Five things to watch for on the seventh day of the Rio Olympics swimming competition on Friday:
Michael Phelps goes for
a fourth straight title in the 100m butterfly — a race that has
provided some of his most nail-biting finishes. He beat world
record-holder Ian Crocker to win it in 2004, and famously out-touched
Serbian Milorad Cavic by one-hundredth of a second in Beijing in 2008 to
keep his drive for eight golds alive. In 2012, after surrendering the
200m fly to Chad le Clos he turned the tables on the South African in
the 100m.
Katie Ledecky, with
200m and 400m free gold secured, vies to complete her treble in the 800m
freestyle and the signs are more than good for the reigning Olympic
champion and world record-holder. The event boasts plenty of talented
distance swimmers in addition to Ledecky, including Australia’s Jessica
Ashwood, New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle and Great Britain’s Jazz Carlin —
silver medallist in the 400m free. But barring a catastrophe for the
American phenomenon, they will be battling for the lesser medals in her
wake.
The only thing certain about the men’s
50m freestyle final is that nothing is certain in the unpredictable
one-lap dash. France’s Florent Manaudou was the surprise winner in 2012 –
slicing more than half a second off his personal best to win from lane
seven and after some post-London doldrums he’s again in top form. Keep
an eye on Anthony Ervin, who won gold in 2000 and is back at the age of
35 to try for more.
Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu is poised for a
charge at a record-equalling fourth individual gold in Rio in the
women’s 200m backstroke final after topping the heats in a new personal
best time. Missy Franklin is still struggling to regain the form she
showed in winning Olympic gold in this event in London.
In the 1,500m freestyle heats China’s
Sun Yang launches his bid to become the fourth swimmer to retain his
Olympic title in the longest race on the programme, and the first since
Australia’s Grant Hackett in 2000-04. After failing to reprise his 400m
free title from London he won the 200m free here, and can become the
first man to win the 200m and 1500m free at the same Games. Meanwhile
Mack Horton of Australia, who denied Sun in the 400m free, will go for a
400-1500 double.