The men’s 100-meter breaststroke was followed by the 400-meter freestyle. In Heat 4, the audience was expecting some spectacular action as two American swimmers, Aaron Shackell and Kieran Smith, were here to exhibit their abilities at the Paris Olympics. However, the entire race was extremely difficult for the Team USA athletes, with only one of them securing a coveted final position.
There’s no semi-final in this event, so the eight swimmers with the fastest timings from all heats will qualify. The instant the whistle blew, all of the swimmers on the grid jumped into the water, and because 400 meters was a lengthy race, they remained calm and did not rush.
Samuel Short of Australia led for many laps before being overtaken in the last few meters by Brazil’s Guilherme Costa. Aside from the swim for the lead, Korean swimmer Kim Woomin and American swimmer Aaron Shackell competed for third place.
Both of them fought in a close race, but the Brazilian won first place with a 3:44.23 and the Austrian took second with a 3:44.88, while the American swimmer finished third with a 3:45.45. Shackell edged Woomin by 0.07 seconds, and Kieran Smith finished sixth on the grid.
Smith finished 11th overall among athletes from all heats, and with just eight qualifying, his dreams of winning a coveted Olympic medal were dashed. While Smith struggled at the Paris Olympics, American fans are thrilled to watch these two female swimmers, who gave it their all to secure a spot in the 100-meter butterfly semi-finals.
Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh Qualify to the Next Round, like Aaron Shackell
Every single swimming event at the Paris Olympics was spectacular, including Heats 3 and 4 of the women’s 100-meter butterfly. The two heats featured two separate American athletes determined to go to the semi-finals.
Torri Huske dominated Heat 3 and finished first with a 56.72. However, in Heat 4, Japanese swimmer Mizuki Hirai won the race by keeping Walsh behind her. The world record holder held the lead, but with a few meters to go, she lost her pace and fell behind her challenger.
Additional Team USA athletes qualified in other swimming categories, and supporters are looking forward to the next phase at the Paris Olympics because of the exciting races.
