2024 Paris Olympics: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
  • Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
• La Défense Arena — Paris, France
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Full Swimming Schedule
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Pick ’em Contest
• How To Watch
• Entry Lists
• Live Results
• Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
• Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

DAY 5 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

After a busy prelims session on Tuesday, this morning’s prelims session will be short and sweet. There are only 3 races that will be competed this morning: the women’s 200 breast, men’s 200 back, and women’s 200 fly. The session is scheduled to last just 66 minutes.

DAY 5 PRELIMS SCHEDULE

• Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Prelims
• Men’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims
• Women’s 200 Butterfly – Prelims

There are only 3 heats and 23 total swimmers entered in the women’s 200 breast this morning. American Kate Douglass comes in as the top seed with a 2:19.30. Netherlands’ Tes Schouten is also entered under 2:20 with a 2:19.81. 100 Breast champion Tatjana Smith (South Africa) comes in as the 3rd seed with a 2:20.80. Also in the mix is American Lilly King, who finished just 0.01 seconds off the podium in the 100 breast a few days ago. In Tokyo, King bounced back from a disappointing silver finish in the 100 breast by earning her first medal of her career in the 200 breast. We’ll see if she can follow the same pattern here in Paris.

The men’s 200 back is sure to be an exciting event, just as the 100 back was a few days ago. Hungarian Hubert Kos comes in as the top seed with a 1:54.14, though Americans Ryan Murphy and Keaton Jones, as well as Spaniard Hugo Gonzalez are all entered with 1:54’s as well. The race will also feature 100 back champion Thomas Ceccon of Italy, though he typically doesn’t fare as well in the 200 back as he does in the 100.

The showdown between Canadian Summer McIntosh and American Regan Smith in the women’s 200 fly will start this morning. McIntosh enters with a 2:04.06, while Smith is a 2:04.80. McIntosh was off on Tuesday after winning gold in the 400 IM on Monday night, meanwhile, Smith raced the 100 back last night, where she earned silver. There’s also reigning Olympic champion and Olympic Record holder Zhang Yufei (China) in the mix. Zhang won the event last Olympics in 2:03.86.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – HEATS

• World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova, RUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 2:19.64 – Viktoriya Gunes, TUR (2015)
• Olympic Record: 2:18.95 – Tatjana Smith, RSA (2021)
• 2021 Winning Time: 2:18.95 – Tatjana Smith, RSA
• 2021 Time to Advance to Semifinals: 2:24.27

1. Tatjana Smith (RSA) – 2:21.57
2. Tes Schouten (Netherlands) – 2:23.08
3. Kate Douglass (USA) – 2:23.44
4. Ye Shiwen (CHN) – 2:23.67
5. Satomi Suzuki (JPN) – 2:23.80
6. Kaylene Corbett (RSA) – 2:23.85
7. Mona McSharry (IRL) – 2:23.98
8. Jenna Strauch (AUS) – 2:24.38
9. Jessica Vall (ESP) – 2:24.52
10. Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU) – 2:24.59
11. Lilly King (USA) – 2:24.91
12. Kelsey Wog (CAN) – 2:25.11
13. Sydney Pickrem (CAN) – 2:25.45
14. Ella Ramsey (AUS) – 2:25.61
15. Francesca Fangio (ITA) – 2:25.85
16. Kristyna Horska (CZE) – 2:26.28

Prelims of the women’s 200 breast was a bit slower this morning than it was in Tokyo 3 years ago. In Tokyo, it took a 2:24.27 to make it back for the semifinals, while this morning is took a 2:26.28. Regardless, the field was very bunched up this morning, seeing 100 breast champion Tatjana Smith finish 1st with a 2:21.57, then there were 6 swimmers who went 2:23 behind her.

Smith, still riding high after her victory in the 100 breast a few nights ago, looked strong and smooth in the race this morning. The defending Olympic champion in the event, Smith was fast this morning, splitting 1:07.58 on the opening 100m.

Netherlands’ Tes Schouten was the 2nd-fastest this morning, clocking a 2:23.08. Coincidentally, Schouten had the 2nd-fastest opening 100m in the field, getting out to a 1:08.20.

American Kate Douglass, the top seed coming into the meet, came in 3rd overall this morning after winning the final heat. She clocked a 2:23.44, putting up the fastest final 50m in the field with a 37.11.

Fellow American Lilly King did enough to make it back, clocking a 2:24.91. It wasn’t a great time for King, however, it looks like it should be an easy fix tonight in the semifinals, as she was only out in a 1:09.62 this morning.

South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett, the 5th place finisher in this event in Tokyo, had a nice showing this morning, taking 6th with a 2:23.85.

