Get ready for an exciting day at the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Toronto! Today, we're diving into the second day of preliminary heats, and there's already some intriguing strategy shifts and surprises.
The Big Scratches: Foster and Walsh's Event Swaps
Starting with the big names, American swimmers Carson Foster and Alex Walsh have made some interesting choices. Foster, fresh off his 400 free victory last night, is focusing on his freestyle events. Instead of the 200 IM, he's opted for the 1500, a smart move as it's a time-final event, meaning he only needs to race once and is already seeded for tonight's finals. His performance in the 1500 at the Carmel stop, with a time of 14:41.33, shows he's a force to be reckoned with.
Walsh, Foster's 2024 Olympic teammate, is also making waves. She's swapped out the 400 IM for the 100 breaststroke, a move that aligns with her recent focus on these events. While she didn't race the 400 in Carmel, her 7th-place finish in Westmont and 3rd-place improvement last weekend in the 100 breaststroke showcase her growing strength in this discipline.
More Scratches and Strategic Moves
Mitchell Schott, another American, had a swift 400 free yesterday, but today he's swimming the 200 fly, dropping the 200 IM where he won silver at the World University Games. A bold move, indeed!
The Canadians are also making some strategic withdrawals. Sydney Pickrem, a three-time Olympian, has withdrawn from the 100 breaststroke after scratching from the 100 IM yesterday. Brooklyn Douthwright, a fellow Canadian and Tennessee Volunteer, has decided to focus on the 200 free and 50 back, dropping the 100 back.
All the Day 2 Prelims Scratches
Here's a breakdown of all the scratches for Day 2 Prelims:
- Women's 400 IM: Alex Walsh (USA) and Freya Colbert (GBR)
- Men's 50 Back: Lamar Taylor (BAH), Ruslan Gaziev (CAN), Chad Le Clos (RSA), and Brooks Curry (USA)
- Women's 200 Free: Olivia Wunsch (AUS)
- Men's 200 IM: Carson Foster (USA), Mitchell Schott (CLB), and Oliver Dawson (CAN)
- Women's 100 Back: Hazel Ouwehand (NZL) and Brooklyn Douthwright (CAN)
- Men's 50 Breast and Women's 50 Fly: Olivia Wunsch (AUS) and Bella Grant (AUS)
- Men's 100 Free and Women's 100 Breast: Sydney Pickrem (CAN)
- Men's 200 Fly: Federico Burdisso (ITA) and Aiden Kirk (CAN)
- Men's 1500 Free: Owen Nicholson (CLB)
Stay tuned for more updates and insights as the day's events unfold! And remember, in swimming, every decision can be a game-changer. Who do you think will make the biggest impact today? Let's discuss in the comments!
