FINA WORLD CUP 2022 – BERLIN
Annika Johnson contributed to this report.
The last day of the first stop of the 2022 FINA World Cup is here. As has been the case for the past two days, there will be an ‘A’ flight and a ‘B’ flight in this morning’s preliminary session. Flight “A” for all events will take place first, then flight “B” will start immediately after the conclusion of the “A” course. This morning will begin with slow heats of the men’s 400 IM and women’s 800 free, which are timed finals.
Americans will take part in the 200 men’s breaststroke Nic Fink and Reece Whitley, both swim well in Berlin. Whitley, as he has been throughout the meet, is not entered with a time in the 200 breast and will therefore compete in the final of the event this morning during the “B” flight.
Male 50 fly includes Hungary Sebastian Szabo, who holds the world record in the event alongside Brazil’s Nicholas Santos at 21.75. Coincidentally, that time also ties the World Cup record, so we’ll be keeping an eye on Szabo in case he swims a personal best. He will still have it though Dylan Carter to face in the race, and Carter swam well in Berlin.
The women’s 200 back will feature another matchup between Americans Miss Nelson and Canadians Kylie Masse and Ingrid Wilm. Nelson was able to win the 100 back last night, so she enters this morning with some momentum.
After winning the women’s 100 breast last night, Meilutyte route returns to action in the women’s 50 breast this morning. Meilutyte is the top seed for the event, coming in at 29.33, just 0.01 seconds ahead of Anastasia Gorbenko.
400 IM MEN – SLOW
- World record: 3:54.81, Daiya Seto (JPN), 2019
- Jr World Record: 3:56.47, Ilya Borodin (RSF), 2021
- World Cup Record: 3:57.25, Daiya Seto (JPN), 2018
of Norway Jon Joentvedt took the top time of the morning, touching the wall first in 4:11.39. He beat narrowly Krzysztof Chmielewski of Poland who finished second (4:13.75). Joentvedt was the only swimmer to post the slowest seed time in tonight’s final, which is 4:12.85.
WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – SLOW HORSE
- World record: 7:59.34, Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 2013
- Jr World Record: 7:59.44, Jianjiahe Wang (CHN), 2018
- World Cup Record: 7:59.34, Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 2013
Maddy Gough from Australia was first over the wall in the women’s 800 freestyle. She won the heat with a time of 8:26.48, about 16 seconds faster than the rest of the field. She came within two seconds of her lifetime best time at the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials and beat four of the seeded times of tonight’s finalists.
100 BUTTERFLY WOMEN – HORSES
- World record: 54.59, Kelsi Dahlia (USA), 2021
- Jr World Record: 55.39, Claire Curzan (USA), 2021
- World Cup Record: 54.84, Kelsi Dahlia (USA), 2018
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Louise Hanson (SWE) – 55.66
- Maaike de Waard (NED) – 57.40
- Angelina Kohler (GER) – 57.73
- Helena Bach (DEN) – 57.90
- Barbora Seemanova (CZE) – 57.91
- Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 57.94
- Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 58.03
- Kim Busch (NED) – 58.08
of Sweden Louise Hanson he secured his first spot in the final by shooting into the wall with a 50m final split of 29.95. She was the only swimmer under 30.00 in that final length and came within .56 of her lifetime best from December 2021. De Waard was just a third of a second behind her best time from the same meet from Hungary in 2021.
MEN 50 BUTTERFLY – HEATS
- World record: 21.75, Nicholas Santos (BRA), 2018/Szebasztian Szabo (HUN), 2021
- Jr World Record: 22.34, Andrei Minakov (RUS), 2020
- World Cup Record: 21.75, Nicholas Santos (BRA), 2018
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Dylan Carter (TTO) – 22.61
- Tom Shields (USA) – 22.63
- Marius Kusch (CLB) –22.64
- Szebasztian Szabo (HUN) – 22.67
- Shane Casas (USA) – 22.68
- Chad le Clos (RSA) – 22.84
- Matteo Rivolta (ITA) – 22.85
- Florent Manaudou (FRA) – 22.90
The men’s 50 fly was cut this morning. Trinidad and Tobago’s Carter took the lead in tonight’s final, just .02 ahead of the US Olympian Tom Shields in the second. This was a solid swim for Carter, but still .63 short of his national record from the 2021 World Championships. First and eighth place this morning were separated by just .29 and Florent Manaudou squeaked into the final with a 22.90, beating his French teammate Maxime Grosset from final to .08.