Of note, 35-year-old Jessica Vall from Spain was 9th this morning, swimming a 2:24.52. Vall holds the Spanish Record in the event with a 2:22.56, a time which she swam back in 2016.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – HEATS

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol, USA (2009)
• World Junior Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• Olympic Record: 1:53.27 – Evgeny Rylov, ROC (2021)
• 2021 Winning Time: 1:53.27 – Evgeny Rylov, ROC
• 2021 Time to Advance to Semifinals: 1:57.96

1. Roman Mityukov (SUI) – 1:56.62
2. Lukas Martens (GER) – 1:56.89
3. Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 1:56.92
4. Hubert Kos (HUN) – 1:57.01
5. Ryan Murphy (USA) – 1:57.03
6. Hugo Gonzalez (ESP) – 1:57.08
7. Apostolos Christou (GRE) – 1:57.18
8. Hidekazu Takehara (JPN) – 1:57.23
9. Apostolos Siskos (GRE) – 1:57.26
10. Juho Lee (KOR) – 1:57.39
11. Keaton Jones (USA) – 1:57.54
12. Oliver Morgan (GBR) – 1:57.56
13. Mewan Tomac (FRA) – 1:57.62
14. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 1:57.69
15. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (FRA) – 1:57.92
16. Adam Telegdy (HUN) – 1:57.98

The men’s 200 backstroke saw Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov clock the top time of the morning with a 1:56.62. Having turned 24 years old yesterday, Mityukov was out the fastest of anyone in the field this morning, swimming a 56.76 on the opening 100m. He then managed to come home under 1:00 on the back half, where he split 59.86.

Germany’s Lukas Martens, who is showing his versatility here in Paris, was the next-fastest swimmer this morning, swimming a 1:56.89. He put together an excellent back half, coming home in 59.56.

South African Pieter Coetze also went 1:56 this morning, taking 3rd overall in 1:56.92. Having broken the African Record in the 100 back a few nights ago, Coetze is coming into this event with a lot of momentum.

Top-seeded Hubert Kos out of Hungary swam a very interesting race this morning. Kos was out in 58.95, which was easily the slowest opening 100m of everyone who made the semifinals. He then really turned it on, coming home in a very speedy 58.06 on the 2nd 100. That means Kos negative-split the race this morning, so we can expect something much faster out of him tonight.

Of note, China’s Xu Jiayu did not swim the race this morning. We’re still waiting on news as to why the 100 back silver medalist missed the race.

Americans Ryan Murphy and Keaton Jones both made it through with an issue. Murphy swam a 1:57.03, taking 5th overall, while Jones was 1:57.54 for 11th.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – HEATS

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
• World Junior Record: 2:04.06 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
• Olympic Record: 2:03.86 – Zhang Yufei, CHN (2021)
• 2021 Winning Time: 2:03.86 – Zhang Yufei, CHN
• 2021 Time to Advance to Semifinals: 2:15.36

1. Zhang Yufei (CHN) – 2:06.55
2. Regan Smith (USA) – 2:06.99
3. Abbey Lee Connor (AUS) – 2:07.13
4. Helena Bach (DEN) – 2:07.34
5. Alex Shackell (USA) – 2:07.49
6. Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2:07.70
7. Keanna MacInnes (GBR) – 2:08.46
8. Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS) – 2:08.97
9. Airi Mitsui (JPN) – 2:09.12
10. Boglarka Kapas (HUN) – 2:09.28
11. Chen Luying (CHN) – 2:09.31
12. Lana Pudar (BIH) – 2:09.32
13. Georgia Damasioti (GRE) – 2:09.55
14. Laura Stephens (GBR) – 2:10.46
15. Hiroko Makino (JPN) – 2:10.79
16. Laura Cabanes (ESP) – 2:10.82

With only 19 swimmers competing in the women’s 200 fly this morning, only 3 did not advance to semifinals. While that sounds like a very small field, in Tokyo, only 16 swimmers competed in the event, which means they all made it back to semis. Defending champion Zhang Yufei (China) clocked the top time of the morning with a very solid 2:06.55. That swim was a second faster than the 2:07.55 she clocked in the heats back in Tokyo, when she would, of course, go on to win the event in finals. Yufei broke the Olympic Record in Tokyo with her winning time of 2:03.86, so she’ll be a serious threat as we advance through the phases.

Regan Smith (USA) was 2nd this morning with a 2:06.99. Smith came home very well this morning, splitting a 33.46 on the final 50m of the race. She looked content with the race after finishing, which is a good sign for her as she heads into semifinals.

Fellow American Alex Shackell looked very good in her first individual race of the meet, swimming a 2:07.49 for 5th. Swimming next to Smith, Shackell was out just ahead of her American teammate, but closed the race just slightly slower.

Canadian Summer McIntosh, who has already won gold in the 400 IM here in Paris, looked the most relaxed I’ve ever seen anyone after finishing a 200 fly this morning. McIntosh turned in a 2:07.70 this morning, which was good for 6th.

Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas had a very solid swim this morning, taking 10th in 2:09.28. The notable thing about her race this morning is that she closed the fastest of anyone in the field, coming home in 33.04.