New Vote: What was your favourite race from the 2011 World Swimming Championships?

Vote above for your favourite race of the World Swimming Championships. If clicking 'Vote' just isn't enough, make your case for your favourite race in the comment section. If your favourite isn't on the list... the comment section also awaits.

Men's 200m Freestyle - Battle royale between swimming's superpowers. The significance of the race increased as it acted as a baton change between the former owner and newest incumbent of the title 'World's Best Swimmer'.

Women's 800m Freestyle - A definite contender for the head-to-head race of the competition. Rebecca Adlington and Lotte Friis were the clear pre-race favourites, and very little separated the pair for all 800 metres.

Men's 1500m Free - A truly historic race. The only men's world record to survive the tech-suit era went down almost exactly 10 years after it was originally set. Sun Yang broke the record with one of the most incredible final 50 metres you will ever witness.


Women's 200m Backstroke - In years to come this race might be remembered as the first of many, many individual World golds for Missy Franklin. She also came closer than any other woman to breaking an individual WR in Shanghai.

Men's 100m Breaststroke - After the tragedy that hit Norway, Alexander Dale Oen was swimming for more than just himself. A poignant example of an athlete channeling extreme emotions to achieve greatness.


Men's 200m IM - Phelps v Lochte. World Record. Best times for both men. Great, great race.

Women's 200m IM - A lot was expected from this race and it lived up to the hype. We had lead changes, a top three split by just 0.22 seconds and a storming freestyle leg from Ye Shiwen that took her from 5th to first in the space of 29.42 seconds.


Men's 4 x 100m Free Relay - The race started with James Magnussen setting a new textile best time, and ended up with a hard charging Fabien Gilot just falling short of giving France a much sought after win. It also saw a full strength US team finish third, a changing of the guard?

Women's 4 x 100m Free Relay - On paper the pre-race favourites won the race, so why did this race make the list? Well, because for 300m this race was getting away from the Dutch and it took a stunning 52.46 from Femke Heemskerk to overhaul the Americans.


Other - The races above were my personal favourites, but if there is another race you feel deserves to make this list then add it in the comments.

Watch The Best Races of the 2011 World Swimming Championships

Here's is my rundown of the best races so far from Shanghai:

1. Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay

This relay proved once again that when it comes to drama, no event does it better than the Men's 4 x 100 Free relay.




2. Women's 200m IM

The most anticipated event on the women's schedule did not disappoint. An Allstar line-up gave us an Allstar race.

Watch World Swimming Championships Live Video and Chat

In a Speed Endurance first, we will not only be showing the live racing but also hosting a live chat throughout the World Swimming Championships. Use the chat to get those burning issues off your chest before, during or after racing.

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the World Championships Chat. We've had over 10,000 comments since day one. It's been a fantastic way to watch the swimming and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Let's do it all over again for the next big competition.

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Poll Results: Which Women's Event Are You Most Looking Forward to in Shanghai?

Photo Finish

100m Free - 59 votes (25.1%) - Nothing could split the traditional blue ribbon event (100m Free) and the 'All Star' newcomer (200m IM). Interestingly the 100 Free is the most anticipated race on both the men's and women's schedule.

200m IM - 59 votes (25.1%) - Stacked with star names from the swimming world's superpowers: Rice, Coutts, Kukors, Ye Shiwen, Belmonte, Miley, Hosszu, Coventry. In terms of glitz and glamour, this is the women's equivalent of the men's 200m Free.

Big Draws

400m Free - 25 votes (10.6%) - An intriguing race that was shaping up to be a head-to-head duel between Rebecca Adlington and Federica Pellegrini, before Camille Muffat, Chloe Sutton, Katie Hoff and Kylie Palmer all staked their claim for the title in the last year.

4 x 100 Free relay - 16 votes (6.8%) - I would imagine most of the votes cast for this race came from the Netherlands. The race between NED, USA, AUS and CHN should be closer than people think, but with two potential medalists in the 100 Free individual event, the Dutch women should have enough firepower to get the job done.

400m IM - 13 votes (5.5%) - Think of this as the 200m IM-lite. With the exception of Arianna Kukors and Alicia Coutts, the other contenders for the 200 IM go in this event.

100m Back - 12 votes (5.1%) - A good chance for a Chinese victory in this race with Zhao Jing, however, she will have to overcome a seriously talented field including Natalie Coughlin, Gemma Spofforth, Aya Terakawa and Anastasia Zueva. Watch out for Holland's Femke Heemskerk (1:00.03 this year, trains with Camille Lacourt) for an upset. The one name missing is Missy Franklin, who only qualified for the 200m Back.

200m Breast - 11 votes (4.7%) - One for the world record hunters. There isn't much debate on who the favourite for this event is, the big question is how close Rebecca Soni can get to Annamay Pierse's world record.

