Olympics: Zhang Yufei Takes Top Seed into 100 Fly Final; Marie Wattel Makes Move

Jul 25, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Zhang Yufei (CHN) in a women's 100m butterfly semifinal during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Network

Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports

Zhang Yufei Takes Top Seed into 100 Fly Final; Marie Wattel Makes Move

After the prelims of the women’s 100 butterfly, it looked like five swimmers would have a shot at not only winning, but breaking the world record at the Tokyo Olympics.

After the semifinals, those five are still in play, but might not be in the order that was expected.

China’s Zhang Yufei took the top seed in 55.89, within striking distance of the world record set by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.

France’s Marie Wattel used a late surge to win the first heat and take the second seed overall at 56.16, behind ahead of Australia’s Emma McKeon (56.33), Sjostrom (56.40), U.S. teen and American record holder Torri Huske (56.51), Canada’s Maggie MacNeil (56.56), former NCAA champion from Sweden Louise Hansson (56.92) and Belarus’ Anastasiya Shkurdai (57.19).

“Really surprised, of course. Huge PB for me. I feel like I did a good start and when I saw I was next to Torri (Huske), I thought I’m doing a good race. And I fought as hard as I could and I didn’t hold anything, and I went maximum effort. And I wanted to enjoy the moment because it’s not very often you can be in this environment, so I wanted to do the best I could do and I’m so surprised,” Wattell said.

It was a little different order than prelims, though the top contenders remain the same, with the addition of Wattel who made a statement.

Huske remained optimistic heading into finals.

“When I try to pull it back, I feel like sometimes it kind of backfires. I kind of just go out relax, but it always ends up being pretty fast because of the adrenaline, and I try to come back as fast as I can,” Huske said. “I think it’s going to be pretty similar to semis. It was nice seeing what it was like today and how they announce the names and stuff to get a feel for what it’s going to be like, so I’m excited.”

Emma McKeon and Zhang Yufei were both clocked at 55.82 in prelims to tie for the top seed, and Sjostrom’s look of shock after recording her third-place time of 56.18 showed that she didn’t expect to be that quick so soon after recovering from a fractured elbow. That swim was Sjostrom’s quickest 100 fly effort since capturing the world title in the event in 2017.

They weren’t the only ones with fast swims that could get faster in semis and finals.

Huske finished just behind Sjostrom in their heat in 56.29 in her first ever Olympic swim, while Canada’s Maggie MacNeil, the 2019 world champion, was at 56.55, in fifth heading into semis.

In the semifinals, Huske turned first in the first semifinal then Marie Wattel surged ahead and won the first semifinal in 56.16.

Emma McKeon took the second spot in 56.33, followed by Huske (56.51), Louise Hansson (56.92), Claire Curzan (57.42), Brianna Throssel (57.59), Arina Surkova (57.72) and Clara Bianchi (58.07).

In the second semifinal, Zhang Yufei. took the lead at the turn and hung on for the heat victory in 55.89.

Sjostrom took the second spot in the final heat in 56.40, followed by Maggie MacNeil (56.56), Anastasiya Shkurdai (57.19), Anna Ntountounaki (57.25), Svetlana Chimrova (57.54), Elena Di Liddo (57.60) and Katerine Savard (58.10).

But it is Zhang Yufei who take the top seed into the finals.

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