Paris Olympics Day 6 Preview (Aug. 1): What to watch, schedule

Night 6 of swimming features four medal events.

Katie Ledecky and the Americans will attempt to upset Australia in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, but it’s a tall task. Australia has the two fastest swimmers ever at the discipline in Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus, and also won the world title in 2023 by breaking its own world record. The U.S., meanwhile, won the 2022 world title and finished runner-up to the Aussies at 2023 Worlds.

Both China and Canada are also in the mix; China as the defending gold medalist, and Canada with teenage phenom Summer McIntosh, who already has a gold and silver in Paris.

McIntosh is the favorite in the women’s 200m butterfly, having won both the 2022 and 2023 world titles. American Regan Smith, who won silver Tuesday in the 100m backstroke, should be her top challenger.

Other names to look out for: Olympic record-holder Zhang Yufei of China, 2023 world runner-up Elizabeth Dekkers of Australia, and 17-year-old American Alex Shackell, whose dad Nick swam for Great Britain at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The women’s 200m breaststroke features Americans Kate Douglass and Lilly King, who finished first and sixth overall in Wednesday’s semifinals. Defending gold medalist and 2023 world champion Tatjana Smith of South Africa is the favorite.

Two-time Olympic 200m backstroke medalist Ryan Murphy placed 10th overall in the semis on Wednesday, missing Thursday’s final. Hungarian Hubert Kos, the 2023 world champion, topped the semis and is favored to take the final.