Women's 400 Meter Freestyle

This race is going to be intense. Rivalries and expectations all around. Let's start with Laure Manaudou, the French galmour girl and swimming star who first broke Janet Evans's World Record in 2006 (Janet set it in 1988) and won this event in Athens. Combining that with her dominating performances at Worlds in 2007 and she looked to be the heavy favorite in Beijing. However, right after Worlds she left her coach to train in Italy with her boyfriend, then left that team and had an ugly breakup and began training under her brother. Her ex-beau Italian Luca Marin began dating her rival and teammate Federica Pelligrini; fast forward a few months and Pelligrini breaks Laure's WR (4:02.13) at the European Championships with a time of 4:01.53.

Laure actually took third at the French Trials but Camilia Potec who won the event is Romanian so Laure will be competing in this event in Beijing. Her training backbone for this games is suspect, as is her attitude towards the intense long workouts needed to maintain her level of dominance. Her fastest time this year is a meek 4:05.61, making her only the 11th fastest swimmer in this event (some Americans who posted faster times won't be in this event). There are a lot of question marks when it comes to her ability to compete in a games that it looked like she could dominate just 18 months ago. This is her freestyle event though, chosing not to compete in teh 200 or 800. Hopefully, what I was seeing at Worlds and saying should happen will come true. She focuses her attention, pairs down, and peaks at the games. You have to go watch the 200 Free at World's last year to understand why I am so bullish on this swimmer. What Phelps is to the butterfly, she is to the freestyle. It's beautiful! I love watching her race the freestyle and it's sad that she scratched the 200.


Manaudou was shook after losing the 400 for the first time in 4 years

Enter Katie Hoff, the 19 year old American who is competing in her second Olympics with a schedule of 5 individual events (as many as Phelps). She's got the second fastest time this year in the 400 with a 4:02.20. She actually went a little slower in the finals at trails, but she should be tapering for a peak in Beijing. American Kate Ziegler has a 4:03.92, so she's the 4th fastest swimmer this year behind British swimmer Rebecca Adlington (4:02.80). Ziegler and Adlington will also be competing with Hoff in the 800.


Katie Hoff looks to power through the competition in the 200, 400 & 800

I gotta give a shot out to Otilya Jedrzejczek, the Pole who took second at Worlds last year, with a best time of 4:04.23. Rowdy and the American announcers tend to get her last name right, pronounced Yed-ZAY-Check, not JED-ruh-zack as some have said it. In 2005 she was in a car accident that claimed her brother's life, but has been able to bounce back and still perform in the pool. She's more of a force in the 200 Fly where she once held the WR, but look for her in this final where should could jump onto the podium.

Medal Predictions:

Video:

Laure Manaudou dominates in Melbourne

HandyCam video of Katie Hoff setting the AR in Missouri

Laure Manaudou's stroke is insanely perfect as she sets the WR at Worlds

 

 

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