Cold hair and predictability of events in Paris (female version)

2024 Paris Summer Olympics

Swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games begins in just over two weeks. We are previewing each event thoroughly in our individual event previews, but in this article we will look at the predictability of each women's event based on the podium. Which events are a sure bet for a podium finish, and which are uncertain?

Stone Cold Rocks

1. Women's 400m Freestyle Relay: Australia leads the way this year with four women who have broken 53 seconds, compared to just two from the United States.
2. Women's 400-meter medley relay: The U.S. women will enter the Olympics with three of the four world records in the 100-meter individual stroke category. Regan Smith Hold back 100 people, Lily King Holds 100 chests, Gretchen Walsh Australia won the 100m butterfly, and looks set to be the second strongest team in this race.
3. Women's 800m Freestyle Relay: As with the 400m Freestyle Relay, Australia are leading the world in the 200m Freestyle this season and will be led by a new world record holder. Arianne Titmuss Former world record holder Molly O'Callaghan will also be competing. With Australia leading the way so far, the United States and China will be vying for the remaining spots on the podium, along with other contenders such as Canada.

Master Lock

1. Women's 200 backstroke: Kayleigh McKeon and Regan Smith Only two men have broken 2:06 this year, both in the 2:03 range. The bronze medal is still up in the air, so the event has lost its “foolproof” status.
2. Women's 100m Butterfly: Gretchen Walsh He set a new world record at the U.S. Championships and seems to be the favorite to win the gold medal, but he could also be given “Master Lock” status if he wants to make the podium. Tori Fuske She also recorded the fastest time at the U.S. Championships, making her one of the favorites for the podium, but the pair will likely face challenges from: Maggie McNeill, Zhang Yufeiand Angelina Kohler.
3. Women's 800m Freestyle: Katie Ledecky She is seeking her fourth consecutive win at this meet and leads the field with her best time being about nine seconds behind. Arianne Titmuss He's been doing well lately and looks set to make the podium.
4. Women's 200m Freestyle: This event was the highlight of the Australian qualifying round, with Titmus setting a world record, closely followed by Molly O'Callaghan. The two are in the lead but the order is unclear. Third place still seems up for grabs.

Loose lock

1. Girls 100 Backstroke: Like the 200 Backstroke, Smith and McKeon are leading the way but not far behind the pack and the competition is more gradual. All of the top five competitors this season have finished under 58 points.
2. Women's 1500m Freestyle: Ledecky again leads the 1500m Freestyle, but with Titmus not competing in the event, there is one more spot on the overall podium.

Bubble Candidates

1. Women's 400m Freestyle: Titmus beat Ledecky in 2020 (1) and seems the favorite to win again this time, but Summer McIntosh also enters as a strong contender. This race falls into the “bubble” category because, although there are contenders to win, it is much harder to determine the placings.
2. Women's 200m butterfly: McIntosh and Smith are the favorites to win. Smith won silver in Tokyo. Zhang Yufei That makes it harder to predict podium results due to the tightly packed group.
3. Women's 400m Individual Medley: McIntosh seems assured of gold here, but there's a bit of space on the podium after that.
4. Women's 100m Chest: Lily King King lost to Lydia Jacoby in Tokyo, who was not selected for this year's U.S. team. King, the world record holder, will face Tang Chianting, who missed out on King's world record in April.
5. Women's 50m Freestyle: Sarah Sjostrom They will enter the tournament as the overwhelming favorite to win, but the field will then be expanded.

Control the chaos

1. Women's 200m breaststroke: Tatyana Smith won this event in 2020 but is seeded third in the event. Kate Douglas With Tess Schouten Lily King.
2. Women's 100m Freestyle: Major changes to the entry method have been made to make this a more exciting event. Siobhan Hoagy Molly O'Callaghan is in great form after winning silver at the Tokyo Games. Sarah Sjostrom When you attend an event, unexpected things happen.
3. Women's 200m Individual Medley: The race many were looking forward to is shaping up to be a historic final. Kate Douglas, Summer McIntosh, Kayleigh McKeonand Alex Walsh However, he has also been a central figure in recent events. Sidney PickremYu Yiting, and Anastasia Gorbenko.