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For the primary time, the 800 free has been added to the lads’s occasion lineup on the Commonwealth Games, though this yr that appears like simply one other occasion for Sam Short to rack up the medals in. He was on hearth on the Australian Trials, and with major Commonwealth rival Dan Wiffen – who he beat head-to-head in each the 400 free and 1500 free 4 years – out of shape, a distance sweep seems the probably end result.
Sam Short would be the favourite within the 400 free as the one entrant who has been underneath 3:44 this season. He clocked a monster 3:40.67 at Australian Trials, shaving 0.01 seconds off the time through which he gained world gold in 2023, and appears in incredible kind this season.
Short gained silver in 3:45.07 in 2022, and positioned 4th on the 2024 Olympics and 2nd on the 2025 World Championships. It seems virtually sure that this would be the first time that he returns to the highest of a podium since 2023.
He has been constructing by the season, clocking 3:45.88 in December, 3:43.49 in March, 3:42.53 in April, after which 3:40.67 in June. He has said that 3:39 is in his sights, and it wouldn’t be an excessive amount of of a shock if he cracked Lukas Maerten’s world file of three:39.96 in Glasgow.
From the largest favourite within the occasion to its largest enigma. Dan Wiffen owns a PB of three:44.35 from the 2023 Malmstein Swim Open, however his quickest swim since is a 3:46.65 from the 2024 World Championships. So far this season, his finest time is a 3:49.35 from the Irish Championships.
It has been a below-par season for the Irishman, who has introduced in April that he would transfer his coaching base from Cal again to Ireland. That comes lower than 12 months after he initially moved to Cal, and signifies that it might not be a classic summer season for him.
At his finest, Wiffen is a medal contender. At his most lifelike, he’s in all probability mid-pack on this ultimate.
James Guy, who has surprisingly returned to the over the past yr or so occasion after almost a decade away, has the second-fastest season better of anybody entered at 3:44.04. That is his quickest time within the occasion in a decade, since he clocked 3:43.84 on the 2016 British Championships.
Guy has twice been the bronze medalist, putting third in 2014 (3:44.58) and in 2018 (3:45.32). He didn’t race the occasion in 2022, however is on monitor for a 3rd podium a full 12 years after his first.
He has confirmed himself a giant race swimmer prior to now as properly, dropping time in the summertime on the 2024 Olympics after which making the 200 free ultimate on the 2025 World Championships. Although in all probability higher identified for his relay performances, he’s the 2015 world champion within the 200 free and was a three-time world finalist within the 400 free between 2013 and 2017.
He is unlikely to be a lot slower than his time from the Aquatics GB Championships, and will even have his 3:43.75 nationwide file in his sights. The solely query might be whether or not he scratches the occasion.
Elijah Winnington is the reigning Commonwealth champion within the occasion, profitable gold in the identical yr that he gained his first and solely world championships title. However, he has been trending downwards within the years since, putting seventh at 2023 Worlds, 2nd on the 2024 World Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games, after which lacking the ultimate at 2025 Worlds fully as he positioned tenth.
His time from Australian Trials was his slowest since 2019, and he has added time in the summertime for the previous three seasons. Although he and Guy are entered virtually degree, there may be extra purpose to doubt that Winnington can repeat his performances.
Benjamin Goedemans clocked 3:45.85 at Australian Trials, however was 3:45.57 12 months prior. He might be the probably swimmer to take benefit if one of many prime 4 slip up, though Northern Ireland’s Jack McMillan is the reigning European quick course champion and set a brand new finest of three:46.82 on the Aquatics GB Championships.
He additionally set a giant PB on the World Championships final summer season, dropping from 3:48.86 to three:47.28, and has cemented himself as a 1:45-point swimmer within the 200 free. In lengthy course nonetheless, the 400 seems only a tad too lengthy for him, as evidenced by the 1:50.44/1:56.38 splits for his swim in April.
Tyler Melbourne-Smith additionally set a PB on the Aquatics GB Championships, slicing off a second to the touch in 3:47.17. That ought to see him make the ultimate for Wales, however a podium could be an extended shot.
A little bit of a theme right here, as Sam Short is once more the heavy favourite. He clocked a brand new PB of seven:36.73 at Australian Trials, the #3 swim in historical past, and has the quickest season finest by almost 11 seconds.
He in all probability gained’t exit in a 3:45 once more, however he’s by far the very best 800 freestyler on this area proper now. He has extra velocity within the 200 free and 400 free than anybody else entered on this occasion, and has the power to again it up within the second half of the race.
He is but to swim a world ultimate within the occasion since his world silver medal in 2023. He positioned ninth within the heats on the Paris Olympics, earlier than withdrawing from the 2025 world championship ultimate because of sickness after qualifying second quickest out of the heats.
That will virtually definitely change this summer season. He broke 7:40 for the primary time since 2023 on the Australian Trials, decreasing his finest by a second from 7:37.76 to 7:36.73 and overtaking Ahmed Hafnaoui and Ahmed Jaouadi on the all-time record. That places him greater than a second forward of Dan Wiffen, and almost ten forward of third seed Ben Goedemans.
His big-game mettle isn’t in query. Illness struck in each Paris and Singapore, and he has confirmed himself an elite racer within the 400 free. He has had some incredible swims within the 800 free already this season, clocking 7:40.98 and seven:41.04 earlier this yr earlier than his 7:36.73 at Trials, and may blow the sphere away. No one can dwell with the tempo he’ll exit in, and Wiffen isn’t in ok kind to make it a race on the again half.
