London is Coming! - Swimming Predictions

I'm back with London just two weeks away.  I will try to predict each of the 302 events in London, starting today with swimming:

Men's 50 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Cesar Cielo Filho, BRA
Silver:  Cullen Jones, USA
Bronze:  Anthony Ervin, USA
The two veteran Americans were very fast at the Olympic Trials and figure to be the top challengers to the defending champion.

Men's 100 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  James Magnusson, AUS
Silver:  Yannick Agnel, FRA
Bronze:  James Roberts, AUS
Magnusson is the new face of the event, but Agnel has great potential and versatility.

Men's 200 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Ryan Lochte, USA
Silver;  Yannick Agnel, FRA
Bronze:  Paul Biedermann, GER
With Phelps passing on this event, the way seems clear for Lochte, but there are a slew of challengers and don;t discount Park Tae-Hwan.

Men's 400 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Park Tae Hwan, KOR
Silver:  Sun Yang, CHN
Bronze:  Hao Yun, CHN
Expect Park to close furiously in the last 50 meters and repeat his gold medal.

Men's 1500 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Sun Yang, CHN
Silver:  Ryan Cochrane, CAN
Bronze:  Pal Joensen, DEN
Joensen is from the Faroe Islands, but since they did not have an Olympic committee, he must compete for Denmark.

Men's 100 Meter Backstroke
Gold:  Matt Grevers, USA
Silver:  Camille Lacourt, FRA
Bronze:  Liam Tancock, GBR
Grevers had a huge swim at the Trials, Tancock is the best medal hope for the British men.

Men's 200 Meter Backstroke
Gold:  Ryan Lochte, USA
Silver:  Ryosuke Irie, JPN
Bronze:  Tyler Clary, USA
This would be a repeat of the podium results from last year's World Championships in Shanghai.

Men's 100 Meter Butterfly
Gold:  Michael Phelps, USA
Silver:  Tyler McGill, USA
Bronze:  Milorad Cavic, SRB
Cavic is rounding into form with a European Championship for the first time since his 2010 spinal surgery, so another epic battle with Phelps is possible.  Remember, Cavic goes out quickly and Phelps closes furiously, Phelps won by 0.01 in Beijing.

Men's 200 Meter Butterfly
Gold:  Michael Phelps, USA
Silver:  Takeshi Matsuda, JPN
Bronze:  We Peng, CHN
Phelps should win comfortably in his best event.

Men's 100 Meter Breaststroke
Gold:  Kosuke Kitajima, JPN
Silver:  Fabio Scozzoli, ITA
Bronze:  Cameron van der Burgh, RSA
The 2011 World Champion, Alexander Dale Oen of Norway died of a heart attack in April.

Men's 200 Meter Breaststoke
Gold:  Kosuke Kitajima, JPN
Silver:  Daniel Gyurta, HUN
Bronze:  Ryo Tateishi, JPN
Kitajima will be favored to sweep the breaststroke events for the third consecutive Games.

Men's 200 Meter Individual Medley
Gold:  Michael Phelps, USA
Silver:  Ryan Lochte, USA
Bronze:  Laszlo Cseh, HUN
Phelps v. Lochte II, expect another epic battle.  Lochte broke the only world record at the Worlds last year in this event.

Men's 400 Meter Individual Medley
Gold:  Ryan Lochte, USA
Silver:  Michael Phelps, USA
Bronze:  Kosuke Hagino, JPN
Phelps v Lochte I, this final will take place on the first day of competition.  I'm sure NBC will make some mention of it.

Men's 4x100 Meter Freestyle Relay
Gold:  Australia
Silver:  United States
Bronze:  France
Magnusson should give the Aussies the edge of the Americans and French.  Will the Americans use Phelps & Lochte, neither of whom qualified for the individual 100 free. 

Men's 4x200 Meter Freestyle Relay
Gold:  United States
Silver:  France
Bronze:  Australia
When you put Phelps and Lochte together on this relay, the Americans should win easily.

