{"id":615709,"date":"2025-06-24T04:31:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T11:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=615709"},"modified":"2025-07-14T12:19:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T19:19:44","slug":"world-championships-relay-analysis-mixed-medley-rematch-missing-standouts-from-paris-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-championships-relay-analysis-mixed-medley-rematch-missing-standouts-from-paris-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"World Championships Relay Analysis: Mixed Medley Rematch Missing Standouts from Paris Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Championships Relay Analysis: Mixed Medley Rematch Missing Standouts from Paris Classic<\/strong><\/p>\n

In one of the top races of the Paris Olympics, the United States defeated China for gold in the mixed 400 medley relay<\/a>. The Chinese team had the slight lead at the halfway point thanks to the breaststroke dominance of Qin Haiyang<\/strong>, but the Americans would take the lead with Gretchen Walsh<\/strong> scorching what was then the fastest butterfly relay split in history. Torri Huske<\/strong> came home with the fastest 100 freestyle performance of her career to beat Chinese anchor Yang Junxuan<\/strong> by 12-hundredths, with both teams eclipsing the previous world record.<\/p>\n

At the upcoming World Championships in Singapore<\/a>, the U.S. and China will again be favored for the top-two spots in this event, but the race looks substantially different with key members of both squads absent. For the Americans, Ryan Murphy<\/strong> has been entrenched as the top men\u2019s backstroker for a decade while Nic Fink<\/strong> has been a reliable breaststroker. Staying close enough to Qin in the Olympic final put the U.S. women in position to pounce.<\/p>\n

As for China, the front half of Xu Jiayu<\/strong> and Qin remains intact, but Yang is not competing this year while Zhang Yufei<\/strong>, the world champion in the 100 fly in 2023, has only the third-best time amongst Chinese women in her main event this year. The team which overcomes these absences most effectively will emerge with gold.<\/p>\n

When assembling a mixed medley relay lineup, the two male swimmers and two female swimmers are allowed to swim any combination of strokes, but conventional wisdom has shifted toward always utilizing a male breaststroker. Because that is the slowest stroke, the difference between women\u2019s and men\u2019s times is greatest in that leg. The Americans learned that lesson at the Tokyo Olympics, when a team favored for gold ended with a disastrous fifth-place finish.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for the U.S., men\u2019s breaststroke is not the weakness it looked like entering U.S. Nationals. Teenager Campbell McKean<\/strong> swam the world\u2019s second-fastest time for 2025 in the 100 breast at 58.96<\/a>, and Josh Matheny<\/strong> was not far back at 59.18. Whoever finishes higher in the 100-meter race at Worlds will surely take on breaststroke duties for this relay.<\/p>\n

However, the Americans do have a problem in men\u2019s backstroke. Tommy Janton<\/strong> is currently the country\u2019s fastest over 100 meters this year at 53.00, well behind the times Murphy posted during his run atop the event. Perhaps Janton or someone else on the team (Shaine Casas <\/strong>potentially?) has more in the tank, but the American coaching staff might have to consider shifting the strategy and using a female backstroker.<\/p>\n

\"gretchen-walsh-\"

Women’s 100 butterfly world-record holder Gretchen Walsh — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

Going from a male to Regan Smith<\/strong> on backstroker would mean the U.S. team loses the advantage of Walsh on fly or Huske on free. Both swimmers enter the World Championships ranked No. 1 in the world<\/a> in their respective 100-meter events<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Using females on backstroke and butterfly is an unusual strategy but a possible one for the Americans given the 46.99 posted by Jack Alexy<\/strong> in the men\u2019s 100 free this year. In that scenario, Alexy would surely enter the water in last place and be tasked with running down his female competitors down the stretch.<\/p>\n

The Americans have numerous different options for relay orders, with the three most likely options listed below. Only 2025 season-best times are considered.<\/p>\n