Commonwealth Games Will Open With Ariarne Titmus Chasing World Record in 200 Freestyle (Links)

Commonwealth Games Will Open With Ariarne Titmus Chasing World Record in 200 Freestyle

The first day of competition at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is scheduled for Friday, with nine events on the slate. The 50-meter and 100-meter events will be conducted in a prelims-semifinals-finals format, while events 200 meters and longer will be held in a prelims-finals setup. Action in England will run through August 3.

Ariarne Titmus will be the focal point of the opening day, as she will pace Australia in the 200 freestyle. Titmus is the reigning Olympic champion in the event and holds the No. 2 time in history. Having already broken the world record this year in the 400 freestyle, Titmus is in position to make a run at Federica Pellegrini’s global standard in the 200 free. That mark, a 1:52.98 effort, has been on the books since the 2009 World Championships in Rome, and is one of only two women’s records remaining from the super-suit era.

In other action, world-record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook of Australia will take on the 200 breaststroke, an event in which he won Olympic gold last summer and earned the world title last month in Budapest. Meanwhile, Canadian youngster Summer McIntosh is the favorite in the 400 individual medley, an event in which she won gold at the World Championships.

In the women’s 100 butterfly, reigning Olympic champ Maggie Mac Neil of Canada will duel with Aussie Emma McKeon, who won seven medals at last summer’s Olympic Games.

Meet Results

Here is a look at the Day One schedule:

Men’s 400 Freestyle
Women’s 400 Individual Medley
Women’s 200 Freestyle
Men’s 50 Butterfly
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
Mixed 400 Freestyle Relay

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