Marius Kusch edged out world record holder Szabo by .03 to earn third place in the final.
The fifth seed Thomas Ceccon, who won silver in the 50 backstroke final last night, did not compete. He is listed behind 100 later this session.
WOMEN’S 200 BACK – HORSE
- World record: 1:58.94, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2020
- Jr World Record: 2:00.03, Missy Franklin (USA), 2011
- World Cup Record: 1:59.35, Daryna Zevina (UKR), 2016
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Kylie Masse (CAN) – 2:04.58
- Adela Piskorska (POL) – 2:05.31
- Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 2:05.98
- Lotte Hosper (NED) – 2:06.38
- Miss Nelson (USA) – 2:06.39
- Hanna Rosvall (SWE) – 2:06.82
- Daryna Zevina (UKR) – 2:07.05
- Tessa Vermeulen (NED) – 2:07.81
Canada had a great performance in the women’s backstroke this morning with Kylie Masse taking first and Ingrid Wilm third. Masse looked to be in control of the race, being the only swimmer under 2:05.00 so far. 19 years Adela Piskorska he won second place in the final, coming within one second of the Polish national record from December. She posted a blistering second 50 of 31.10, which was .73 faster than Masse over that length. And while Masse, Wilm and Hosper all had faster finishing speeds than Piskorska in the last 50, her initial speed proved insurmountable.
MEN’S 100 BACK – HORSE
- World record: 48.33, Coleman Stewart (USA), 2021
- Jr World Record: 48.90, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017
- World Cup Record: 48.88, Jiayu Xu (CHN), 2018
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Shane Casas (USA) – 50.91
- Apostolos Christou (GRE) – 51.42
- Tomas Franta (CZE) – 51.53
- Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (FRA) / Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 51.66
- –
- Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 51.82
- Javier Acevedo (CAN) – 51.88
- Yakov Toumarkin (ISR) –52.03
Shane Casas he had a tight turnaround between the 50 fly and 100 back, but it only seemed to make him stronger. He enters tonight’s final half a second faster than the entire field.
50 WOMEN’S BRA – HORSES
- World record: 28.56, Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2018
- Jr World Record: 28.81, Benedetta Pilato (ITA), 2020
- World Cup Record: 28.56, Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2018
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Meilutyte route (LTU) – 29.65
- Sophie Hanson (SWE) – 29.91
- Klara Thormalm (SWE) – 30.24
- Lisa Angiolini (ITA) – 30.27
- Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 30.28
- Ida Hulkko (FIN) – 30.31
- Silje Slyngstadl (NOR) – 30.38
- Florine Gaspard (BEL) – 30.48
Lithuanian Meilutyte led the charge this morning, finishing with a .25 second lead over the field. Sophie Hanson joined her under the 30.00 mark and led a strong 2-3 for Sweden with Thormalm right behind her. This was a very solid swim for Hansson, whose best time is 29.55 from the 2021 World Short Course Championships, while Meilutyte was as fast as sub-29.00 before.
Norway’s Silje Slyngstadl returned to the final from the ‘B’ flight, swimming a 30.38 to take seventh overall, knocking Tes Schouten out of the top eight.