Men's 4x100 Meter Medley Relay
Gold:  United States
Silver:  Australia
Bronze:  Japan
Japan should hold off Brazil, France and Russia.  Expect the Brits to be in contention early, but they do not have an elite freestyler.  Will Lochte take a spot in this event over Nick Thomas or Tyler McGill?

Women's 50 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Francesca Halsall, GBR
Silver:  Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED
Bronze:  Britta Steffen, GER
World champion Therese Alshammar of Sweden has not shown form yet this year, but the veteran is looking for her first gold in her fifth Olympics.

Women's 100 Metre Freestyle
Gold:  Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED
Silver:  Francesca Halsall, GBR
Bronze:  Sarah Sjoestroem, SWE
The gold medal favorite is an announcer's nightmare in a sprint event.

Women's 200 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Allison Schmidt, USA
Silver:  Camille Muffat, FRA
Bronze:  Federica Pellegrini, ITA
Schmidt was great at the Olympic Trials, but has to prove herself in an international championship.

Women's 400 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Rebecca Adlington, GBR
Silver:  Camille Muffat, FRA
Bronze:  Federica Pellegrini, ITA
The home country has a lot of hopes pinned on the double Beijing champion.  Pellegrini could win if she is at her best.

Women's 800 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  Rebecca Adlington, GBR
Silver:  Lotte Friis, DEN
Bronze:  Katie Ledecky, USA
American Kate Ziegler won this event at the 2005 and 2007 Worlds, but failed to make the final in Beijing.

Women's 100 Meter Backstroke
Gold:  Missy Franklin, USA
Silver:  Anastasia Zueva, RUS
Bronze:  Aya Terekawa, JPN
Franklin is better over the longer distance, but she is the fastest in the world in this event also.

Women's 200 Meter Backstroke
Gold:  Missy Franklin, USA
Silver:  Belinda Hocking, AUS
Bronze:  Anastasia Zueva, RUS
The World Champion, this is Franklin's best event and she could challenge the world record.

Women's 100 Meter Butterfly
Gold:  Alicia Coutts, AUS
Silver: Dana Vollmer, USA
Bronze:  Ellen Gandy, GBR
Vollmer edged Coutts at the Worlds last year, I'm picking the upset here.

Women's 200 Meter Butterfly
Gold:  Natsumi Hoshi, JPN
Silver:  Jiao Liuyang, CHN
Bronze:  Ellen Gandy, GBR
Jiao edged Gandy at the Worlds last year.  Hoshi has the fastest time in the World this year.

Women's 100 Meter Breaststroke
Gold:  Rebecca Soni, USA
Silver:  Breeja Larson, USA
Bronze:  Leiston Pickett, AUS
She hasn't shown the form yet this year, but don't count Australia's Liesel Jones.

Women's 200 Meter Breaststroke
Gold:  Rebecca Soni, USA
Silver:  Satomi Suzuki, JPN
Bronze:  Micah Lawrence, AUS
Soni is the defending champion and this is her strongest event.

Women's 200 Meter Individual Medley
Gold:  Ye Shiwen, CHN
Silver:  Stephanie Rice, AUS
Bronze:  Alicia Coutts, AUS
This should be one of the most broadly competitive events of the meet with the Americans Ariana Kukors and Caitlyn Levernz in the mix as well.

Women's 400 Meter Individual Medley
Gold:  Elizabeth Beisel, USA
Silver:  Hannah Miley, GBR
Bronze:  Zheng Rongrong, CHN
Beisel won the 2011 Worlds impressively, Miley will have the crowd behind her.

Women's 4x100 Meter Freestyle Relay
Gold:  Netherlands
Silver:  Australia
Bronze:  United States
The Dutch have dominated this event over the last four years, neither the Aussies nor the Americans have a swimmer within about a second of Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands.

Women's 4x200 Meter Freestyle
Gold:  United States
Silver:  Australia
Bronze:  Great Britian
The Americans have a very strong team, Adlington could help the Brits onto the podium.

Women's 4x100 Meter Medley Relay
Gold:  United States
Silver:  Australia
Bronze:  Japan
With Franklin-Soni-Vollmer-Hardy, the Americans could win by over two seconds.  Expect the Chinese, Swedes and British to contend for the lesser medals.