Swimming

Did the American Women Cede a Medley Medal With Day 8 Scratch?

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By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team USA opted not to swim a women’s 400 medley relay on the final day of the 2024 World Championships, ceding a shot at a 5th consecutive title in the event (they’ve won 4 straight and 6 out of 7).

At these strangest of World Championships, Team USA didn’t have their “A” relay, though short of the breaststroke leg they did have some good legs. So the question is – did Team USA cede a medal by not swimming the 400 medley relay?

While missing a lot of stars, the Americans did at least have two 0f the better swimmers in this meet: Claire Curzan, who swept the backstroke events and also took silver in the 100 fly and is a very good freestyler, and Kate Douglass, who can do a little bit of everything. Those are two valuable pivot points to operate around.

The women’s team doesn’t have the size or depth of the men’s team, but starting with those two is a pretty good place to start – in this meet.

Who else do they have that could have been an asset on this relay?

  • Backstroke possibilities: Lilla Bognar, who has been 1:01.20 in the 100 back, Claire Curzan, who was 58.29 earlier
  • Breaststroke possibilities: Piper Enge, who was 1:08.14 in the individual 100 breast; Kate Douglass, who has been 1:06.67 (but can probably be faster).
  • Butterfly possibilities: Claire Curzan, who was 56.54 in the individual; Kate Douglass, who has been multiple best times this week and has a best of 56.43, and Rachel Klinker, who has been 58.39 (let’s pretend like she didn’t have to go home early to swim Cal’s dual meet against Stanford)
  • Freestyle possibilities: Kate Douglass, who has been 52.57; Claire Curzan, who has been 53.55; Addison Sauickie, who is here as a 200/400 freestyler but who was a 55.39 in December at the US Open and who split 54.83 on a relay earlier in the meet.

Using the SwimSwam Medley Relay Calculator, there were really 3 serious options for this lineup:

BACK BREAST FLY FREE TIME
Curzan Enge Klinker Douglass 03:57.39
Curzan Enge Douglass Sauickie 03:58.25
Curzan Douglass Klinker Sauickie 03:58.37

All three of those times would have made the Americans the top seed out of prelims, including the one without Klinker (who as we now know, has returned stateside). While there’s no guarantees that any of them would have swum bests, the addups above include Enge’s actual time from this meet (about 9-tenths slower than her flat-start best) and don’t include an allowance for relay starts being faster than flat starts.

So the Americans rightly could have been claimed as favorites in this race, even without their best lineup. That could have meant a World Championship gold medal for a group of swimmers who may not ever win one otherwise; a $20,000 cash prize; a streak continued; and a statement heading into the Olympic Games.

The only event conflicts on Sunday evening of the group above would have been Douglass in the 50 free final (she’s not shied away from doubles) and Piper Enge in the 50 breast final.

The American women also didn’t race the 400 free relay earlier in the meet and missed the final in the 800 free relay. There’s no guarantees in swimming, but on paper, it sure does look like Team USA may have given up a medal – if not a gold – in this 400 medley relay.

Top 8 Qualifiers:

  1. Canada – 3:58.63
  2. Sweden – 3:59.35
  3. Australia – 4:00.o9
  4. Netherlands – 4:02.09
  5. China – 4:02.22
  6. Hong Kong – 4:02.34
  7. Italy – 4:02.62
  8. Poland – 4:02.63

SwimSwam: Did the American Women Cede a Medley Medal With Day 8 Scratch?

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