2021 FINA World Cup – Doha: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2021 FINA WORLD CUP STOP #3 – DOHA

• Thursday, October 21st – Saturday, October 23rd
• Hamad Aquatic Center, Doha, Qatar
• Prelims: 10 am local / 3 am ET
• Finals: 6 pm local / 11 am ET
• SCM (25m)
• SwimSwam Preview
• Entries
• Results
• Live Stream

After only three events were contested during Friday’s preliminary session due to small fields, Day 2 finals from the 2021 FINA World Cup in Doha will feature 11 events with some of the sport’s biggest names in action.

Two of the most intriguing matchups of the day come towards the end of the session, as Kyle Chalmers aims for a third straight win in the men’s 100 freestyle and Tom Shields battles head-to-head with Daiya Seto in the men’s 200 butterfly.

Chalmers won the 100 free in both Berlin (45.73) and Budapest (45.50), but will face stiff competition here in Doha after South Korean phenom Hwang Sunwoo established himself as the top seed out of the prelims in 47.08. Chalmers had also won the 50 free at the first two stops before getting beaten by Russia’s Vladimir Morozov—the fourth-fastest qualifier in 47.56—on Thursday.

Chalmers cruised through in 47.55 for third, while Dutchman Jesse Puts (47.29) sits second.

In the 200 fly, both Shields and Seto come into the timed final event after picking up wins on Day 1, with Shields triumphing for a third straight time in the 100 fly and Seto outduelling South African Matt Sates to win the 100 IM.

Shields fell to Chad Le Clos in Berlin before winning in Budapest in a time of 1:51.18, with his season-best standing at 1:50.24 from the ISL season.

The only swimmer that’s been faster than Shields in 2021-22? That would be Seto, who clocked a blistering 1:49.41 at Match 8 of the ISL regular season, where he beat none other than Shields (1:50.39) head-to-head. (Shields led by a half-second at the 150 before Seto out-split him by more than a second on the last 50—something to watch for.)

In addition to Chalmers in the 100 free, other swimmers with a chance to win an event for the third straight time on the 2021 FINA World Cup circuit today are Madi Wilson in the women’s 200 free and Sates in the men’s 200 IM.

Women’s 400 IM – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 4:18.94, Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 2017

1. Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN), 4:31.78
2. Maria Ugolkova (SUI), 4:35.81
3. Haeun Jung (KOR), 4:37.53

Hungarian veteran Zsuzsanna Jakabos pulled away on the backstroke leg en route to a decisive win in the women’s 400 IM, clocking in at 4:31.78 to win the event for the second time on the World Cup circuit this year.

Jakabos set her season-best time of 4:31.15, which ranks sixth in the world, in winning the opening leg in Berlin.

Switzerland’s Maria Ugolkova was locked in a tight battle with South Korean Jung Haeun for second the majority of the race, but broke away with a demonstrative 30.81 final 50 to finish in the runner-up position in 4:35.81. Ugolkova set a Swiss National Record in Budapest at 4:33.51.

Jung, 28, took third in 4:37.53.

Men’s 1500 Free – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 14:15.49, Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR), 2016

1. Kim Woomin (KOR), 14:44.58
2. Akos Kalmar (HUN), 14:52.21
3. Lee Hojoon (KOR), 15:16.11

Despite the men’s 1500 free field only featuring three competitors, some great racing developed as South Korea’s Kim Woomin and Hungary’s Akos Kalmar locked horns for the first half of the event.

After holding a half-second lead at the halfway mark, the 20-year-old Kim began to pull away, keeping all but two of his 50s under 30 seconds en route to a big win in a time of 14:44.58.

Kim doesn’t have any prior SCM 1500s on his record, but did clock 15:26.17 to take 28th at the 2019 World Championships. His time today ranks him third in the world for the 2021-22 season.

Kalmar, 21, fell off Kim’s pace down the stretch and settled for second in 14:52.21. The Hungarian set his best time at the 2018 SC World Championships in 14:31.94.

Rounding out the field was Korean Lee Hojoon in 15:16.11.

Men’s 50 Back – Final

• World Cup Record: 22.61, Peter Marshall (USA), 2009

1. Pieter Coetze (RSA), 23.13
2. Szebasztian Szabo (HUN), 23.55
3. Won Youngjun (KOR), 23.70

South African youngster Pieter Coetze followed up his 23.77 prelim swim with a blazing-fast 23.13 to win the men’s 50 backstroke final, moving into eighth in the world this season.

The 17-year-old won the 200 back on Day 1 in a time of 1:52.09.

Hungarian sprint fly specialist Szebasztian Szabo showed off some versatility by claiming second in 23.55, just off his PB of 23.47 set in Budapest, while South Korea’s Won Youngjun also cracked the 24-second barrier for third in 23.70.

