Mack Horton, one of the two active Australian swimmers with an individual Olympic title, failed to qualify outright for any individual events for next month’s world championships.
Horton, who memorably beat Sun Yang in the Rio Olympic 400m freestyle, finished second in that event at Australia’s trials this week. Normally, that would be enough to make the team for a major international meet.
But Horton’s time -- 3:46.47 -- was .33 off the Australian federation’s minimum standard (though he is ranked eighth in the world this year). He took gold in Rio in 3:41.55.
He could still be put on the team in the 400m free, but for now the lone Australian swimmer in that event at worlds will be Jack McLoughlin, the only man to get under the time standard at trials. Full meet results are here.
Horton also finished fifth in the 200m free at trials, which could send him to worlds in South Korea as a 4x200m free swimmer. Horton was third in the 800m free in hist last event on Tuesday. Horton, the 2017 World bronze medalist in the 1500m free, did not enter that event this week.
OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!
