2015 FINA World Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

On the 3rd morning of the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, we’ll see American Kevin Cordes making his World Championships premiere in the 50 breast. The event will feature the 100 breast champion, Great Britain’s Adam Peaty, and the official World Record holder in this event, South Africa’s Cameron Van Der Burgh.

The women’s 200 free prelims are locked and loaded with incredible talent. Katie Ledecky and Katinka Hosszu each have a new World Record to their name already at this meet. They’ll challenge World Record holder Federica Pellegrini and defending World Champion Missy Franklin.

Singapore’s rising star Joseph Schooling will take a crack at the men’s 200 fly, as will American Tom Shields. The defending World and Olympic Champion Chad le Clos is a major player in this event.

Sun Yang will look to defend his 800 free title to close the session, as the men vie for spots in the final.

2015 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN’S 50M BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

  • 2013 World Champion: Cameron Van Der Burgh, RSA – 26.77
  • World Record: 26.67 – Cameron Van Der Burgh, RSA – 2009
  • Championship Record: 26.67 – Cameron Van Der Burgh, RSA – 2009

Cameron Van Der Burgh opened the session in an exciting fashion, chasing the world record line in prelims this morning. He got his fingers to the wall in front of it, finishing at 26.62. It was a new World Record, under the official record of 26.67 he set in 2009 and tying Adam Peaty’s unconfirmed record from last summer.

Van Der Burgh set himself in position to lead, but there are multiple men who can realistically break that record in semis or finals. It looked like it might not last very long at all, as Slovenia’s Damir Dugonjic narrowly missed it in the next heat up at 26.70. Peaty responded in the final heat with a 26.68 to sit in between those 2 headed into semis.

American Kevin Cordes fared well in that heat with Peaty, setting a new personal best by 4 tenths. He was also under the 27 mark at 26.93 to rank 4th overall in his first swim of the meet. That’s just .07 away from Mark Gangloff’s American Record of 26.86 from the 2009 World Championships.

Brazil moved 2 swimmers through to the semis with Felipe Franca Silva (27.10) at 5th and Felipe Lima (27.37) at 8th. Slovenia also got 2 in with Dugonjic’s teammate Peter John Stevens (27.46) coming in 12th.

Christian Sprenger (27.54) narrowly missed the semifinals, as did American Brendan McHugh (27.62), at 17th and 18th respectively.

Top 16: Van Der Burgh, RSA; Dugonjic, SLO;  Peaty, GBR; Cordes, USA; Silva, BRA; Siladi, SRB; Snyders, NZL; Lima, BRA; Feldwehr, GER; Perez-Dortona, FRA; Prigoda, RUS; Stevens, SLO; Balandin, KAZ; Toniato, ITA; Mustafin, UZB; Titenis, LTU

Results

WOMEN’S 200M FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

The heat 5 battle between Katinka Hosszu and Katie Ledecky was the highlight of the 200 free prelims. Ledecky lead from start to finish, clocking the only sub-1:56 with a 1:55.82. with Hosszu trailed by just a few tenths the whole way. They’ll take lane 4 in their respective semifinal heats. China’s Duo Shen finished behind them to take 4th after prelims.

Defending World Champion Missy Franklin followed that up by winning the next heat to take the 3rd seed. She was just a tenth slower than Hosszu in 1:56.42. Also in that heat, World Record holder Federica Pellegrini grabbed the 6th spot for semis with a 1:57.34.

In the final heat, Russia’s Veronika Popova (1:57.18) took the win in the final heat in front of her home crowd. Australia’s Emma McKeon (1:57.78), France’s Charlotte Bonnet (1:57.99), and Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk (1:58.10) will also move through to semis from that heat.

Sweden’s Michelle Coleman grabbed 10th in 1:58.11, one spot ahead of Great Britain’s Siobhan Marie O’Connor (1:58.27).

Top 16: Ledecky, USA; Hosszu, HUN; Franklin, USA; Shen, CHN; Popova, RUS; Pellegrini, ITA; McKeon, AUS; Bonnet, FRA; Heemskerk, NED; Coleman, SWE; O’Connor, GBR; Guo, CHN; Andreeva, RUS; Igarashi, JPN; Rangelova, BUL; Lyrio, BRA

Results

MEN’S 200M BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

  • 2013 World Champion: Chad le Clos, RSA – 1:54.32
  • World Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps, USA – 2009
  • Championship Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps, USA – 2009

After earning a medal in an impressive showing in the 50 fly yesterday, Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh was the dominant performer in the men’s 200 fly prelims. He posted a world leading 1:53.71 to overtake Denmark’s Viktor Bromer (1:54.47) on the back half. The two are now the top seeds for semifinals.

