Olympic Games: Opening Day Prelim Action Not Short On Intriguing Matchups

The long wait is almost over, Olympic Games action under way on Saturday morning in Rio de Janeiro. All the questions that have surfaced in the past few months will be answered, and showdowns that have long been anticipated will come to fruition over eight days of competition. Here’s a look at how the first early afternoon of preliminaries is shaping up.

Note: All times are those used for seeding purposes.

Men’s 400 Individual Medley

Only four heats, but the two-seeded sections are intriguing. Favorite Kosuke Hagino (4:08.54) of Japan will be in Lane Four of the third heat, surrounded by Hungarian and reigning World Champs silver medalist David Verraszto (4:09.90) and Australian Thomas Fraser-Holmes (4:11.09). Hagino is looking for his first major title in the event, after missing the podium in 2013 at the World Championships and after missing last summer’s World Champs with a fractured elbow.

In the last seeded heat, Americans Chase Kalisz (4:09.54) and Jay Litherland (4:11.02) sandwich two-time defending world champion Daiya Seto (4:08.50) of Japan. Kalisz has medaled at the past two World Champs while Litherland was one of the surprises of the United States Trials, as he ran down reigning Olympic champ Ryan Lochte on the freestyle leg. Despite back-to-back world crowns, Seto is often overshadowed by his Japanese teammate, Hagino.

Women’s 100 Butterfly

Sarah Sjostrom by Patrick B. Kraemer

There will be a trio of sub-57 performers in the last of three seeded heats, headlined by the overwhelming favorite for gold, Sarah Sjostrom. The Swede heads into action with her world record sitting at 55.64, and nearly a second clear of No. 2 seed, Kelsi Worrell (56.48). Sjostrom will be in a heat featuring Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen (56.83) and rising Canadian teenager …

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