Breaking News: Yannick Agnel WILL Swim the 400m Free in Shanghai

According to the French Swimming Federation's official press dossier, their hottest new star, Yannick Agnel WILL be competing in the 400m Free in Shanghai. 

His participation was in doubt after he came down with a lung infection back in May, but his performance at the Paris Open (3:45.31) showed that he was in the kind of form necessary to compete for a spot on the podium.

Agnel will also be competing in the 4 x 100 Freestyle relay, which was the other event in doubt on the Frenchman's schedule, as well as the 200 Free and 4 x 200 Free relay.

Other interesting notes from the dossier:

• Camille Muffat will have a busy schedule. She is down to swim the 100, 200, 400 & 800 Free as well as the 4 x 100 Medley relay and the 4 x 200 Free relay.

• Fred Bousquet will swim the Butterfly leg on the 4 x 100 Medley relay.

•  This one might test the limits of the term 'interesting', but here are the heights of the Men's French team: Agnel 2.01m, Lacourt 1.97m, Bernard 1.96m, Mallet 1.96m, Gilot 1.93m, Meynard 1.92m, Duboscq 1.91m, Stravius 1.90m, Bousquet 1.88m, Stasiulis 1.86m, Rouault 1.82m. An average of 1.92m (6 ft 3in) per swimmer.

UPDATE 20/7: Fred Bousquet will not swim in the 4 x 100 Free relay. Yannick Agnel is the only swimmer with a place in the final secure. The heats team will be led off by Alain Bernard who will be joined by William Meynard, Jeremy Stravius and Fabien Gilot. The fastest three men from the heats will make up the final team alongside Agnel.

Keri-Anne Payne Wins 10km Open Water in Shanghai Doing Backstroke

Such a gutsy move, swimming the 10km Open Water race backstroke. Just proves once again that when it comes to race tactics, Keri-anne Payne is playing chess, while the rest of the world plays checkers.


Congratulations to Keri-anne, winning back-to-back world titles. Hopefully this is the first, but not the last swimming gold for Britain in Shanghai.

PS. The photo above is just the turn at the buoy. She swam the rest of the race freestyle.

Shanghai World Championships - Underrated All Stars

World Championship predictions are coming in thick and fast from around the swimming community. The various predictions differ on certain events and agree on others. What is becoming clear is that a lot of top swimmers are coming into this event under the radar. As a result, I decided to go through each event with David 'The Swim Geek' Rieder to come up with our own Underrated All Star rosters.

. MEN Tom Willdridge David Rieder . . 50 Free Adam Brown Alain Bernard . 100 Free Marco DiCarli Jason Lezak/Eamon Sullivan* . 200 Free Paul Biedermann Danila Izotov . 400 Free Peter Vanderkaay Paul Biedermann . 800 Free Pal Joensen Chad LaTourette . 1500 Free Chad LaTourette Ous Mellouli . 50 Back Liam Tancock Liam Tancock . 100 Back David Plummer David Plummer . 200 Back Benjamin Stasiulis James Goddard . 50 Breast Damir Dugonjic Fabio Scozolli . 100 Breast Christian Sprenger Mark Gangloff . 200 Breast Eric Shanteau Eric Shanteau . 50 Fly Milorad Cavic Andrii Govorov . 100 Fly Jason Dunford Tyler McGill . 200 Fly Michael Rock Tyler Clary . 200 IM Markus Rogan Markus Rogan . 400 IM Chengxiang Wang David Verraszto . 4 x 100 Free Brazil Germany

. 4 x 200 Free France Australia . 4 x 100 Medley Japan Russia . * - If James Magnussen withdraws, Eamon Sullivan takes his place in the 100 Free. . . WOMEN Tom Willdridge David Rieder . . 50 Free Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace . 100 Free Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace Britta Steffen . 200 Free Sarah Sjostrom Allison Schmitt . 400 Free Chloe Sutton Katie Hoff . 800 Free Kate Ziegler Kate Ziegler . 1500 Free Grainne Murphy Keri-Anne Payne . 50 Back Georgia Davies Emily Seebohm . 100 Back Gemma Spofforth/Femke Heemskerk Elizabeth Pelton . 200 Back Kirsty Coventry Anastasia Zueva/Elizabeth Beisel . 50 Breast Leisel Jones Rebecca Soni . 100 Breast Ji Liping Jillian Tyler . 200 Breast Nadja Higl Amanda Beard . 50 Fly Li Tao Marieke Guehrer . 100 Fly Christine Magnuson Christine Magnuson

. 200 Fly Jessica Schipper Jessica Schipper . 200 IM Katinka Hosszu Katinka Hosszu . 400 IM Caitlin Leverenz Katinka Hosszu/Kirsty Coventry . 4 x 100 Free Sweden Germany . 4 x 200 Free Great Britain Great Britain . 4 x 100 Medley Netherlands Sweden

World Swimming Championships Predictions - Women

Women's World Championships Predictions - Version 1.1

    50 Free
1    Kromowidjojo
2    Alshammar
3    Hardy

I'm banking on a return to form for the world's best sprinter last year, Kromowidjojo. Her performances in Dubai last year was so head and shoulders ahead of the world, I'm looking at a repeat in the long pool. Hardy has a scheduling conflict with the 50 Breast, but I think she can step up twice in the same session.  
   
