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Column by John Lohn, Swimming World senior writer
SHANGHAI, China, July 27. 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 men's 200 butterfly, 50 backstroke and 800 freestyle and in the women's 200 freestyle.
Men's 200 Butterfly
Original Medal Picks
Gold: Michael Phelps
Silver: Takeshi Matsuda
Bronze: Laszlo Cseh
Updated Medal Picks
Gold: Michael Phelps
Silver: Takeshi Matsuda
Bronze: Chen Yin
**This is where Phelps will collect his first gold medal of the competition, although it won't be easy. Matsuda has been swimming extremely well.
Women's 200 Freestyle
Original Medal Picks
Gold: Federica Pellegrini
Silver: Allison Schmitt
Bronze: Kylie Palmer
Updated Medal Picks
Gold: Federica Pellegrini
Silver: Femke Heemskerk
Bronze: Kylie Palmer
**Heemskerk looked great in the semifinals, but Pellegrini is the go-to woman in the middle-distance events and will add to her triumph in the 400 free. The race for bronze is a wide-open affair.
Men's 800 Freestyle
Original Medal Picks
Gold: Sun Yang
Silver: Ous Mellouli
Bronze: Ryan Cochrane
Updated Medal Picks
Gold: Sun Yang
Silver: Ryan Cochrane
Bronze: Pal Joensen
**I won't be surprised if Mellouli gets onto the podium, but Sun Yang is the overwhelming favorite. Joensen is a nifty story, as he hails from the Faroe Islands, not exactly a swimming powerhouse.
Men's 50 Breaststroke
Original Medal Picks
Gold: Cameron van der Burgh
Silver: Felipe Silva
Bronze: Hendrik Feldwehr
Updated Medal Picks
Gold: Cameron van der Burgh
Silver: Alexander Dale Oen
Bronze: Felipe Silva
**Gut feeling has Dale Oen nipping Silva for the silver medal. Expect all three to break the 27-second barrier, something never achieved before the high-tech suit era.
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