2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
- Full aquatics schedule
- SwimSwam Event Previews
- Entry Lists
- Live Results
The first American medals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games came in the pool, as Georgia training partners Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland went 1-2 in the men’s 400 individual medley to open the first night of swimming finals.
The first GOLD 🥇 for #TeamUSA — Chase Kalisz swimming a strong finish in the 400 IM. His family watching in Florida is thrilled! USA takes the silver too with Jay Litherland #Tokyo2020 @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/Bp7UrOPybm
— Randy Gyllenhaal (@RandyGyllenhaal) July 25, 2021
Kalisz, 27, was the silver medalist in this event at the 2016 Games, and also claimed gold in this event at the 2017 World Championships and 2018 Pan Pacific Championships before failing to make the final at the 2019 Worlds.
The University of Georgia grad’s winning time was 4:09.42, well off his personal best of 4:05.90, but it doesn’t matter when you win Olympic gold.
In a post-race interview with NBC, Kalisz hinted at potentially retiring after the Games: “This was the last thing I wanted to accomplish in my swimming career, ” he said.
Litherland, 25, was fifth in the Olympic final five years ago, and moved up from sixth at the 300m turn to snag the silver in 4:10.28, out-touching Australia’s Brendon Smith (4:10.38) by a tenth.
A total of 37 medals had been awarded at the Games upon the beginning of tonight’s finals session.
Foster must be kicking himself after that 4:08 swim he threw down today weeks after Trials
Yeah, after that interview, it seems like Kalisz will retire. Don’t really blame him, now that he has won the gold… Also, he would be 30 years old at next olympics.
I didn’t see the interview, but from what he said at Trials, it hinted more towards this being his last go at the 400IM, not necessarily at swimming entirely. Could just focus down to 200IM-200fly perhaps. Or, maybe the gold medal here was indeed the last big thing he wants to accomplish before retiring – I guess we’ll find that out once the games are over, but I think he could hang around for another Olympics if he wants to.
From the finals preview thread at 8:22pm central
“ USA 1-2 -3 in the men’s IM with Fosters time from Austin”
USA!
100% chance Seto and Foster smashed any and all items near them after watching that
cries in carson foster
We can cry for Carson Foster, or we can rejoice for American dominance. We don’t even need to bring the fastest guy to get first and second.
The 3 years will pass faster than we know. Foster will be good to go. Just needed to deal with the nerves at trials better.
LETS GOOOOO
Jay is such a beast
Well deserved
Lackluster winning time, but gold is gold
Some of these longer races are more strategy than anything
only other morning final was Beijing, so…………
and they had tech suits……