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Mack Horton Entered In 800 Free At Worlds In Addition To 400

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

After initially it looked like Australian Mack Horton would only contest the men’s 400 free at the 2019 FINA World Championships, with the release of the official start lists we now know he’ll do both the 400 and 800.

The issue was that the men’s 800 was omitted from the early start lists.

Horton missed earning an automatic qualification at the Australian Trials by going 3:46.47 in the 400 free, missing the standard of 3:46.14 while placing second to Jack McLoughlin (3:44.34).

In the 800, he was well off the qualifying time of 7:50.97 in 8:01.30, placing third behind McLoughlin (7:46.79) and Joshua Parrish (7:54.94). But with Parrish not on the roster, he’s now added to the event for Gwangju.

The 23-year-old holds a personal best of 7:44.02 in the event, done when he won bronze at the 2015 World Championships.

The 2016 Olympic Champion in the 400 free, Horton won silver in the event at the last version of the World Championships in 2017. Amongst entrants in Gwangju, he’s the seventh-fastest swimmer in 2019.

He will also likely earn a berth on the prelim relay of the men’s 4×200 free after finishing fifth at Trials in 1:47.05. Last year he was the Commonwealth silver medalist in a time of 1:45.89.

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Verram
5 years ago

The Australian selectors have been extremely generous to Horton this year especially.. the perks of being Olympics cHampion .. though I think he needs to pay back their confidence in him by swimming much faster than ever in Gwangju.. otherwise it’s another wasted opportunity

marklewis
5 years ago

His results are all over the place. He’s won Olympic and WC medals and then he swims a bunch of slow times and is being added to events at the last minute.

He’s got a good freestyle technique so what explains the erratic performances.

Mr Piano
Reply to  marklewis
5 years ago

Illness?

13 % Chinese person
Reply to  Mr Piano
5 years ago

That time is 5 mtrs ahead of the womens WR. Soy latteeing personified .
.

straightblackline
5 years ago

What was the A qualifying time in the 800FS? I would have thought an 8.01 would give him only a B qualifying time.

Tim
5 years ago

Not sure I think a guy who went 8:01 a month ago at trials deserves a place.

Philip
5 years ago

Morton and Sun ducking the 1500 competition.

Justin Thompson
Reply to  Philip
5 years ago

Horton is lucky to even be competing here so the fact he has two races is more than he could have hoped for.

AnEn
Reply to  Philip
5 years ago

Not really sure that is “correct”. I think both decided to focus on other events a while ago and therefore know that they aren’t competitive in this event (anymore). It is not like they wanted to swim the 1500 free and “ducked” the competition because they aren’t in shape. At least that is how i see it …

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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