The 800 free is Dan Wiffen’s finest occasion, and the one through which he gained Olympic gold in 2024. He has misplaced his European file to Johannes Liebmann this yr, however has a robust shot at a podium in Glasgow. Short seems too good to be overwhelmed this season (though peak Wiffen up towards Short could be a battle for the ages on this occasion) however Wiffen ought to really feel that the remainder of the sphere are usually not fairly on his degree.
His finest stands at 7:38.19, set on the Paris Olympics, however has damaged 7:45 on just one event since. That got here on the 2025 Irish Championships, the place he clocked 7:41.52, however he had a disastrous swim in his most up-to-date worldwide ultimate.
He completed a distant eighth on the 2025 world championships in 7:58.56, greater than 20 seconds off his finest and almost eight seconds behind seventh place finisher Benjamin Goedemans. His finest to this point this season is just a 7:50.37, along with his most up-to-date two swims being 7:58.08 and seven:56.48.
However, he’s nonetheless simply over a yr faraway from that 7:41.52 swim. In entrance of as near a house crowd as he’ll get at a Commonwealth Games, he ought to be capable of push by for silver.
Benjamin Goedemans is the second seed, and is twelfth within the total world rankings this season due to his 7:47.62 from Australian Trials, however owns a finest of seven:46.16 from final June.
He added time at worlds final summer season, clocking 7:48.66 within the heats and seven:50.72 within the ultimate, and related swims this summer season will put him at risk of lacking the rostrum. Fellow Aussie Matt Galea would be the one for him to be careful for in that case, as he’s the #3 seed due to the 7:49.09 he swam at Australian Trials.
The Commonwealth area is comparatively weak, with no British swimmers outdoors Wiffen having been underneath 8:00 this season. This will realistically come right down to the Irishman and the three Australian swimmers.
British Champion Reece Grady was not chosen to England’s squad, so the Brits with the quickest season bests within the area outdoors of Wiffen are Scotland’s Luke Hornsey and Sean McCann. They each set lifetime bests simply over 8:00 on the Aquatics GB Championships of 8:00.18 and eight:00.45 respectively, so might be aiming to grow to be simply the fourth Scot to interrupt that barrier however the podium seems out of attain.
Sam Short is the highest seed within the 1500 free, however his shift in focus down in the direction of the 200 somewhat than the 1500 as his third occasion may go away the door ajar for Dan Wiffen if he can return to one thing close to his finest.
Short is the quickest man within the commonwealth this season at 14:42.09, and may very well be nearer to his better of 14:37 if he takes it out somewhat slower than the 7:42 800m cut up with which he opened his Australian Trials swim.
He hasn’t cracked 14:40 since profitable bronze on the 2023 World Championships, however he’s the one one on this area with the identical mixture of expertise and kind. It could be a shock if he have been any slower than 14:45, and that appears ok for gold at the moment.
Dan Wiffen could be the largest purpose why that point might not be sufficient. He is the 2024 world champion and one of many quickest males in historical past, however is but to interrupt 14:50 this season and scratched the occasion on the 2025 World Championships.
At his finest, he has the relentless, constant tempo to take Short into the ache cave and go away him there, nevertheless it has been a few years now since now we have seen him at that degree.
For a swimmer who usually could be very quick in-season, his swims this yr have left lots to be desired. He is almost ten seconds slower to this point this season than he was at this level 12 months in the past, and that is his first yr with out a sub-14:50 swim by June since 2022.
Wiffen may very well be making an attempt a special strategy to the summer season, hit his taper, and blow the sphere away en path to his first Commonwealth gold medal. However, it appears extra probably that the transfer to Cal has backfired, and this yr might be extra like his 2025 season than his 2024 one.
Bronze will come right down to a pair of Australians who virtually couldn’t be separated at Trials at first of June. Matt Galea and Benjamin Goedemans have each represented Australia internationally in recent times, however with out being near a world podium.
They each clocked 14:50s at this yr’s Australian Trials, Galea simply getting the sting 14:50.22 to 14:50.67. That was a lifetime finest for each swimmers, seven seconds for Galea and two seconds for Goedemans.
Goedemans certified to swim the occasion for Australia eventually years world championships, however withdrew with sickness having set a PB of 14:52.99 en path to silver at Australian Trials. Galea’s earlier better of 14:57.19 was from 2023, however he’s but to signify Australia internationally. Goedemans’ constant drops in recent times simply give him the sting right here, nevertheless it actually may go both approach for bronze.
The host nation could have Sean McCann and Luke Hornsey that includes, as within the 800 free, with the order of PBs flipped. While each ought to make the ultimate, proudly owning bests of 15:22.86 and 15:23.73 respectively, they’d be hard-pressed to bother the medals. England could have no rivals after leaving British Champion Reece Grady off the group, however with a 15:08 lifetime finest he would additionally want the swim of his life to problem the highest 4.
The man probably to assert fifth spot seems to be India’s Aryan Nehra, who shattered his nationwide file on the Indian Championships final month in 15:14.88. That was a six second PB, and he ought to transfer up from a seventh place end final yr.
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This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you…
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This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you'll…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you…