Who May Have Received the Dash Occasions at Previous Olympic Video games?
Per week in the past, the panorama of swimming modified eternally. The Worldwide Olympic Committee’s announcement to incorporate 50s of stroke on the 2028 Olympic Video games flips the game on its head, with three new dash occasions for the world to concentrate on. With medals races probably tighter than ever earlier than, the brand new adjustments create some curiosity, together with for the previous.
What would it not have regarded like if these occasions had been contested within the final three Olympics? Would it not have modified swimming historical past? At this time, we’ll have just a little enjoyable predicting the 50s of stroke at latest Olympics.
Be aware: Please bear in mind that is an train purely for enjoyment. Be happy to agree and publish your picks within the feedback, however let’s hold the dialogue respectful.
2016 Video games – Rio de Janeiro
Ladies’s 50 Backstroke
Gold – Yuanhui Fu
Silver – Kylie Masse
Bronze – Emily Seebohm
Ladies’s 50 Breaststroke
Gold – Lilly King
Silver – Yuliya Efimova
Bronze – Katie Meili
Ladies’s 50 Butterfly
Gold – Sara Sjostrom
Silver – Lu Ying
Bronze – Dana Vollmer
In our fun-filled evaluation, the ladies’s 50s in 2016 showcased the range of the period, with winners from three totally different nations. The 100 backstroke at this meet was separated by simply 0.35 between first and fifth, suggesting the 50 again would have been supremely tight. We’ll give Fu the win right here, although, together with her pedigree because the seventh-fastest within the occasion of all-time.
Lilly King’s battle with Yuliya Efimova within the 100 breaststroke was a drama-filled encounter, so the 50 breaststroke would have featured nothing much less. This might be probably the most anticipated races of the meet, a rematch in shorter type. I’ve King popping out on high once more, as she is the third-fastest of all-time within the 50 to Efimova’s fifth.
After two tightly contested occasions, we’ve got our first dominant efficiency. Sjostrom would have prevailed comfortably, as she is the quickest dash butterflyer in historical past. With six consecutive world titles within the 50 butterfly, Sjostrom doesn’t know a rival within the occasion.
Males’s 50 Backstroke
Gold – Ryan Murphy
Silver – Mitch Larkin
Bronze – Xu Jiayu
Males’s 50 Breaststroke
Gold – Adam Peaty
Silver – Cameron Van der Burgh
Bronze – Kevin Cordes
Males’s 50 Butterfly
Gold – Florent Manaudou
Silver – Nicholas Santos
Bronze – Joseph Education
The 50 again would have been one other alternative for one of many all-time greatest to shine. Ryan Murphy, tenth all-time within the occasion, was in peak type in Rio and will have prolonged his backstroke expertise to the shorter occasion.
Identical to within the 100 breast, when Adam Peaty unseated reigning Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh, the 50 breaststroke would have produced the identical end. The most effective dash breaststroker of all-time would have added to his gold medal assortment.
Florent Manadou would have collected his second medal of the Video games after ending with a silver within the 50 freestyle. The Frenchman is without doubt one of the nice pure sprinters in historical past and the choice of fifty strokes on the Olympics would have paid dividends.
2020 Video games – Tokyo
Ladies’s 50 Backstroke
Gold – Kylie Masse
Silver – Kaylee Mckeown
Bronze – Regan Smith
Ladies’s 50 Breaststroke
Gold – Lilly King
Silver – Lydia Jacoby
Bronze – Tatjana Smith
Ladies’s 50 Butterfly
Gold – Sarah Sjostrom
Silver – Zhang Yufei
Bronze – Maggie Mac Neil
After simply lacking out in 2016, the Canadian Kylie Masse would have gained 4 years later. Name it a hunch that she would flash her greatest pace, with Kaylee Mckeown and Regan Smith touching for silver and bronze.
