Tokyo Olympics: Swimming: Dressel, Ledecky set to make a splash

A total of 35 gold medals will be up for grabs over the next eight days in swimming. Caeleb Dressel will be the favourite to win multiple medals in men’s competitions. Ledecky will look to continue her domination in the women’s section.

Katie Ledecky of Team United States during aquatics training at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

The Phenom has finally moved away. While the absence of Michael Phelps, who dominated the pool in the last four Games, will be felt, it is time for us to move on as well, keeping in mind that the stage is now set for a younger lot to corner all the attention.

Perhaps, the field is quite open too, though it would be hard to overlook the claims of the United States as the champion nation, given the wealth of talent at its disposal. A total of 35 gold medals will be up for grabs and the sport runs through from July 24 to August 1.

The eight-day competition, which will witness the introduction of 800m freestyle for men and 1500m freestyle for women for the first time, promises exciting action which is also why swimming has remained one of the most popular disciplines of the Games all along. The 400m medley relay has been converted into a mixed event in Tokyo with two men and two women per team.

Caeleb Dressel, right, of the United States stands with teammate Townley Haas at the pool during a swimming training session.

 

Among men, the swimmer who would be fancying his chances the most would be the new star of American swimming - Caeleb Dressel. The 24-year-old has already taken the mantle from Phelps as the best swimmer of the world and should be on fire in Tokyo. He won eight medals at the 2019 world championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

Dressel should have it easy in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly and then would love to press his claim for stardom at the Japanese capital, figuring in the American quartets in the various relays in which Team USA is expected to have a distinctive advantage over its rivals. In the 50m freestyle, Brazilian Bruno Fratus and Greek Kristian Gkolomeev could be his fiercest competitors while Australian Kyle Chalmers and Russian Vladislav Grinev would try to get the better of Dressel in the 100m. In the fly, however, the American is expected to come through unscathed despite all the opposition.

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The 200m and 400m are the two events in the men’s action which remains wide open following the ban on China’s Sun Yang. In the shorter distance, Lithuanian Danas Rapsys could be the one to beat while in the 400m it should be Elijah Winnington who will have the tag of the favourite, especially following the failure of Mack Horton to qualify.

Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri could well be the dominant force in both the 800m and 1500m free, while Russian Evgeny Rylov does have the chance to make it big in the two backstroke events.

In breaststroke, Adam Peaty from Great Britain is unlikely to be pushed in the 100m while it could be Anton Chupkov all the way in the 200m. Hungarian Kristof Milak is the one to beat in the 200m fly.

The host could also be rewarded well in the pool as Daiya Seto will start off as the firm favourite in the two individual medley events.

Katie Ledecky, who made it big in Rio 2016 should retain her status as the lead swimmer in the women’s section for a second time in a row. The American could is an overwhelming favourite to win the 800m and 1500m free. She would also be looking to put her best foot forward in the 200m and 400m free as well. Compatriot Ariarne Titmus, who is said be in ominous form, could be her biggest challenger.

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In the shorter sprints, it should be a slugfest between veterans Sarah Sjostrom and Catee Campbell for the top honours in the 50m, whereas Simone Manuel would be expecting to lord over the two-lap 100m and thus overcome the huge disappointment that she faced while failing to make the grade in the 50m.

In backstroke, Regan Smith looks all set to swim away with a golden double that she so rightly deserves, while Russian Yuliya Yefimova does have the potential to dominate the two breaststroke events. The fly events, however, looks certain to go the full distance with Canadian Maggie MacNeal and American Hali Flickinger set to battle it out for supremacy.

Hungarian Katinka Hosszu looks to be everyone’s favourite to dominate the individual medley events in 400m and 200m.