World Championships: Upstarts Leon Marchand and Carson Foster Looking to Fend Off Vets in 400 IM

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World Championships: Upstarts Leon Marchand and Carson Foster Looking to Fend Off Vets in 400 IM

It will be a battle of upstarts vs. veterans in the final of the men’s 400-meter individual medley at the World Championships in Budapest.

Frenchman Leon Marchand and American Carson Foster, two of the brightest young stars on the global scene, qualified first and second into the final of the sport’s decathlon, with Marchand claiming the top seed in a French record of 4:09.09. Foster, though, was not far behind with a mark of 4:09.60 handing him the second seed. The fact that Marchand and Foster, respective standouts for Arizona State University and the University of Texas, are chasing the podium is not a surprise. This summer figured to be a breakout opportunity for both, who have long been pegged as future headliners.

Adding intrigue to the final is the fact that the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds are longtime forces and former world champions. The United States’ Chase Kalisz moved through his preliminary swim in 4:10.32 while Japan’s Daiya Seto was fourth in 4:10.51. Given their pedigrees and experience, Kalisz and Seto will certainly not yield easily to their youthful challengers. The question is how much they have in reserve in the final.

Although Marchand and Foster came through in their prelims, the same could not be said for South African teenager Matthew Sates, who was considered a medal contender heading into the meet. Sates clocked a time of 4:14.81, good for only 11th. Sates has reportedly been dealing with an illness during the leadup to the World Championships.

Squeezing into the final in the eighth spot was Australian Brendon Smith, the bronze medalist in the 400 IM from the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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