How Will the Men’s 400 IM Look This Summer? Something Much Faster Than Tokyo Is Shaping Up

SCOTT Duncan LON London Roar (LON) ISL International Swimming League 2021 Match 8 day 1 Piscina Felice Scandone Napoli, Naples Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

How Will the Men’s 400 IM Look This Summer? Something Much Faster Than Tokyo Is Shaping Up

As we await the start of next week’s USA Swimming International Team Trials and look ahead to June’s World Championships, expect an uptick in speed in the men’s 400-meter individual medley. Why? Already this season, despite a small sample size, there have been several impressive performances in an event known as the decathlon of the sport.

At last summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, American Chase Kalisz captured the gold medal in the competition’s opening event. Given the 28-year-old’s credentials, namely as the 2016 Olympic silver medalist and the 2017 world champion, his place atop the podium seemed appropriate. Yet, the time required to claim gold, a 4:09.42, was surprisingly average.

In the big picture of his quest, Kalisz’s time was inconsequential, since his placement was all that mattered. Nonetheless, the time was the slowest needed to win a global crown in the event since 2005, when Hungarian Laszlo Cseh won the world title in Montreal. That summer, it is worth noting, reigning Olympic champ Michael Phelps opted to bypass the event, a decision that opened the door for Cseh.

Below is a look at the winning times in the 400 individual medley since the 2000 Olympic Games and 2003 World Championships. It’s obvious that Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte took the event to a special realm during their primes, with Chase Kalisz and Kosuke Hagino also enjoying visits to unique territory.

Olympic Games
2000: Tom Dolan (United States) – 4:11.76
2004: Michael Phelps (United States) – 4:08.26
2008: Michael Phelps (United States) – 4:03.84
2012: Ryan Lochte (United States) – 4:05.18
2016: Kosuke Hagino (Japan) – 4:06.05
2020: Chase Kalisz (United States) – 4:09.42

World Championships
2003: Michael Phelps (United States) – 4:09.09
2005: Laszlo Cseh (Hungary) – 4:09.63
2007: Michael Phelps (United States) – 4:06.22
2009: Ryan Lochte (United States) – 4:07.01
2011: Ryan Lochte (United States) – 4:07.13
2013: Daiya Seto (Japan) – 4:08.69
2015: Daiya Seto (Japan) – 4:08.50
2017: Chase Kalisz (United States) – 4:05.90
2019: Daiya Seto (Japan) – 4:08.95

The way the 400 medley has looked during the early stages of 2022, a much faster time seems to be on the horizon at the World Champs in Budapest. Recently, Great Britain’s Duncan Scott fired off a world-leading and Commonwealth record of 4:09.18. The effort was the latest in a long line of stellar performances from Scott, the silver medalist at the Olympics in the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley. Now, he is considered a world-title contender in the longer medley.

In the pursuit of fast times, it should help that the men’s version of the event has been moved to the first day of competition, as opposed to its longtime place on the final day of action. The women’s event, however, will remain as part of the closing session.

In Japan, Tomoru Honda (4:10.75) and Daiya Seto (4:10.87) have already been sub-4:11, and Seto likely has redemption on the mind after a rough showing at a home Olympics. In Tokyo, where he was the pre-meet favorite, Seto failed to advance to the final of the 400 IM. A three-time world champion (2013, 2015, 2019), Seto certainly has the skill to again emerge on top.

Meanwhile, France’s Leon Marchand has looked spectacular in 2022, regardless if he is racing in a short-course venue or in the long-course pool. After being named Swimmer of the Meet at last month’s NCAA Championships, the Arizona State freshman excelled at the TYR Pro Series stop in San Antonio. Included in his efforts was a 4:10.38 mark in the 400 IM. Marchand was sixth in the event in Tokyo.

While a quartet of 4:10s (or faster) are already on the books in 2022, expect that number to grow in the coming weeks. At the United States International Team Trials, Carson Foster will look to replicate – or better – the 4:08.46 he delivered at last year’s Austin Sectionals. That time stood up as the top time in the world for 2021 and reflected Foster’s wide-ranging skill.

Although Kalisz looked good in San Antonio in the 200 medley and 200 butterfly, he has given no indication the 400 IM is part of his 2022 plans. And Jay Litherland is a major taper swimmer, so the veteran and reigning Olympic silver medalist will be banking on rest being an ally at the American Trials in Greensboro.

Australian Brendon Smith was the bronze medalist in the event in Tokyo and will seek World Champs qualification next month in Adelaide, and New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt has been a lingering presence for several years. Then there’s Spaniard Hugo Gonzalez, who shredded the NCAA record in the short-course 400 IM last month but remains a wildcard on the long-course scene.

What will it take to secure gold in Budapest? At the moment, the days of 4:05 and 4:06 seem like a stretch. But there is talent in the event, headlined by the surging Scott and Marchand, and something swifter than last summer should be expected.

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