{"id":441979,"date":"2020-08-01T06:06:29","date_gmt":"2020-08-01T13:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=441979"},"modified":"2020-08-01T08:07:54","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T15:07:54","slug":"tokyo-vision-youthful-contenders-veteran-medalists-chasing-caeleb-dressel-in-100-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/tokyo-vision-youthful-contenders-veteran-medalists-chasing-caeleb-dressel-in-100-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Vision: Youthful Contenders, Veteran Medalists Chasing Caeleb Dressel in 100 Fly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo Vision: Youthful Contenders, Veteran Medalists All Chasing Caeleb Dressel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Had the COVID-19 pandemic not shaken the world, the 2020 Olympic Games<\/a> in Tokyo would be unfolding right now, titles and podium finishes earned by the finest athletes from around the world. Instead, we are in a competition lull and hopeful that the Games will be held next summer, with COVID-19 neutralized.<\/em><\/p>\n

As we reach the nine days over which the swimming competition of a delayed Olympiad would have taken place, Swimming World is taking a glimpse at what might have unfolded this summer, had the Olympics not been postponed. Following the official schedule, we offer our virtual fields of eight finalists for each event and take a brief look at how the racing might have panned out until a few strokes away from decision and a result that will not be known until July\/August 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n

League of Olympic Legends: Michael Phelps Tops 100 Fly Podium with Spitz & Morales<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Event:<\/strong> Men\u2019s 100 butterfly<\/p>\n

World Record:<\/strong> Caeleb Dressel (2019) \u2013 49.50<\/p>\n

Historical Note #1:<\/strong> The event has been the place to mine gold for nations with limited swimming histories. Suriname\u2019s Anthony Nesty<\/strong> famously won the event in 1988, still the nation\u2019s only gold medal (and one of only two swimming medals, to go with his bronze in the event in 1992). Joseph Schooling\u2019s<\/strong> gold medal in 2016 was Singapore\u2019s first Olympic swimming medal.<\/p>\n

Historical Note #2:<\/strong> If patterns held, 2020 could\u2019ve been a good year for Sweden. Two of the nation\u2019s five men’s gold medals since World War II have come in the event at 20-year increments \u2013 Par Arvidsson<\/strong> in 1980 and Lars Frolander<\/strong> in 2000.<\/p>\n

Virtual Vision<\/h3>\n

The Finalists (Listed Alphabetically)<\/strong><\/p>\n