FINA World Championships, Swimming: Updated Medal Predictions for Day Two Finals

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Column by John Lohn, Swimming World senior writer

SHANGHAI, China, July 25. BASED on the results of preliminaries and semifinals, here are the updated picks for the four finals that will be contested tonight at the Oriental Sports Center. Medals will be up for grabs in the women's 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley and in the men's 50 butterfly and 100 breaststroke.

Women's 100 Butterfly

Original Medal Picks

Gold: Sara Sjostrom
Silver: Dana Vollmer
Bronze: Liu Zige

Updated Medal Picks

Gold: Dana Vollmer
Silver: Sara Sjostrom
Bronze: Lu Ying
**With a textile-best performance of 56.47 in the semifinals, Vollmer made herself a heavy favorite to capture the gold medal. Sjostrom should get faster, but she has a ways to go to catch the American.

Women's 200 Individual Medley

Original Medal Picks

Gold: Ariana Kukors
Silver: Stephanie Rice
Bronze: Ye Shiwen

Updated Medal Picks

Gold: Ariana Kukors
Silver: Stephanie Rice
Bronze: Ye Shiwen
**Sticking with the original selections in this event, though the battle between Kukors and Rice could go either way. The Chinese teenager will have the crowd firmly behind her.

Men's 50 Butterfly

Original Medal Picks

Gold: Cesar Cielo
Silver: Matt Targett
Bronze: Milorad Cavic

Updated Medal Picks

Gold: Cesar Cielo
Silver: Geoff Huegill
Bronze: Jason Dunford
**The pure sprinting speed of Cielo will be difficult to overcome. Subbing in the other Aussie for the silver medal, as Huegill has looked much sharper than Targett. Cavic didn't even make the final and Dunford enters the final as the No. 4 seed.

Men's 100 Breaststroke

Original Medal Picks

Gold: Kosuke Kitajima
Silver: Alexander Dale Oen
Bronze: Brenton Rickard

Updated Medal Picks

Gold: Kosuke Kitajima
Silver: Alexander Dale Oen
Bronze: Brenton Rickard
**Not going to go against the best breaststroker in history, even if Dale Oen has looked great in the opening two rounds. We'll stay with Rickard, entering the final as the fourth seed, for the bronze.

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