancock
Bronze: Junya Koga
**Even a pure sprinter like Tancock can't stay with the Frenchman.

100 Backstroke
Gold: Camille Lacourt
Silver: Ryosuke Irie
Bronze: Nick Thoman
**This is where Nick Thoman breaks through in long-course action on a big platform.

200 Backstroke
Gold: Ryan Lochte
Silver: Ryosuke Irie
Bronze: Tyler Clary
**Wouldn't be surprised if any of these three took the gold medal.

50 Breaststroke
Gold: Cameron van der Burgh
Silver: Felipe Silva
Bronze: Hendrik Feldwehr
**I don't think any of these guys will factor in the 100 breast.

100 Breaststroke
Gold: Kosuke Kitajima
Silver: Alexander Dale Oen
Bronze: Brenton Rickard
**We all know Kitajima saves his best for Olympic years, but doubting him here would be unwise.

200 Breaststroke
Gold: Naoya Tomita
Silver: Kosuke Kitajima
Bronze: Daniel Gyurta
**Tomita takes down guys with highly impressive international portfolios.

50 Butterfly
Gold: Cesar Cielo
Silver: Matt Targett
Bronze: Milorad Cavic
**Cielo's status again throws in event in prediction disarray.

100 Butterfly
Gold: Michael Phelps
Silver: Milorad Cavic
Bronze: Laszlo Cseh
**The performance by Phelps at the Canada Cup in Montreal showed he's ready to roll in this event.

200 butterfly
Gold: Michael Phelps
Silver: Takeshi Matsuda
Bronze: Laszlo Cseh
**Yes, Phelps has dropped some 200 fly races of late. Won't happen on the world stage.

200 Individual Medley
Gold: Ryan Lochte
Silver: Michael Phelps
Bronze: Laszlo Cseh
**The Americans have finished gold-silver on a number of occasions in major competitions.

400 Individual Medley
Gold: Ryan Lochte
Silver: Laszlo Cseh
Bronze: Tyler Clary
**Lochte secures his third individual gold medal of the meet.

400 Freestyle Relay
Gold: United States
Silver: France
Bronze: Russia
**Another showdown between the United States and France goes the way of the Stars and Stripes.

800 Freestyle Relay
Gold: United States
Silver: Russia
Bronze: China
**The gap between the United States and its foes has lessened, but not enough.

400 Medley Relay
Gold: France
Silver: United States
Bronze: Germany
**A hunch has France holding on after building a sizable early lead.

Follow John Lohn on Twitter: @JohnLohn

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