2016 Short Course World Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2016 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• December 6th – December 11th, 2016
• Windsor, Ontario, Canada
• WFCU Centre
• SCM (25m)
• Prelims: 9:30 AM EST/Finals: 6:30 PM EST
• Start Lists/Results
• Live Stream ($)

Swimmers are set to compete in day 4 finals at the 2016 FINA Short Course World Championships, with the action kicking off at 6:30 pm Eastern. Tonight, we’ll crown the world champions in the women’s 50 fly, 100 IM, and 400 free, as well as the men’s 200 free relay, 100 IM, 50 free,  50 back, and 800 free relay. We’ll also see semifinals of the 50 fly for the men, along with the 50 back and 100 breast for the women.

The 50 fly American Record is on watch, as Kelsi Worrell will battle Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen in an attempt to earn her first individual gold of the meet. The 100 IM finals for both men and women will feature the current World Record holders, with Vlad Morozov and Katinka Hosszu headlining their respective fields. Both will be swimming a double tonight. Morozov’s 2nd race will take place in the men’s 50 free final, while Hosszu races in the finals of the 400 free.

Follow along with us for live updates on tonight’s events.

MEN’S 200 FREE RELAY FINALS

• 2014 World Champion – Russia, 1:22.60
• World Record – Russia, 1:22.60, 2014
• Championship Record – Russia, 1:22.60, 2014

GOLD: Russia, 1:24.32

SILVER: USA, 1:24.47

BRONZE: Japan, 1:24.31

The top 4 teams in tonight’s final were all within 3 tenths of each other. Heading into the final leg, Russia and the USA were in 4th and 5th, but a pair of clutch anchor legs moved them up into 1st and 2nd. Russia won gold thanks to a 20.71 anchor from Vlad Morozov. The USA came up just short, as Tom Shields anchored in 20.58, giving them the fastest split of the field, to move up into 2nd.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY FINALS

• 2014 World Champion: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 24.58
• World Record: Therese Alshammar (SWE), 24.38, 2009
• Championship Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 24.58, 2014

GOLD: Jeanette Ottesen, DEN, 24.92

SILVER: Kelsi Worrell, USA, 25.27

BRONZE: Rikako Ikee, JPN, 25.32

Team USA’s Kelsi Worrell came up short of gold in the final, as Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen busted out the only sub-24 of the field to win the event. Worrell’s time was good for silver ahead of Japanese junior standout Rikako Ikee, who touched out France’s Melanie Henique (25.33) by .01 to take bronze.

MEN’S 100 IM FINALS

• 2014 World Champion: Markus Diebler (GER), 50.66
• World Record: Vlad Morozov (RUS), 50.30, 2016
• Championship Record: Markus Diebler (GER), 50.66, 2014

GOLD: Michael Andrew, USA, 51.84

SILVER: Daiya Seto, JPN, 52.01

BRONZE: Shinri Shioura, JPN, 52.17

Team USA’s Michael Andrew busted out a 51.84, making the first individual medal of the meet for the junior standout a gold one. Andrew got his hand to the wall just ahead of Japan’s Daiya Seto and Shinri Shioura, who rounded out the medals.

With a quick turnaround after the 200 free relay, Russia’s Vlad Morozov, the World Record holder in this race, faded to a tie for 6th in 52.83.

WOMEN’S 100 IM FINALS

• 2014 World Champion: Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 56.70
• World Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 56.67, 2015
• Championship Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 56.70, 2014

GOLD: Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 57.24

SILVER: Emily Seebohm, AUS, 57.97

BRONZE: Alia Atkinson, JAM, 58.04

Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu started off her night golden, picking up the 100 IM victory in 57.24. That was just a half second shy of her own World Record and Championship Record in the event. Australia’s Emily Seebohm was also sub-58, touching in 2nd to hold off a late charge from Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson. With her 30.44 on the 2nd 50, which was the fastest of the field, Atkinson secured the bronze.

MEN’S 50 FLY SEMIFINALS

• 2014 World Champion – Chad Le Clos (RSA), 21.95
• World Record – Steffen Deibler (GER), 21.80, 2009
• Championship Record – Chad Le Clos (RSA), 21.95, 2014

Top 8:

1. Tom Shields, USA, 22.38
2. Chad Le Clos, RSA, 22.42
3. Dylan Carter, TRI, 22.53
4. David Morgan, AUS, 22.62
5. Alexander Popkov, RUS, 22.69
6. Andrii Govorov, UKR, 22.70
7. Takeshi Kawamoto, JPN, 22.74
8. Albert Subirats, VEN, 22.76

Tom Shields blasted a new American Record time of 22.38 to lead semifinals of the men’s 50 fly. He’ll have another showdown with Chad Le Clos, who took 2nd through semis, in tomorrow night’s final. Trinidad’s Dylan Carter, who swims for the USC Trojans collegiately, also landed a top 3 seed with a quick 22.53.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE FINALS

• 2014 World Champion – Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 3:55.76
• World Record – Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 3:54.52, 2013
• Championship Record – Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 3:55.76, 2014

GOLD: Leah Smith, USA, 3:57.78

SILVER: Veronika Popova, RUS, 3:58.90

BRONZE: Chihiro Igarashi, JPN, 3:59.41

Team USA’s Leah Smith knocked a few seconds off her prelims time to win gold handily in 3:57.78. Russia’s Veronika Popova stayed within tenths of Smith until the final 100, as Smith took off with a 59.50 down the stretch. Popova wound up with silver ahead of bronze medalist Chihiro Igarashi (JPN).

