Olympics: Heat Sheets Posted for Day One Finals and First Four Gold-Medal Races

Jul 24, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Emma Weyant (USA) during the women's 400m individual medley heats during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Network

Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro -- USA Today Sportsn

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Olympics: Heat Sheets Posted for Day One Finals and First Five Gold Medal Races

The heat sheets have been posted for the first morning of finals action at the 2021 Olympics. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tokyo time Sunday morning (9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT in the USA), the first swimming gold medals of the Tokyo Games will be handed out in the men’s 400 individual medley, men’s 400 freestyle, women’s 400 individual medley and women’s 400 freestyle relay. Semifinal action in the women’s 100 butterfly and men’s 100 breaststroke will also be on tap.

The first evening of prelims action saw Australia’s Brendon Smith claim the top seed for the men’s 400 IM finals ahead of 2016 Olympic silver medalist Chase Kalisz, while world champion and gold-medal favorite Daiya Seto stunningly missed the final. In the men’s 400 free, Germany’s Henning Bennet Muhlleitner claimed the top seed for finals in an absolute stunner ahead of Austria’s Felix Aubock and Italy’s Gabriele Detti, with Australian pre-race favorites Elijah Winnington and Jack McLoughlin lurking.

American Emma Weyant was the top seed in the women’s 400 IM by more than a second, and while defending Olympic gold medalist Katinka Hosszu did not look good in prelims, Japan’s Yui Ohashi swam a great race and will be ready to challenge Weyant for Olympic gold. The other final on the agenda is the women’s 400 free relay, and Australia cruised to the top seed without using the two fastest 100 freestylers in the world, Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell, so the Aussies could crush their world record on the way to a third straight gold medal in the final.

Meanwhile, McKeon was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 100 butterfly, while Adam Peaty led the way in the men’s 100 breaststroke with Arno Kamminga not that far away as the Dutch swimmer became the second man after Peaty to crack 58 in the event earlier this year.

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