200 MEN’S BRA – SAILORS
- World record: 2:00.16, Kirill Prigoda (RUS), 2018
- Jr World Record: 2:03.23, Akihiro Yamaguchi (JPN), 2012
- World Cup Record: 2:00.48, Daniel Gyurta (HUN), 2014
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Matej Zabojknik (CZE) – 2:07.61
- Dawid Wiekiera (POL) – 2:07.63
- Marco Koch (CLB) – 2:07.71
- Nic Fink (USA) – 2:08.56
- Andrius Sidlauskas (LTU) – 2:08.61
- Maksym Ovchinnikov (UKR) – 2:08.93
- Ivo Kroes (NED) – 2:09.71
- Christoffer Haarsaker (NOR) – 2:11.36
Czech national record holder Matej Zabojknik he had an exciting duel with Poland’s Wiekiera, who snuck up on him in the third 50. Zabojknik went out in 28.82, nearly a second faster than Wiekiera’s first 50 fraction. But the 20-year-old Pole gained speed and chipped away at Zabojknik’s lead, splitting 32.52/32.74 over the final two 50s.
The top seed Nic Fink he landed in 4th place, about six seconds off his entry time. Who knows what Fink or Germany is Marco Koch will make the final (Koch’s German national record scare mark from 2:00.00 to 2:00.44).
Reece Whitley swam well at this meet but DNS (didn’t swim) this morning.
WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – HEATS
- World record: 50.25, Cate Campbell (AUS), 2017
- Jr World Record: 51.45, Kayla Sanchez (CAN), 2018
- World Cup Record: 50.58, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 52.41
- Madison Wilson (AUS) – 52.72
- Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 52.74
- Catie de Loof (USA) – 52.77
- Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) – 52.86
- Michelle Coleman (SWE) – 53.06
- Meg Harris (AUS) – 53.10
- Erika Brown (USA) – 53.33
Siobhan Haughey really set the pace this morning, clocking a 52.41 to earn first place in the final. It was a much tighter race for second through fourth, which were separated by just .05. Everyone should be careful Marrit Steenbergen this evening; she was the only swimmer to break 27.00 in the 50 final with a split of 26.97.
The Americans secured two spots in the final, making it one of the most stacked events in tonight’s final session, along with the men’s 50m.
MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – HEATS
- World record: 1:39.37, Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
- Jr World Record: 1:40.65, Matt Sates (RSA), 2021
- World Cup Record: 1:39.37, Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Matt Sates (RSA) – 1:43.14
- Kieran Smith (USA) – 1:43.87
- Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 1:44.28
- Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:44.30
- Luc Kroon (NED) – 1:44.40
- Noah Ponti (SUI) – 1:44.50
- Kregor Zirk (EST) – 1:44.88
- Ben Schwietert (NED) – 1:45.24
19 years Matt Sates from South Africa took an early lead and held on to it. He went out in 23.79 with the only first 50 split under 24.00 in the field and maintained that speed to the finish. Kieran Smith pushed his pace in the second and final length to join Sates under the 1:44.00 mark and earn second place in tonight’s final.
Noe Ponti clocked 1:44.50 in the late heats to take sixth overall, qualifying for the final.
200 IM WOMEN – EVENING
- World record: 2:01.86, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2014
- Jr World Record: 2:04.48, Yiting Yu (GHN), 2021
- World Cup Record: 2:02.13, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2014
TOP 8 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Abbie Wood (GBR) – 2:09.85
- Bailey Anderson (CAN) – 2:10.13
- Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 2:10.30
- Charlotte Bonnet (FRA) – 2:10.47
- Miss Nelson (USA) – 2:10.58
- Sara Franceschi (ITA) – 2:10.67
- Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN) – 2:10.75
- Ilaria Cusinato (ITA) – 2:11.09
of Great Britain Abbie Wood easily defended its top spot, though Bailey Anderson He nearly blew his lead in the final 50 meters with a killer split of 30.76 compared to Wood’s 31.93.
There will be a swim to determine whether Horska or Cusinato will get eighth place in the final. Ilaria Cusinato won the swim-off, posting a 2:09.89, which would have been fast enough for second overall in the heats. Cusinato produced a strong middle of her race, splitting 33.02 backstroke and 36.76 breaststroke to pull away from Horska, who had advanced in the butterfly. Horska ended up touching in 2:11.26, just off her original time.
