World Championships: Bronze Medalists Berkoff, Armstrong to Lead Off For USA in Medley Relay Heats (Full Lineups)

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Katharine Berkoff (left) with Regan Smith -- Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

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World Championships: 10 100-Meter Medalists in Medley Relay Heats (Full Lineups)

The United States will have a pair of individual bronze medalists swimming the leadoff legs of their 400 medley relays during the final morning of prelims at the World Championships in Fukuoka. Katharine Berkoff, the third-place finisher in the women’s 100 backstroke behind Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and American teammate Regan Smith, will participate in the heats, and so will Hunter Armstrong after he finished behind fellow American Ryan Murphy and Italy’s Thomas Ceccon in the 100 back.

Several other individual 200-meter medalists will also compete in their respective countries’ preliminary squads, including Americans Lydia Jacoby and Torri Huske, the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen, Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil, Italy’s Thomas Ceccon and Nicolo Martinenghi, Canada’s Josh Liendo and France’s Maxime Grousset.

Click here to view the full lineups for the women’s relay.

On the women’s side, Berkoff will be joined by Jacoby, Huske and Abbey Weitzeil. With Jacoby swimming in prelims, it is likely that Lilly King will enter for finals alongside Smith, Huske and Kate Douglass. Australia, looking to complete a sweep of the women’s relays, will have Madison Wilson, Abbey Harkin, Brianna Throssell and Meg Harris in prelims, with Harkin likely to remain in the finals quartet alongside McKeown, Emma McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan.

Also in prelims, Sarah Sjostrom will anchor Sweden’s relay after sisters Sophie Hansson and Louise Hansson while 200 breast bronze medalist Tes Schouten and 100 free bronze medalist Steenbergen swim for the Netherlands. China will swim Yang Yichun on butterfly in prelims, with world champion Zhang Yufei sure to come in at night. Canada, meanwhile, won’t take any chances as Mac Neil will handle fly in the morning.

Click here to view the full lineups for the men’s relay.

The U.S. men will see Armstrong joined by Josh Matheny, Thomas Heilman and Matt King, setting up a squad of Murphy, Nic Fink, Dare Rose and Jack Alexy at night. The Americans will race alongside Australia, with Bradley Woodward, Sam Williamson, Matt Temple and Kai Taylor in the morning, with Zac Stubblety-Cook (breaststroke) and Kyle Chalmers (freestyle) likely to enter at night.

Meanwhile, co-favorite China will swim two lanes over from the U.S. men in prelims with Xu Jiayu, Yan Zibei, Sun Jiajun and Wang Haoyu in prelims, with Xu likely to return for the final alongside Qin Haiyang, Wang Changhao and Pan Zhanle.

Italy, last year’s world champion in this relay, goes with Ceccon, Martinenghi, Piero Codia and Manuel Frigo in the morning. Federico Burdisso (fly) and Alessandro Miressi (free) could enter in the final. Oliver Morgan, James Wilby, James Guy and Tom Dean swim in prelims for Great Britain, with Matt Richards in position to take Dean’s spot at night. For France, Mewen Tomac, Leon Marchand, Grousset and Hadrien Salvan will swim.

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