MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE: 2015 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
- Day 6, Friday August 7th (Day 11)
- 2013 World Champion: Ryan Lochte, USA – 1:53.79
- 2013 Silver Medalist: Radoslaw Kawecki, POL – 1:54.24
- 2013 Bronze Medalist: Tyler Clary, USA – 1:54.61
With Kosuke Hagino of Japan and American Ryan Lochte not participating in this race the favourites to win the gold will be Ryosuke Irie of Japan and Amerian Tyler Clary. The two man have ended up on the podium together at the 2010 Pan Pacific Games, 2011 World Championships, 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships.
Having said that there are many new comers who have made breakthroughs in the past two years along with a number of veterans who will be aiming to knock both Clary and Irie off of the podium.
2014-2015 LCM Men 200 Back
LARKIN
1.53.58
| 2 | Radoslaw KAWECKI | POL | 1.54.55 | 08/07 |
| 3 | Evgeny RYLOV | RUS | 1.54.60 | 08/07 |
| 4 | Irie RYOSUKE | JPN | 1.54.62 | 01/31 |
| 5 | Ryan MURPHY | USA | 1.55.00 | 08/07 |
| 6 | Jiayu XU | CHN | 1.55.13 | 08/06 |
| 7 | Tyler CLARY | USA | 1.56.26 | 08/07 |
| 8 | Jacob PEBLEY | USA | 1.56.29 | 07/09 |
| 9 | Arkady VYATCHANIN | SRB | 1.56.31 | 05/17 |
| 10 | Joshua BEAVER | AUS | 1.56.48 | 04/08 |
The last time that Clary and Irie went headed to head the American got the best of the Japanese star winning the gold at the Pan Pacific Championships in a time of 1:54.91 beating Irie by 23 one-hundredths of a second.
Since breaking on to the scene in 2011, winning a bronze at the World Championships, Clary has been one of the consisent performers in this event consistent putting up times that have finished top three in the world ranking and challenging for the top spot on the podium at every international competition he has competed in.
Clary earned the most coveted prized in any event, Olympic gold, in 2012, but a World Championship is an accomplishment he has not yet been able to achieve.
Clary quickest time in 2015 is a 1:58.43, but one should not read anything into this as he has always been preppared for the most important competitions of any season..
Irie has won medals at the Pan Pacific Championships, World Championships and Olympics, but the one thing that has alluded him is standing atop the podium at a major international competition.
He had a fantastic 2014 improving his 50, 100 and 200 backstroke lifetime best times by significant amounts. Irie improve his time in 200 from a 1:53.78 to a 1:53.26, which he posted winning the Asian Games.
Although he was able to earn gold at the Asian Games with a strong performance when facing off against Clary at the Pan Pacific Championships he had a lack luster performace recording a 1:55.14..
Irie has the fastest lifetime best in the field and will be coming into the World Championships with the top ranked time in the world. He will once again have a chance to beat Clary in a head to head match up and with the improvements he has made over the last year it is something that he may do in Kazan.
Xu Jiayu of China is one of the most improved swimmers in the field improving this lifetime best in the event by over three full seconds in the last three years.
For the first time in 2014 Xu was able to earn a medal at one of the tope competitions in the world, collecting a silver finishing second to Irie at the Asian Games.
With the type of improvement that Xu has shown, not only in the 200, but in the shorter events as well, could be a sign of what is to come. He has the abilty to earn a medal and will be a long shot to knock either Clary or Irie off one of the two top spots on the podium.
Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland is another athlete in the field that has had a considerable amount of success on the international stage.
He captured the gold at the 2014 European Championships as well as silver at the 2013 World Championships. He has also made the finals at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games.
Kawecki has a lifetime best of 1:54.24 which he recorded in Barcelona where he finished second to Lochte.
In 2013 Kawecki outswam both Clary and Irie and will no doubt come into Kazan with a great amount of confidence that he can do that once again.
American Ryan Murphy finished the 2014 season with the world’s seventh fastest time of 1:55.73. Murphy posted that the time in the prelims of the Pan Pacific Championships, where he ultimately finished fourth.
The 20 year old Murphy, who attends the University of Californa, has not only had success at the NCAA, but has progressively moved through the ranks on the international level. In 2011 he won bronze at both the World Junior Championships and Pan American Games as well as earning the same colour of medal at the 2012 World Short Course Championships.
Murphy also picked a bronze at the Pan Pacific Championships in the 100 backstroke.
He will have his sights on a medal in Kazan, but will need to drop a significant amount of time if he be able to stand on the podium.
Australian Mitch Larkin dropped a significant amount of time in 2012 improving his lifetime from a 1:59.09 to a 1:56.82. He then made another significant improvement in 2014 dropping his lifetime best to a 1:55.26.
