World Championships Preview — Men’s Mid-Distance Freestyle: Popovici, Winnington Looking to Repeat (Predictions)

David Popovici -- Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia

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World Championships Preview — Men’s Mid-Distance Freestyle: Popovici, Winnington Looking to Repeat

The long-awaited Fukuoka World Championships have arrived. Originally, this meet was set for the summer of 2021 until the Tokyo Olympics were delayed one year because of COVID-19. This World Championships was then rescheduled for May 2022 before being further pushed back to July 2023, with an “extraordinary” edition of Worlds taking place in Budapest last June. This will mark the first time in two years that a major competition will feature almost all of the best swimmers in the world, with plenty of athletes skipping last year’s meet while dealing with injuries or focusing on other international events.

Over the next two weeks, we will preview what is to come in the competition pool, with titles and history on the line, and it starts here with a look at men’s middle-distance freestyle.

The 200 and 400 freestyle share numerous contenders, with four men qualifying for the final in both races at last year’s World Championships, but no man has earned medals in both races at one major meet since China’s Sun Yang was banished from international competition. And once again, the favorites in each race are specialists. The four-lap race is led by the teenager who is the only man to ever break 1:43 in a textile suit while Elijah Winnington and Lukas Martens are set from a rematch of their 2022 barnburner.

Men’s 200 Freestyle
WR	1:42.00	Paul Biedermann	GER	Rome (ITA)	July 28, 2009
CR	1:42.00	Paul Biedermann	GER	Rome (ITA)	July 28, 2009
WJR	1:42.97	David Popovici	ROU	Rome (ITA)	Aug. 15, 2022

Men’s 400 Freestyle
WR	3:40.07	Paul Biedermann	GER	Rome (ITA)	July 26, 2009
CR	3:40.07	Paul Biedermann	GER	Rome (ITA)	July 26, 2009
WJR	3:44.60	Mack Horton	AUS	Brisbane (AUS)	April 1, 2014

Contenders:

Felix Aubock (AUT): Aubock was fourth in the 400 free at the 2021 Olympics and 2022 World Championships in the 400 free plus fifth in the 200 free last year. He was the 400-meter short course world champion in 2021 but never a medal-winner at a major long course meet. Contending in: 200 free & 400 free

Guilherme Costa (BRA): Won his first medal at a major meet when he took bronze in the 400 free at last year’s World Championships. Contending in: 400 free

Tom Dean (GBR): The Olympic gold medalist in the 200 free and seventh-fastest man in history (1:44.26). Also took bronze at last year’s World Championships. Contending in: 200 free

Marco De Tullio (ITA): Placed fifth in the 400 free at last year’s World Championships. Contending in: 400 free

Ahmed Hafnaoui (TUN): Mostly absent from international racing over the past year-and-a-half, Hafnaoui was the surprise Olympic champion in the 400 free in Tokyo. Ranks 17th all-time (3:43.36). Contending in: 400 free

Luke Hobson (USA): Winner of the 200 free at U.S. Nationals and NCAA champion in the 200 and 500-yard free. Contending in: 200 free

Hwang Sunwoo (KOR): The silver medalist in the 200 free at last year’s Worlds and 12th-fastest man ever (1:44.47). Contending in: 200 free

Kim Woomin (KOR): Placed sixth in the 400 free at Worlds and broke 1:46 in the 200 free for the first time at this year’s Korean Nationals. Contending in: 200 free & 400 free

Lukas Martens (GER): The silver medalist in the 400 free at last year’s World Championships, Martens had the lead at the final turn before a ridiculous final split by Elijah Winnington. Ranks ninth all-time in the 400 free (3:41.60) and also was a finalist in the 200 free in Budapest. Contending in: 200 free & 400 free

Katsuhiro Matsumoto (JPN): The 13th-fastest man ever in the 200 free (1:44.65), the 26-year-old Matsumoto has already broken 1:45 this year. Contending in: 200 free

Pan Zhanle (CHN): This Chinese teenager has been one of the breakout stories of the year, tying for the 13th-fastest performer ever in the 200 free (1:44.65). Will also contend in the 100 free. Contending in: 200 free

David Popovici (ROU): Popovici is the overwhelming favorite for gold in the 200 free. Last year, he won the world title by more than a second before joining Paul Biedermann and Michael Phelps as the only men ever under 1:43 at the European Championships. Contending in: 200 free

Matt Richards (GBR): Moved into the top-20 all-time in the 200 free with his win at the British Championships (1:44.83). Richards won gold on Great Britain’s 800 free relay in Tokyo. Contending in: 200 free

Fernando Scheffer (BRA): The bronze medalist in the 200 free in Tokyo, ranking 15th all-time (1:44.66). Contending in: 200 free

Sam Short (AUS): This 19-year-old Aussie won Commonwealth gold in the 1500 free and silver in the 400 free last year, and he moved into the all-time top-10 in the 400 free earlier this year (3:42.46) before knocking off Winnington at the Australian Trials. Contending in: 400 free

Kieran Smith (USA): Smith was the Olympic bronze medalist in the 400 free, and in the 200 free, he was fifth at last year’s Worlds and sixth at the Olympics. His 200 free best time (1:44.74) makes him the 16th-quickest man ever and third-fastest American behind Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Contending in: 200 free & 400 free

Dan Wiffen (IRL): The 400 free might be a bit short for this Irish distance star, but he has been as fast as 3:44.35 this year. Contending in: 400 free

Elijah Winnington (AUS): Could repeat as world champion in the 400 free after his stunning final length lifted him to last year’s title. Winnington, who ranks fifth all-time (3:41.22) and second in Australian history behind Ian Thorpe, was also a finalist in the 200 free at last year’s Worlds but did not qualify to represent Australia individually in the 200 this year. Contending in: 400 free

Predictions:

Men’s 200 Freestyle

Gold: David Popovici (ROU)
Silver: Hwang Sunwoo (KOR)
Bronze: Tom Dean (GBR)

A repeat of the podium from the 2022 World Championships as Popovici scares but does not quite reach Biedermann’s suit-aided world record of 1:42.00. Richards, Hobson and Smith all swim under 1:45 to come extremely close to the medal podium.

Men’s 400 Freestyle

Gold: Elijah Winnington (AUS)
Silver: Lukas Martens (GER)
Bronze: Sam Short (AUS)

Winnington once again prevails over Martens in a barnburner, with both men hitting times in the 3:41-range.

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Coach

10 months ago

Danas Rapsys?