Can Carson Foster Win 400 IM Gold At World Championships?

By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam

Carson Foster has been building a fan-base since he was 14 years old, back when he made the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials cut.  However, his 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials performance created a lot of naysayers, even though getting 3rd at U.S. Trials is still an impressive feat. Famously, later that summer at the Austin, Texas sectional meet, Carson dropped a 4:08.46 — a time that edged Chase Kalisz‘s effort for Olympic gold in the event.

At NCAA Champs this past spring fans expected more from Carson, and he delivered, ripping a 3:33.79 in the 400 IM. Of course that was a prelim swim, and he was edged in the final, touching 3rd in 3:35.69. That night my phone blew-up with text messages–endless harsh metaphors about how Carson couldn’t get it done when it mattered.

Carson got it done at the U.S. International Team Trials, wining the 400 IM in 4:09.33.   In this interview Carson details how Chase Kalisz has mentored him for the past six months, and he addresses his ups and downs and near misses, mostly chalking it up to maturity.

2022 Carson Foster World Champs Predictions:

Can he win gold in the 400 IM? Absolutely yes, but I don’t think so this summer. I’d love for Carson to prove me wrong, but my intel tells me Leon Marchand is the man to beat.  Both swimmers are showing momentum. Both could win depending on who is locked in-gear on race day.  In this post Olympic year,  I’m leaning into the “young talent momentum” netting both swimmers an edge over Diaya Seto and Chase Kalisz.   I’d like to see Carson swim a 4:08.22 for a personal best. Ill call that a silver medal. Making Team USA for World Champs was a big step forward. Making the podium in Budapest would be another pivotal step, and I see the Foster vs Marchand battle being one of the big stories on the march to Paris in 2024.

But who cares what I think. It’s all about what do you think? Drop your comments below.

CURRENT 400 IM WORLD RANKINGS

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Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.

This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

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