The American fans’ attention was drawn to the men’s 400-meter individual medley because two Team USA athletes competed in the same heat. While Chase Kalisz’s Olympic ambition was dashed, Carson Foster persevered and finished first, impressing the crowd.
The grid was highly competitive, but the swimming world is well aware of Team USA’s dominance. Foster entered the pool with a reaction time of 0.67 seconds and finished second quickest in the first 50 meters, trailing only Japanese swimmer Tomoyuki Matsushita. However, as they approached the following 50 meters, the US athlete gained an advantage over his rival and was confident in his lead.
The American maintained a high level of confidence, and despite knowing that the grid was pursuing him, he maintained a significant lead over them. While Matsushita aimed for the heat win, he faced a challenge from Italian swimmer Alberto Razzetti, who raced immediately behind him.
This duel for second place gave the Team USA athlete a significant edge, as he was able to concentrate on his victory and secure it in an astounding 4:11.07. Tomoyuki Matsushita came in second with a time of 4:11.18, followed by Alberto Razzetti in 4:11.52.
While Carson Foster easily qualified for the final, finishing fourth overall in all heats, Chase Kalisz’s Olympic dream came to an end as he finished 11th overall.
Carson Foster Becomes the Only American Athlete in the 400M Medley Finals
Carson Foster’s first Olympic final in the 400-meter medley would take place a few hours later, at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday (July 28). As the only American in the category’s finals, the 22-year-old has a lot of opportunities ahead of him.
Carson (Lane 6) will be joined by New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt (Lane 1), Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita (Lane 2) and Daiya Seto (Lane 3), France’s Leon Marchand (Lane 4), the United Kingdom’s Max Litchfield (Lane 5), Italy’s Alberto Razzetti (Lane 7), and Germany’s Cedric Beussing (Lane 8).
The competition will be extremely tough, but Team USA’s athlete will at least hope for an Olympic medal, which will allow him to demonstrate his abilities at the sport’s pinnacle.