Regardless of ending within the bronze-medal spot within the 100 breaststroke, Lilly King’s pure pace would have been an excessive amount of for the sector within the 50 breast. It was Lydia Jacoby’s again half that allowed her to surpass King within the 100 distance. Nicely-rounded Tatjana Smith would have gained bronze.
Though an elbow damage slowed Sarah Sjostrom forward of Tokyo, she would have defended her 50 fly crown from Rio. Even not at her greatest in fly, Sjostrom owns an enormous cushion over the opposition over 50 meters.
Males’s 50 Backstroke
Gold – Kliment Kolesnikov
Silver – Thomas Ceccon
Bronze – Xu Jiayu
Males’s 50 Breaststroke
Gold – Adam Peaty
Silver – Nicolo Martineghi
Bronze – Ilya Shyamanovitch
Males’s 50 Butterfly
Gold – Caeleb Dressel
Silver – Noe Ponti
Bronze – Nicholas Santos
Kliment Kolesnikov was simply shy of successful gold in Tokyo within the 100 backstroke and the 50 distance is his higher occasion, so a title is smart. In the meantime, Thomas Ceccon possesses spectacular uncooked pace which might have yielded the silver medal, forward of China’s Xu Jiayu.
Adam Peaty would have been a repeat gold medalist, his monitor report talking for itself. The fascinating addition is Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich for the bronze medal. Shymanovich is understood for his pace and whereas he’s higher suited to the short-course pool, a medal would have been attainable.
Caeleb Dressel was at his peak in Tokyo, and would have parlayed the excellence he displayed right into a fourth particular person gold medal. Grabbing the opposite positions on the rostrum would have been males higher suited to the dash distance, together with veteran Nicholas Santos from Brazil.
2024 Video games – Paris
Ladies’s 50 Backstroke
Gold – Kaylee McKeown
Silver – Regan Smith
Bronze – Katharine Berkoff
Ladies’s 50 Breaststroke
Gold – Tang Qianting
Silver – Lilly King
Bronze – Ruta Meilutyte
Ladies’s 50 Butterfly
Gold – Sarah Sjostrom
Silver – Gretchen Walsh
Bronze – Torri Huske
Kaylee McKeown was on an absolute function in Paris and had she had the possibility on the 50 backstroke, she would have pulled off a backstroke sweep – one thing she’s carried out on the World Championships. Regan Smith would have earned a medal in all three backstrokes and Katharine Berkoff’s pace is match for the 50 distance.
China’s Tang Qianting is the fourth-fastest all time within the occasion, and may be on the very best trajectory of any breaststroker on this planet. Whereas we’ve got King including one other Olympic medal, a nod goes to Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte for the bronze medal.
Sarah Sjostrom stirred the world in Paris, besting stacked fields within the 50 and 100 free on the age of 31. A 50 butterfly title would even have been captured, with the Swede going through off with younger American skills in Huske and Walsh. As famous earlier, Sjostrom’s 50 fly achievements are other-worldly.
Males’s 50 Backstroke
Gold – Thomas Ceccon
Silver – Xu Jiayu
Bronze – Ryan Murphy
Males’s 50 Breaststroke
Gold – Adam Peaty
Silver – Qin Haiyang
Bronze – Nic Fink
Males’s 50 Butterfly
Gold – Noe Ponti
Silver – Maxime Grousset
Bronze – Caeleb Dressel
Italian Thomas Ceccon was the gold medalist within the 100 backstroke in Paris, and as an completed one-lap star in each the backstroke and butterfly, a title within the 50 backstroke appears believable.
Adam Peaty simply missed gold within the 100 breaststroke, however he wouldn’t have been denied within the 50 breaststroke, the place his dominance is overwhelming. Regardless of a disappointing meet in Paris, Qin Haiyang continues to be picked to take the silver medal, with American Nic Fink proper on his heels.
Noe Ponti would have been entrance and middle right here. The Swiss swimmer’s dash expertise are inarguable, however he would have been examined by Maxime Grousset, whose a confirmed sprinter in freestyle and fly. Caeleb Dressel is the selection for bronze based mostly on his profession work.