Unlike his first Olympics, where he finished eighth, his first World Championships 2013 did not go as well. He recorded a 1:59.34 finishing 17th in Barcelona.
Last summer Larkin won the Commonwealth gold and finished third at the Pan Pacific Championhips behind Clary and Irie.
After having that type of success last summer Larkin will also be a swimmer who will have a shot at standing on the podium in Kazan.
Australian Joshua Beaver has made steady improvement over the last three years, taking a second to a second and a half off of his time each season. He will come into Kazan with lifetime best is a 1:56.19.
Beaver took the silver at the Commonwealth Games finishing second to fellow countryman Larkin. He also finished third in the 100 backstroke in Glasgow.
He finished fifth in the event at the Pan Pacific Championships also ended the season with ninth fastest time in the world.
Predictions:
- Ryosuke Irie, JPN – 1:53.54
- Tyler Clary, USA – 1:54.00
- Xu Jiayu, CHN – 1:54.38
- Radoslaw Kawecki, POL – 1:54.42
- Mitch Larkin, AUS – 1:54.83
- Ryan Murphy, USA – 1:54.98
- Peter Bernek, HUN – 1:55.01
- Evgeny Rylov, RUS – 1:56.44
Dark Horse: Grigory Tarasevich, RUS
(POOL SWIMMING STARTS ON DAY 9)
SWIMMING FINALS SCHEDULE:
Day 1, Sun August 2nd (Day 9)
- W 400 Free
- M 400 Free
- W 4×100 Free Relay
- M 4×100 Free Relay
Day 2, Mon August 3rd (Day 10)
Day 3, Tue August 4th (Day 11)
Day 4, Wed August 5th (Day 12)
- M 200 Fly
- W 200 Free
- M 50 Breast
- M 800 Free
- MIXED 4×100 medley relay
Day 5, Thur August 6th (Day 13)
- M 200 IM
- M 100 Free
- W 200 Fly
- W 50 Back
- W 4×200 Free Relay
Day 6, Fri August 7th (Day 14)
- W 100 Free
- M 200 Back
- W 200 Breast
- M 200 Breast
- M 4×200 Free Relay
Day 7, Sat August 8th (Day 15)
- W 50 Fly
- M 50 Free
- W 200 Back
- M 100 Fly
- W 800 Free
- MIXED 4×100 Free Relay
Day 8, Sun August 9th (Day 16)
- M 50 Back
- W 50 Breast
- M 400 IM
- W 50 Free
- M 1500 Free
- W 400 IM
- M 4×100 Medley Relay
- W 4×100 Medley Relay
So many people are sleeping on Kawecki, as per usual!
1. Irie
2. Kawecki
3. Murphy
4. Clary
5. Bernek
Peter Bernek is Hungarian.
i think i underestimated Kawecki in my picks, he has shown up well at big meets recently.
My predictions are:
1.Irie
2.clary,
3.Kawecki.
Irie finally has the motivation to win and wants to win, which is something we haven’t seen since 2009. I think he slides under 1:53 for a 1:52.8. Clary will be confident that he can win and likely pb, being close to irie, but since he pb was the perfect race for him, he will only get under it by a tenth of a second. I think rising stars like Murphy, Larkin, and Jiayu will be close for third, but I think Kawecki has experienced that they don’t have and I think that will carry him to the bronze.
As for Irie, I see 26.7, 55.2(28.5), 1:24.1(28.9), and 1:52.8(28.7).
McNally is not in the British team.
I went with Murphy for this one, popping somewhere 1:53.2 (maybe a 1:52.9 even) and taking out Irie. Murphy’s been doing some great work in the long course pool with Durden he’s said, and I’m sure they’ve been focusing hard on transferring his abilities from short course. With 44.1 as his best SCY, and consistently having 53/54 in long course this season as well as having great taper ability, I’m pretty confident in my pick on this.
I believe I went with Irie for second, just because he’s been so red hot recently as well and kinda been crushing it. Looking forward to him actually being the one to challenge, ultimately being 1:53.3 or so.
Then third I believe I… Read more »
Update: Upon reading comments, I see now that Vyatchanin will probably not be at Worlds because of his citizenship not having been long enough, unless they pulled some strings. Which now gives me more confidence in Clary’s third place. The only person I can see overtaking him is Jiayu from China.
Yeah, it’s reasonable to think Murphy will be almost 3 seconds faster than he was last year. He’s had a hell of a year.
Arkady Vyatchanin is not part of the Serbian team, while he competed at their nationals he not ready to represent them at an international level yet. Vyaatchanin for rio!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff, I would be very happy if Vyatchanin were competing in Kazan, but he has not been a Serbian citizen long enough and can not yet represent them at the World Championships.