[ad_1]
Arguably the greatest swimmer of all time, Katie Ledecky will look to build on her legacy as she aims for four individual gold medals in Tokyo. Caeleb Dressel will try to live up to the hype as the “new Michael Phelps”. And Ryan Murphy will try to make history as the first American to win back-to-back gold in the 200-meter backstroke.
In short, the US team has a scenario for every occasion as the swimming competition begins on Saturday at the Summer Olympics. Here are five to watch in Tokyo.
Ledecky’s domination
Phelps explained it best during the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska – no other swimmer has been able to pick a style and successfully swim the full spectrum of it.
“She recreates what is possible,” said Phelps. “It’s great to watch.”
In Tokyo, five-time gold medalist Ledecky will compete in the 200, 400, 800 and, for the first time in Olympic history, the 1,500-meter freestyle. And guess what? She is favorite to win a medal in all events, including gold in the 800 and 1,500 meters.
At the Olympic trials, 24-year-old Ledecky won all four events, finishing so far ahead of the field in the 800 and 1,500 meters that no one else was on screen, qualifying for his third Olympics.
In 2016, before the 1,500-meter freestyle was part of the Olympics, Ledecky won gold in other freestyle competitions. Will she be able to do another performance plus a gold medal in the 1500 meters? If so, she will become the first Olympian to win gold in all four events.
Can Simone Manuel win a gold medal in another event?
Simone Manuel, 24, became the first black woman to win an individual medal in swimming in 2016, when she won the 100-meter freestyle at the Rio Olympics. In Tokyo, however, she will not swim in her renowned event.
At the Olympic trials, Manuel was ninth in the 100-meter freestyle semi-final, missing the final cup by 0.02 seconds. At a press conference later, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with overtraining syndrome (OTS) about two months before, suffered from depression and had to take a three-week break after swimming.
Two days later, on the last day of practice, she surprises again by winning the 50 meters, securing a place in Tokyo.
At training camp earlier this month, when asked how she is preparing for the Olympics with her OTS diagnosis, Manuel said she takes care of herself and takes as many breaks as needed.
Dressel’s run in Tokyo could bring back memories of Phelps’ performances at the Beijing Olympics
Dressel could win seven gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
Let that phrase come into play. Without Phelps’ record of eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing, this projection could be completely wrong. But the predictions could have merit as Dressel has won all the events he competed in at the Olympic trials: 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly.
Each of them.
Based on his career trajectory since his record-breaking performance at the world championships in 2019, when he won eight medals, including six gold, it is safe to say that Dressel could evoke the same feelings of superstar among fans. than Phelps in Beijing.
Maybe Dressel can’t match Phelps’ record, but he could very well come close.
Swim Trials Star Katie Grimes is the ‘Future of Sport’
If there was one rookie who clearly stood out in the Olympic trials, it was 15-year-old Katie Grimes, who in the 800-meter freestyle finished five seconds behind Ledecky to secure an Olympic berth. In the process, Grimes also set her personal best (8: 20.36, planing 12 seconds off her previous record) and edged out veteran distance swimmer Haley Anderson.
Additionally, Ledecky was in exactly the same place as Grimes in 2011 in his first Olympic trials, also at age 15. She finished second in the 800-meter freestyle, to compete in her first Olympics.
Recently, Ledecky introduced Grimes at a press conference as “the future of sport”, while Grimes looked around dazed and happy.
Will Murphy keep America’s long-running record on his back?
With all the big storylines going on before Tokyo, you might have missed this one: The Americans have won gold in the 100 and 200 backstroke at every Olympics since 1992 – before Murphy’s birth.
At the 2016 Olympics, which was Murphy’s first, he followed tradition and won both events, marking the dominance of the U.S. team.
Will he be able to repeat the performance to keep the record alive? Only two Americans have ever won the 100-meter backstroke in consecutive Olympic Games (Aaron Peirsol in 2004 and 2008 and Warren Kealoha in 1920 and 1924).
If 26-year-old Murphy wins a gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke, he will become the first American to win the race in a back-to-back Olympics.
[ad_2]
Source link