Vlad Morozov and Anthony Ervin to Swim-Off for 50 Free Final at World Champs

Two of the biggest names in men’s sprint freestyle are USA’s Anthony Ervin and (a little more so, this year) Russia’s Vlad Morozov. Today, at the end of the session, the two will contest in a swim-off for the 50 freestyle final.

Ervin and Morozov tied for 8th place in semifinals with a time of 22.02. Ervin was the big mover from prelims to semifinals; he was only 22.44 in prelims whereas Morozov was 21.97. Both of these men have had their speed bumps (no pun intended) at this meet; Ervin underperformed by a long shot on the U.S. men’s 400 free relay where they wouldn’t even go on to make finals, while Morozov was a favorite to win the 100 free (or at least a lock for a podium spot) and he was disqualified in semifinals for a false start.

This will be another chance for both men to earn another swim in finals and get another shot at putting up a great time. The top three in this race, Nathan Adrian, Florent Manadou, and Bruno Fratus are in a league of their own as of semifinals, with nobody within .25 seconds of third seed Fratus, but Morozov and Ervin are seasoned and could make their way to the top with a great swim.

Remember, this swim off is for lane 8 in the final. The outside lane is what might benefit Morozov more so than Ervin, being that Morozov is the smaller guy. Especially in the men’s sprint free races, arms and legs are flying and big bodies are crashing through the water, creating lots of splash and wake. This is concentrated most in the middle of the pool, and an outside lane for Morozov, who would be affected by choppy water more because of his size (Adrian smashing through the water next to him in the semifinals didn’t look to help him all too much), could give him enough smooth water to put up a fantastic time.