    100 Free
1    Kromowidjojo
2    Halsall
3    Heemskerk

This was a real head over heart decision. For Worlds, I've gone for Kromowidjojo for the same reasons highlighted above. I believe Halsall will take silver in Shanghai before turning it into gold in London next year. Coughlin, Steffen, Coutts and Yi Tang have all entered my intrapersonal conversation for the bronze spot.   
   
    200 Free
1    Pellegrini
2    Muffat
3    Palmer

Without trying to spoil the surprise, I see a repeat of Beijing happening for Pellegrini - a disappointing 400 Free followed by a stunning 200 Free. At the Paris Open, Camille Muffat looked like she is poised for a huge breakthrough meet. Kylie Palmer seems to be more consistent than compatriot Bronte Barratt. The obvious name missing here is Allison Schmitt. She has been in my Top 3 all year, but I just couldn't find a place for her. Toughest event to predict on the schedule.  
   
    400 Free
1    Adlington
2    Muffat
3    Pellegrini

Pellegrini has been in every spot of this Top 3 in the lead up to Worlds. Adlington has been in supreme form in this event for the last two years and has had a big training cycle since her 4:02.8 in March. Muffat's 400 in Paris was spectacular and I think she can drop down to 4:02. Should Pellegrini have a poor swim in the 400 (not out of the question going by the previous few years) and drop out of the medals, my money is on Chloe Sutton for the bronze spot.   

Poll Result: Which Men's Event Are You Most Looking Forward to in Shanghai?

The Blue Ribbons

100m Free (57 votes, 22%) - At first glance it is a surprise to see a non-Phelps/Lochte event at the top of the pile, however, history has proven over time that the 100 Free is truly swimming's blue ribbon event. Also one of the most open races we'll see in Shanghai with no clear favourite.
200m Free (50 votes, 19%) - The event I thought would end up on top. Swimming's Hollywood event.  Lochte v Phelps. Phelps v Biedermann. Agnel v Biedermann. USA v Russia. East v West. Youth v Experience.


The Hot List

200m Breast (27 votes, 10%) - Another surprise to see this event so high, but then it does have one of the sport's global superstars trying to hold off the challenge from his young Japanese compatriot, and an even younger German who could upset them all.
200m IM (27 votes, 10%) - One for the Phelps v Lochte fans. Also one for those on World Record watch. The turning point in this event... last year's US Nationals when Lochte beat Phelps.

Yannick Agnel To Miss the 400m Free at the World Championships

After being struck down by a lung infection, Yannick Agnel has been forced to change his event schedule at the World Championships. Despite being ranked 2nd in the world this year, the Frenchman will drop the 400m Free (and likely the 4 x 100 Free) from his programme. He still plans to race in the 200m Free and 4 x 200m Free.

Clearly a big loss for Agnel and the entire French team. He wasn't a lock for a medal, however China's Sun Yang, South Korea's Park Tae Hwan and Agnel were looking like the clear Top 3 for Shanghai. Agnel's withdrawal from the event opens the door for the likes of Ous Mellouli, Peter Vanderkaay, Ryan Napoleon and Paul Biedermann.

(If he is forced to pull out of the relay) His loss will also be felt on France's 4 x 100m Free relay. He added a much needed stability to the French team, which was highlighted by his final leg on the gold medal winning relay in Dubai. The demons that have so often haunted this French relay might just start creeping back in again...

National Championship Bonanza Part II

Italian Championships, April 13 - 17

WATCH LIVE

Start List (Federica Pellegrini will swim the 100, 200, 400 & 800 Free)
Results


Russian Championships, April 18 - 23

Start List (coming soon)
Results (coming soon)
Russian Qualifying Standards

South African Championships, April 11 - 16


Start List
Results

Amsterdam Swim Cup - 11- 13 March

Highly coveted World Championship spots are up for grabs at the Amsterdam Swim Cup this weekend. Expect some fast swimming from Holland's finest.

Results & Startlists - HERE

UPDATE - Femke Heemskerk has broken the Dutch 100m Back record in this morning's heats with her time of 1:00.03. Inge Dekker has also qualified for Shanghai with a 57.62 100m Fly.