Swimgating 2011: Day 4

e

And you thought air pollution was a problem in Beijing.

Welcome to Day 4 of our running guide to read while having a few soda pops prior to watching night prelims night on your computer. Hold on, let me pop in some mood music first. Ah, there we go. NIGHT SWIMMMMMMMMMMMING....DESERVES A QUIET NIGHT. Bet you never heard that one before.

Day 4 kicks off with the women's 50 backstroke, and I have to admit I can't wait for the monotone Australian/Irish announcing duo (I've dubbed them the "coma twins") to call this first heat. Who will win? Will it be Gebramehdin Yanet Seyoum or Faleumata Samassekou? Moreover, we get our first look in this meet at legendary Chinese backstroker Gao Chang. What's that? You say she swam the 100? I'll have to check. (Scrolling....scrolling..) There she is! Sorry Gao!

The men's 100 freestyle follows but we can all agree it's totally James Magnussen's race to lose. Unless, of course, he follows the precedent of "guys who break the world record leading off the 4x100 free relay on night one and then don't win later." In which case he'll have good company in his own country between Eamon Sullivan (2008 Olympics) and Michael Klim (2000 Olympics). So I guess it's not his race to lose

Next up is the women's 200 fly, which mercifully only has five heats at this particular meet. China holds the top two seeds between Liu Zige and Jiao Liuyang. I smell a really good Kathleen Hersey swim coming up. I would give her words of encouragement but I don't speak English.

Lastly, we have the men's 200 IM. Really, World Championships? You had to go and launch us right back into another swimgasm right away? Didn't Lochte and Phelps just race each other? Not tonight, World Championships. I'm tired, and I have a headache. STOP IT! I MEAN IT!