Racing is just one day away. We've identified some of the races you won’t want to miss across the six days of competition.
Women’s 200m IM - Walsh vs. Ohashi vs. McKeown
December 13
After a stellar FINA World Championships this past summer, USA’s Alex Walsh enters Melbourne in her best event, the 200m IM, where she will race against the silver medalist from Budapest in Kaylee McKeown, who will certainly hear the cheers from the Australian crowd.
The 200m IM final falls right before the semifinals of the 100m backstroke where McKeown is also a gold medal favourite. If McKeown scratches the IM to focus on her Olympic gold medal-winning event, then Walsh’s next best competitor could be either Canada’s Sydney Pickrem or her training mate in USA’s Kate Douglass.
Pickrem has the fastest time in the world amongst the entrants in the 200m IM, while Douglass is the Olympic bronze medalist and one of the best swimmers in short course yards in the United States. Last year though, Pickrem out-touched Douglass at the short course world championships in this event, while China’s Yu Yiting, who will also be in Melbourne, won the silver in a photo finish.
All that being said, we still have yet to mention the Olympic champion Yui Ohashi of Japan, who did not make the final at the long-course Worlds in June, but is certainly capable of winning the final come December 13.
Women’s 100m Backstroke - McKeown vs. Masse
December 14
If Kaylee McKeown elects to swim the 100m backstroke, she will be one of the favorites for the gold medal over four lengths of the pool in her home country. The 2021 Olympic champion will be racing Canada’s Kylie Masse, the silver medalist at this year’s long course Worlds and last year’s Olympics, who is always on top of her game when the lights are bright.
Interestingly enough though, neither McKeown or Masse are the top seed, with that distinction belonging to last year’s defending champion Louise Hansson of Sweden. Hansson has been more known as a butterfly specialist but has the strength off the walls to be able to be competitive in this event.
A few other potential gold medal spoilers are a little bit lower on the psych sheet, with Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan and Worlds bronze medalist Claire Curzan of the USA looking to potentially pull a minor upset. USA’s Rhyan White, last year’s 200 champion at this meet, is also more than capable of getting to the podium in the 100m backstroke.
Women’s 100m Freestyle - Haughey vs. McKeon
December 15
The women’s 100m freestyle is one of the most celebrated events for Swimming Australia and will be one of the more anticipated races in Melbourne with the gold and silver medalist from Tokyo - Emma McKeon and Siobhan Haughey facing each other for the first time head to head since the Olympics.
Haughey has to be considered the favourite after winning last year’s title in convincing fashion as well as swimming the fastest time in the world this year at the Swimming World Cup.
McKeon comes in with the second fastest time in the world and will have the nation behind her when she lines up behind the blocks. Along with Madison Wilson, the Australians will be tough to beat in Melbourne and a 1-2 finish is entirely possible for them here.
Add in France’s Beryl Gastaldello and Poland’s Kasia Wasick, who have an outside shot at a podium, and this could be one of the most exciting races in Melbourne.
Men’s 100m Freestyle - Chalmers vs. Popovici
December 15
Perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the entire championships, the world record holder in long course meters (David Popovici) meets the world record holder in short course meters (Kyle Chalmers) on his home turf.
2022 was all about what Popovici did to the all-time rankings at the World and European Championships, breaking the vaunted 13-year-old world record with a 46.86, faster than any man has been before.
Popovici goes up against Chalmers, who seems reinvigorated and hyped to swim at a home World Championships after winning three 100m freestyle finals at the FINA Swimming World Cup. Perhaps it could take a world record to win, and whoever grabs the gold medal will certainly have some momentum heading into 2023.
Also watch for France’s Maxime Grousset, who was the Worlds silver medalist in this event, pushing Popovici for all he was worth in Budapest.
Men’s 100m Breaststroke - Return of Adam Peaty
December 15
Great Britain’s Adam Peaty was notably absent from this summer’s World Championships in Budapest to nurse an injury in his foot. We saw him swim at the Commonwealth Games in late July, but wasn’t the Peaty that dominated the 100m breaststroke field for six straight years. Although short course isn’t his forte, this is still Adam Peaty we are talking about, one of the greatest breaststrokers the sport has ever seen.
This week in Melbourne will be the first time we have seen him in over four months, where an intriguing race will pit him against World long course champion Nicolo Martinenghi and World Cup triple crown winner Nic Fink.
Also watch out for Sam Williamson, who may not challenge for a medal, but lives and trains in Melbourne, and will certainly hear his hometown fans cheering him on.
