2023 World Championships Day 2 Prelims Preview: It’s Popovici Time

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• SwimSwam Finals Watch Party Daily
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results (Omega)
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap

Day 2 Prelims Start List

Unlike day 1 which had seven individual events (and two relays) during prelims, day 2 is a much quicker day as there will only be five events competed here in prelims. All four are individual events.

Day 2 Prelims Events:

• Women’s 100 back
• Men’s 100 back
• Women’s 100 breast
• Men’s 200 free
• Women’s 1500 free

The women’s 100 back looks to be a tight race. World Record holder in both the 100 and 200 backstroke Kaylee McKeown of Austrlaia is the top seed. Last year, McKeown no-showed the event as she had finals of the 200 IM in the evening. This year, McKeown will not have to worry about the double as she was disqualified in semifinals of the 200 IM.

Former World Record holder and current Championship Record holder in the event Regan Smith of the US comes in as the second seed. Smith is the defending champion in the event. Fellow American Katharine Berkoff is the third seed and will look to break the 58-second mark after posting a personal best at US Nationals.

Last year, Thomas Ceccon of Italy broke the World Record in the men’s 100 backstroke and will look to defend his title here. Ceccon was one of three men under the 52 second mark last year as Americans Ryan Murphy and Hunter Armstrong finished behind Ceccon to earn spots on the podium. Both Murphy and Armstrong are the second and third seeds here.

After finishing just off of the podium last year, Lilly King of the US is the top seed in the 100 breast. Notably, the defending World Champion Benedetta Pilato of Italy is not competing in the race this year. Defending Olympic Champion Lydia Jacoby makes her return at the World stage after just missing out on qualifying for last year’s meet. Reona Aoki is the third seed and will swim in front of her home crowd.

Teenager David Popovici of Romania won the men’s 200 free last year by over a second and a half. He was even faster about a month later and is the top seed coming into the meet by a second and a half. Last year’s silver medalist Sunwoo Hwang of South Korea will look to challenge Popovici.

Americans Katie Ledecky and Katie Grimes are the top two seeds in the women’s 1500 free. Ledecky was second in the 400 free on night one and is the World Record holder in the 1500 free. Grimes now brings her swimming to the pool events after competing in the Open Water races last week, highlighted by a third place finish in the 10K to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Australia’s Lani Pallister was third last year and is the third seed here as well. The women’s 1500 free also has the only top 20 scratch of the morning as Ginevra Taddeucci (#16 seed) has scratched.