Finishing just off the podium was Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, who took 4th in 3:59.89.

MEN’S 50 FREE FINALS

• 2014 World Champion: Florent Manaudou (FRA), 20.26
• World Record: Florent Manaudou (FRA), 20.26, 2014
• Championship Record: Florent Manaudou (FRA), 20.26, 2014

GOLD: Jesse Puts, NED, 21.10

SILVER: Vlad Morozov, RUS, 21.14

BRONZE: Simonas Bilis, LIT, 21.23

Russia’s Vlad Morozov dove in for his 3rd race of the session in the 50 free final, coming up just short of gold as the Netherlands’ Jesse Puts got his hand to the wall first. Morozov was just 4 hundredths back for 2nd, while Lithuanian Record holder Simonas Bilis touched 3rd.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK SEMIFINALS

• 2014 World Champion – Etiene Medeiros (BRA), 24.67
• World Record – Etiene Medeiros (BRA), 24.67, 2014
• Championship Record – Etiene Medeiros (BRA), 24.67, 2014

Top 8:

1. Etiene Medeiros, BRA, 26.00
2. Ali DeLoof, USA, 26.12
3. Mariia Kameneva, RUS, 26.29
4. Emily Seebohm, AUS, 26.33
5. Kylie Masse, CAN, 26.34
6. Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 26.37
7. Kathleen Dawson, GBR, 26.44
8. Daryna Zevina, UKR, 26.45

Brazil’s Etiene Medeiros, the defending world champion in this race, led the way through semis with a 26.00 to out-touch Team USA’s Ali DeLoof, who took 2nd seed in 26.12. In her 3rd race of the night, Katinka Hosszu earned a spot in the finals with a 26.37 for 6th. Canadian Kylie Masse set a new Canadian Record in front of the home crowd, taking 5th in 26.34.

MEN’S 50 BACK FINALS

• 2014 World Champion: Florent Manaudou (FRA), 22.22
• World Record: Florent Manaudou (FRA), 22.22, 2014
• Championship Record: Florent Manaudou (FRA), 22.22, 2014

GOLD: Junya Koga, JPN, 22.85

SILVER: Jeremy Stravius, FRA, 22.99

BRONZE: Pavel Sankovich, BLR, 23.03

Japan’s Junya Koga and France’s Jeremy Stravius battled to the finish of the men’s 50 back. It was Koga who got his hand on the wall 1st, just over a tenth ahead of Stravius. Taking the bronze was Pavel Sankovich, who won Belarus’ first medal of the meet.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST SEMIFINALS

• 2014 World Champion – Alia Atkinson (JAM), 1:02.36
• World Record – Ruta Meilutyte (LTU)/Alia Atkinson (JAM), 1:02.36
• Championship Record – Alia Atkinson (JAM), 1:02.36, 2014

Top 8:

1. Lilly King, USA, 1:04.96
2. Molly Hannis, USA, 1:04.50
3. Alia Atkinson, JAM, 1:04.72
4. Miho Teremura, JPN, 1:05.03
5. Jenna Laukkanen, FIN, 1:05.09
6. Rachel Nicol, CAN, 1:05.15
7. Silja Kansakoski, FIN, 1:05.17
8. Chloe Tutton, GBR, 1:05.20

Team USA’s Lilly King and Molly Hannis picked up the 1st and 2nd seed for finals with a pair of 1:04s. Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, who medaled in the 100 IM earlier in the session, was also in the 1:04-range to take 3rd. Tomorrow night’s final should be an exciting race between Olympic champ King, U.S. Olympian Hannis, and World Record holder Atkinson.

MEN’S 800 FREE RELAY FINALS

• 2014 World Champion – Team USA, 6:51.68
• World Record – Russia, 6:49.04, 2010
• Championship Record – Russia, 6:49.04, 2010

GOLD: Russia, 6:52.10

SILVER: USA, 6:53.34

BRONZE: Japan, 6:53.54

The Russian men bookended the session with relay wins, closing out day 4 finals with gold in the 800 free relay. The big difference maker was Alexander Krasnykh, who anchored in 1:40.93 to pull them up from 4th to 1st. The USA picked up another silver, with Blake Pieroni giving them the fastest opening split of the field in 1:43.14 and Zane Grothe anchoring in a quick 1:42.66.