Kirsty under spotlight

hope our readership enjoys the coverage for this Olympiad.
400m Individual Medley

The Headliners: This event could be one of the most-hotly-contested disciplines, thanks to an incredibly deep and tightly packed fields.
If there is a favourite, that distinction currently goes to the United States’ Elizabeth Beisel, who won the world title last summer by more than two seconds with a clocking of 4:31.78.

En route to that triumph, Beisel had to fend off challenges from Australia’s Stephanie Rice and Great Britain’s Hannah Miley.
Rice prevailed four years ago, dueling with Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry all the way to the wall.
Although injuries have plagued Rice in recent years, she is peaking at the perfect time, evidenced by her time of 4:33.45 from the Australian Trials.

Meanwhile, Miley was the victor at the British Trials, delivering a mark of 4:32.67. Rice was the bronze medalist behind Beisel at the World Champs in 2011, with Miley claiming the silver medal.

Hungarian Katinka Hosszu, who has been 4:32.83 this year, will be in contention for gold.
Hosszu has benefited from her career at the University of Southern California and training under the watch of Dave Salo.
Another European, Spain’s Mireia Belmonte has already been in the 4:33 range this season and China’s Li Xuanxu and Ye Shiwen warrant attention.

Caitlin Leverenz is currently the favourite for the second American slot while Coventry is a wildcard, with uncertainty surrounding her ability to excel at her past levels.
Blair Evans earned the second position on the Australian squad, but she will need to get considerably faster than the 4:36 she managed to earn a trip to London.
What Else?

Only Stephanie Rice and Kirsty Coventry have managed to crack the 4:30 barrier, and that was during the high-tech suit era.
But, it might require a sub-4:30 clocking in order to secure gold or a minor medal in London.
The preliminary battle to land one of the eight bids to the championship final will be intriguing as there will be limited opportunities to ease off the pace and conserve energy.