Swimming Blogs - Chris DeSantis

I was going to try and come up with something original to say about Jason Lezak in this space, but I couldn't.

Day 7 Picks:

200 Backstroke Women:

1. Kirsty Coventry

2. Elizabeth Beisel

3. Margaret Hoelzer

Rationale: Coventry looks like a complete no brainer after her world record 100 back and 4:29 400 IM. To make things interesting, I'm going out on a limb and predicting she will be 2:04 here. Beisel has shaken off her first Olympic swim at age 15 and is ready to sneak onto the medal stand. Hoelzer also looks strong but is a little bit off what she was in Omaha. She will likely need to equal her time from a month ago just to hold onto a medal here.

100 Butterfly Men:

1. Michael Phelps

2. Frederick Bousquet

3. Michael Cavic

Rationale: It pains me not to put Ian Crocker on this list, but its been a while since he showed his world record form. Meanwhile Phelps is lopping off huge chunks of time and Bousquet has already displayed a ton of power with his 46.6 relay split. Cavic didn't get a chance to show his stuff in this event at this last shave meet after he was booted from the meet for a political statement on the medal stand. Look for him to improve on his 51.65 and make his way onto the medal stand.

800 Freestyle Women

1. Rebecca Adlington

2. Katie Hoff

3. Coralie Balmy

Rationale: I won't go against Adlington again, even if I have a sneaking suspicion that Katie Hoff has to break through somewhere in her program. Adlington showed great closing speed but in my opinion the most impressive part of her swim was the race strategy that she employed to get there. She swam her own race from beginning to end. Hoff is typically a much better closer in that event, evidence that she may have departed a bit from her time tested strategy. Balmy looked very impressive throughout the 400 as well so I am picking her for bronze.

50 Meter Freestyle Men:

1. Eamon Sullivan

2. Alain Bernard

3. Cesar Cielo

Rationale: Ok fine. I give in. Sullivan is better than Van den Hoogenband. I can see it. Bernard has awful technique but is as strong as a horse. Cielo is my wild card in a field where a ton of swimmers will be vying for bronze.