Olympics: Michael Andrew First, Mitch Larkin Ninth in 200 IM Prelims

Jul 28, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Michael Andrew (USA) in the men's 200m individual medley heats during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports

Olympics: Michael Andrew First, Mitch Larkin Ninth in 200 IM Prelims

The X factor in the 200 individual medley wasn’t going to be the absence of Michael Phelps. It wasn’t going to be the changes age has brought to Kosuke Hagino or Daiya Seto. It wasn’t going to be the emergence of Michael Andrew or the development of Wang Shug.

It was going to be the biggest decision made in the field: How can Mitch Larkin tip the balance in the race by opting to swim it instead of the 200 back, in which he won a silver in Rio?

The answer through prelims is, not much just yet.

Larkin was through comfortably in the ninth-fastest time, bumped down by a fast final heat that produced the top three times and five of the six fastest.

The Aussie Larkin won the first circle-seeded heat, the fourth out of six, in 1:57.50, .01 ahead of the ageless Laszlo Cseh. It was undercut by the final heat, which was won by an attack-minded Michael Andrew in 1:56.40. He was followed by Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches and Lewis Clareburt of New Zealand bringing some outside smoke. Also from the heat was the fourth seed Hagino and Duncan Scott in fifth. In between was Chase Kalisz, the 400 IM champ, who pulled away during the backstroke leg to win Heat 5 in 1:57.38.

Scott recovered well given the mental and physical exertion of the morning session, where he helped Great Britain win its first relay medal in 113 years in the 800 free.

“I’m a bit tired now,” Scott said. “It was always going to be a tough turnaround, more of an emotional thing, but also I’ve had a lot of 200m races on the trot now, so I didn’t want to be complacent and be on the wrong side of the cut.”

Shun, the bronze medalist in Rio, was back in seventh place. Seto continues to struggle, narrowly grabbing the final spot in semifinals in 16th.

Men’s 200 Individual Medley

World record: Ryan Lochte, United States, 1:54.00 (2011)
Olympic record: Michael Phelps, United States, 1:54.23 (2008)

Michael Andrew, United States, 1:56.40
Jeremy Desplanches, Switzerland, 1:56.89
Lewis Clareburt, New Zeland, 1:57.27
Chase Kalisz, United States, 1:57.38
Kosuke Hagino, Japan, 1:57.39
Duncan Scott, Great Britain, 1:57.39
Wang Shun, China, 1:57.42
Alberto Razzetti, Italy, 1:57.46
Mitch Larkin, Australia, 1:57.50
Laszlo Cseh, Hungary, 1:57.51
Hugo Gonzalez, Spain, 1:57.61
Tomoe Hvas, Norway, 1:57.64
Philip Heintz, Germany, 1:57.72
Andrey Zhilkin, Russia, 1:57.94
Matthew Sates, South Africa, 1:58.08
Daiya Seto, Japan, 1:58.15

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