Men’s 400m Freestyle - Hometown Hero Mack Horton
December 15
Although he does not live in Melbourne anymore, 2016 Olympic champion Mack Horton did not want to pass up an opportunity to race in a World Short Course Championships in his hometown.
“I will never be a Queenslander,” Horton said to the Sydney Morning Herald. “I’m a proud Victorian.
“I’m going to be honest, I’m not the biggest short course fan and I’ve never done a short course worlds. Going into Worlds and Comm Games, I didn’t think I was going to do it, but I thought I may as well do it. I had FOMO [fear of missing out] on the home crowd in Melbourne. I had to do it.”
Horton will line up alongside gold medal favorite Kieran Smith of the United States, who swam the second fastest time in the world this year at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Indianapolis.
Matthew Sates and Danas Rapsys are right behind Smith in the world rankings. The 400m freestyle is a very tactical race and Smith is someone who benefits from taking the race out hard on the first 200m while the likes of Horton and Sates are stronger on the back half. Smith may change his strategy and swim to the field the first half, but he will have his hands full if he does that against Sates and Horton, especially if the crowd is on Horton’s side.
Men’s 400m IM - Seto Sixpeat?
December 17
Even without this summer’s World champion Leon Marchand, this race in Melbourne will certainly provide intrigue as last year’s short course champ Daiya Seto of Japan is going for a sixth straight title in the event, the first one coming all the way back in 2012.
His biggest challenger is 21-year-old Carson Foster, who has had the better hand over Seto in long course meters in the last 12 or so months. Foster made his international senior debut at this meet last year, winning bronze in the 400m IM. He has yet to swim in short course meters in 2022, but he appears to be the biggest challenger to end Seto’s stranglehold on this event.
Then there is Australia’s Brendon Smith, who is second in the world rankings and the reigning Olympic bronze medalist. Smith has been known for his fast last 100 and if he is close to Foster and Seto the last 300, then he certainly can run them down given a push from the Melbourne crowd.
Men’s 50m Freestyle - Ben Proud vs. Dylan Carter
December 17
At the FINA Swimming World Cup this year, Dylan Carter of Trinidad & Tobago won all three 50m freestyle finals en route to winning the overall crown. He currently sits at the top of the world rankings for 2022 and has the momentum rolling his way as he comes into the Short Course Worlds as the guy to beat.
However, in comes last year’s champ and this summer’s World champion Ben Proud of Great Britain, who was the second fastest man in the world this year in long course. Proud, who is one of the best starters in the world, will certainly give Carter a run for his money come the final on December 17.
The 50m freestyle is a race where one cannot make a mistake, and the race could certainly go any number of directions. USA’s Michael Andrew and France’s Maxime Grousset were on the podium with Proud at the Worlds in June, while France’s other participant Florent Manaudou previously held the world record in this event and has been on the Olympic podium three times in this event.
All that to say, Australia’s Kyle Chalmers could very well touch the wall first in the splash and dash on the cheers of the Melbourne crowd. It’ll be over fast, but any of the eight men that advance to the final could reach the podium on December 17.
Women’s 100m Butterfly - Mac Neil vs. Huske
December 18
Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil was also notably not at the World Championships this summer to defend her title from 2019 in the 100m butterfly, with American Torri Huske rattling the world record to win in her absence. In Melbourne, those two will meet where a world record is certainly up for grabs. Mac Neil was a 54.78 at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Toronto, just off of Kelsi Dahlia’s 54.59 world record.
When Mac Neil is on, she is tough to beat. But Huske has experience beating her head to head in the short course yards venue over in the United States last year, and if anyone can take down the reigning Olympic champion, it could be Huske.
But if either of those two falter, Sweden’s Louise Hansson, last year’s silver medalist at the Short Course Worlds, along with China’s Zhang Yufei, the Olympic silver medalist, could factor into the medals. If either Hansson or Zhang touches first on December 18, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise - that is how deep the event is for Melbourne. Add in American Claire Curzan, and this is a can’t miss race for the meet.
Women’s 200m Freestyle - Haughey vs. Li
December 18
Fresh off a world record in the 400m freestyle in October, China’s Li Bingjie comes into Melbourne as one of the swimmers to watch, and she will line up against Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, China, who set the world record in the 200m freestyle at last year’s championships.
Haughey is strongest in the 200m, where she won the Olympic silver medal in 2021. But she will have her hands full with both Li and Yang Junxuan, who won the long course World title in Haughey’s absence in June.
Haughey leads the world rankings for 2022 at 1:51.13 with Li in second (1:51.25) and Yang in third (1:51.61). Haughey was unstoppable in this event at the FINA Swimming World Cup, but if anyone could beat her over eight lengths of the pool, it could be either Li or Yang.