Saturday, July 29, 2023
#AQUAFukuoka23: World Aquatics Championships – Pool Day 8 Preview
The pool competition of the World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka 2023 is coming to a close on its final night in the U.S. time zones (Sunday morning in Japan) with even more exciting swims to conclude the meet.
Here’s a closer look at the athletes entering tonight’s prelims session:
Women’s 400 Individual Medley
Katie Grimes swam the first race of the competition with her Paris Olympic Games-qualifying performance in the 10K, and now she closes out the pool competition in the 400 individual medley. At last year’s world championships, she won silver, and she currently holds the second-fastest time in the world this year (4:31.81) behind Canada’s Summer McIntosh. Though Walsh will swim her first 400m individual medley in an international competition, she currently holds the fourth-fastest time in the world this year at 4:35.46.
The men’s and women’s 4x100m medley relays prelims will also be contested. Watch Day 8 prelims on Peacock at 9:30 p.m. ET tonight and finals at 7:00 a.m. ET tomorrow. The morning’s session will feature the last finals of these world championships: men’s 50m backstroke, women’s 50m breaststroke, men’s 1500m freestyle, women’s 50m freestyle, women’s 400m individual medley and the men’s and women’s 4x100 medley relays.
More than 1,110 swimmers from 192 countries and the World Aquatics Refugee Team have descended on the city of Fukuoka, Japan to compete in the swimming portion of the 20th edition of these world championships. The World Aquatics Swimming Championships medal table, sorted by federation and by athlete, can be found here.
Keep up with all the latest USA Swimming news by following @usaswimming on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check out our News Notebook which details programs, athletes and clubs that have made the headlines.
Here’s a closer look at the athletes entering tonight’s prelims session:
Women’s 400 Individual Medley
Katie Grimes swam the first race of the competition with her Paris Olympic Games-qualifying performance in the 10K, and now she closes out the pool competition in the 400 individual medley. At last year’s world championships, she won silver, and she currently holds the second-fastest time in the world this year (4:31.81) behind Canada’s Summer McIntosh. Though Walsh will swim her first 400m individual medley in an international competition, she currently holds the fourth-fastest time in the world this year at 4:35.46.
- Athletes: Katie Grimes (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada) and Alex Walsh (Nashville, Tenn./Nashville Aquatic Club/University of Virginia)
- Should Grimes medal, she would join Katie Hoff and Elizabeth Beisel as the only American women since 2001 to medal in the 400m IM in at least two World Championships.
- U.S. seeking first world title since Elizabeth Beisel in 2011.
The men’s and women’s 4x100m medley relays prelims will also be contested. Watch Day 8 prelims on Peacock at 9:30 p.m. ET tonight and finals at 7:00 a.m. ET tomorrow. The morning’s session will feature the last finals of these world championships: men’s 50m backstroke, women’s 50m breaststroke, men’s 1500m freestyle, women’s 50m freestyle, women’s 400m individual medley and the men’s and women’s 4x100 medley relays.
More than 1,110 swimmers from 192 countries and the World Aquatics Refugee Team have descended on the city of Fukuoka, Japan to compete in the swimming portion of the 20th edition of these world championships. The World Aquatics Swimming Championships medal table, sorted by federation and by athlete, can be found here.
Keep up with all the latest USA Swimming news by following @usaswimming on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check out our News Notebook which details programs, athletes and clubs that have made the headlines.