American Tom Shields also qualified for semis out of that heat, sitting 9th at 1:56.12. He beat out South Africa’s Sebastian Rousseau (1:56.29) for 3rd. Singapore’s Joseph Schooling was the next man to the wall. His 1:56.85 was good enough to qualify him 13th.

The race between Japan’s Daiya Seto (1:55.60) and Poland’s Jan Switkowski (1:55.78) came down to the wire in heat 4 to qualify them 3rd and 4th.

Brazil’s Leonardo De Deus topped team USA’s Tyler Clary, 1:55.83 to 1:55.86 for 5th and 6th overall. Next to De Deus, defending World Champion Chad Le Clos cut it very close in the qualifying rounds. His 1:56.92 tied him for 4th in that heat with Australia’s Grant Irvine, just 14th after prelims.

Top 16: Cseh, HUN; Bromer, DEN; Seto, JPN; Switkowski, POL; Seto, JPN; Clary, USA; Sakai, JPN; Morgan, AUS; Shields, USA; Dmitriadis, GRE; Rousseau, RSA; Croenen,, BEL; Schooling, SIN; Le Clos, RSA; Irvine, AUS; Kunert, GER

Results

MEN’S 800M FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

  • 2013 World Champion: Sun Yang, CHN – 7:41.36
  • World Record: 7:32.12 – Zhang Lin, CHN – 2009
  • Championship Record: 7:32.12 – Zhang Lin, CHN – 2009

Defending World Champion Sun Yang easily won the first circle seeded heat. His 7:47.87 gave him a commanding lead over Canada’s Ryan Cochrane (7:50.28). That’s just off his 2015 best of 7:47.58 from Chinese Nationals.

The final heat was much faster and much more competitive. USA’s Connor Jaeger and Italy’s Greg Paltrinieri made it a 2 man race for the win. Jaeger came through at the finish in a world leading time of 7:44.77 over Paltrinieri, who took 2nd overall in 7:45.15.

That swim for Jaeger is just a second off the American record of 7:43.60. The owner of that record, Michael McBroom, qualified 4th for finals in 7:47.05. He came into the wall just behind Great Britain’s Stephen Milne (7:46.41).

Australia’s Mack Horton will get his first World Championship final swim in this event. His 7:47.08 landed him 6th. Poland’s Jacek Wojdak (7:48.95) will make his second finals appearance.

In an early heat, Norway’s Henrik Christiansen set a Norwegian record in 7:49.70 to qualify 8th. Cochrane missed the final, bumped to 10th after the final heat. That means Yang was the only swimmer from the first circle seeded heat to qualify for finals.

Top 8: Jaeger, USA; Paltrinieri, ITA; Milne, GBR; McBroom, USA; Horton, AUS; Yang, CHN; Wojdak, POL; Christiansen, NOR

Results

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Choke
8 years ago

MEILUTYTE closed 1 second slower than in the SFs…

Pvdh
8 years ago

Also, if cal was such a great experience, why would she go back to her old coach?

Pvdh
8 years ago

Her livelihood is swimming. Had she not gone to college she would have millions in the bank already. I’m not sure she will be as marketable in 2016 as she was in 2012. She has lost out on millions that she can never get back. She can always go to college post swimming and pay it easily.

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Pvdh
8 years ago

I agree.

completelyconquered
Reply to  Pvdh
8 years ago

Once Frank Busch retires/moves from National Team Director you should apply for the job.

Pvdh
8 years ago

*if she doesn’t get a pb in 200 free in her prime, it’s a disappointment. 53 high in 100 free? Also stagnant, and that’s also after freestyle heavy training at Cal. And I’m not saying college is a bad idea. There are many this year who are having success. It was a mistake for her.

Pvdh
8 years ago

A 1:56 mid in the 200 proves me wrong? Lol. Her best 2 events are 100 back and 200 back and they have fallen by the wayside as compared to 2011, 2012, 2013. Now maybe she can surprise me in those events, but by the looks of it, she won’t. If she doesn’t get a on in the 200 free

calswimfan
8 years ago

I also agree with some of you that think Cseh going 1 53 in prelims is overkill. But he will make the finals and maybe it gave him some confidence going into tomorrow. I predict 1 54 mid for him in the semi.

rockjano
Reply to  calswimfan
8 years ago

Cseh really needs confidence, he was always a bit short of that. It is hard to be along with Phelps and Lochte. He also changed trainer and it semms to show. He is not the best starter but very fast.
Let’s see… 🙂

Teacher and Coach
8 years ago

Woke up at 6:45 Eastern this morning to find out that the Americans didn’t mess around in the morning session. Hope the evening goes just as well!

Philip Johnson
8 years ago

Oh David, come on now. One minute you’re worshiping “King Chad” on how great a swimmer is and now you’re hoping for the best. At least stay consistent.

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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