Women’s 200 Free – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 1:50.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017

1. Madi Wilson (AUS), 1:53.54
2. Katja Fain (SLO), 1:54.51
3. Annika Bruhn (GER), 1:56.29

After being hospitalized with COVID-19 around a month ago, Australian Madi Wilson continued her impressive performance on the World Cup circuit by winning the women’s 200 freestyle for a third straight time in 1:53.54.

Wilson broke away from the pack on the second 50 and only extended her lead from there, chopping two-tenths off her season-best time of 1:53.75 to win by almost a full second. Wilson maintains her place as the third-fastest woman in the world this season.

20-year-old Katja Fain, who broke the Slovenian National Record in Budapest at 1:54.25, steadily made her way through the field over the course of the race to take second in 1:54.51, putting together a very strong back-half of 58.15 (29.27/28.88).

German Annika Bruhn (1:56.29) overtook Australian Leah Neale (1:56.62) on the last 50 to take third.

Men’s 200 IM – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 1:51.09, Daiya Seto (JPN), 2018

1. Matt Sates (RSA), 1:52.32
2. Danas Rapsys (LTU), 1:54.29
3. Yakov Toumarkin (ISR), 1:55.56

The breaststroke leg was the key for Matt Sates as the 18-year-old South African picked up his third straight win in the men’s 200 IM in a time of 1:52.32.

Sates trailed Lithuanian Danas Rapsys by .02 at the halfway mark, but turned up the heat with a 32.22 breast split (compared to 33.96 for Rapsys) to open up a big lead and sail to a two-second victory.

Sates broke the World Junior Record at the opening leg of the World Cup in 1:51.45, a time that ranks him fourth in the world tihs season.

Rapsys, who set his season-best at 1:54.00 in Berlin, was nearly caught by Israel’s Yakov Toumarkin on the breast, but re-established his runner-up placing with a quick 26.97 closing 50 for a final time of 1:54.29.

Toumarkin, who was 1:54.57 in Berlin, took third in 1:55.56.

Women’s 100 Back – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 55.23, Shiho Sakai (JPN), 2009

1. Kira Toussaint (NED), 55.79
2. Michelle Coleman (SWE), 57.23
3. Madi Wilson (AUS), 58.64

Kira Toussaint rolled to her second consecutive win in the women’s 100 backstroke in a time of 55.79, breaking free from Sweden’s Michelle Coleman who was right with her after the opening 50 meters.

Toussaint split 27.23/28.56 for a final time of 55.79, just off her season-best of 55.72, set in winning the Budapest stop, which ranks her second in the world this season.

Coleman was out fast in 27.34 but ended up almost a second and a half back of Toussaint for second in 57.23, her third-fastest swim ever and fastest since November 2019.

Fresh out of winning the 200 free, Madi Wilson was back in the water to take third in 58.64. Wilson was primarily known as a backstroker earlier in her career before exploding on the freestyle scene, with her 100 back PB of 56.37 set back at the 2014 SC World Championships.

Men’s 50 Breast – Final

• World Cup Record: 25.25, Cameron van der Burgh (RSA), 2009

1. Arno Kamminga (NED) / Peter Stevens (SLO), 26.10
2. –
3. Fabian Schwingenschlogl (GER), 26.17

After trading wins in Berlin and Budapest, Dutchman Arno Kamminga and Slovenian Peter Stevens will share the top of the podium in the men’s 50 breaststroke here in Doha, producing matching times of 26.10.

The time for Stevens is a season-best, lowering the 26.22 he set in winning the Budapest stop, while Kamminga has been one-tenth faster (26.00) when he won in Berlin.

Germany’s Fabian Schwingenschlogl rounds out the podium in 26.17, .04 off of his swim from the Berlin stop.

All three men own their respective National Records in the 25.8 range (Kamminga – 25.84, Stevens – 25.85, Schwingenschlogl – 25.87).

In fourth, South Korea’s Moon Jaekwon (26.46) narrowly missed the National Record he set in the prelims (26.43).

Women’s 50 Fly – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 24.38, Therese Alshammar (SWE), 2009

1. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED), 24.74
2. Holly Barratt (AUS), 25.06
3. Emma McKeon (AUS), 25.07

Ranomi Kromowidjojo vaults into the top spot in the 2021-22 world rankings with a scintillating 24.74 swim in the women’s 50 butterfly, defeating Australians Holly Barratt (25.06) and Emma McKeon (25.07).

Kromowijdojo, who owns the Dutch Record at 24.47 from 2018, downs her previous season-best of 24.81 set in the ISL regular season to overtake Barratt (24.77) for the top spot in the world.

Barratt sat that time in winning the Berlin stop, while McKeon is the only other woman in the world that’s cracked 25 this season, doing so en route to winning in Budapest (24.97).

Jeong Soeun broke the South Korean Record in 25.61 to take fourth, while Australian Madeline Groves notably touched sixth in 26.51 after dropping the 200 fly on Day 1.

Men’s 100 Free – Final

• World Cup Record: 44.95, Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 2018

1. Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 45.03
2. Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 46.31
3. Hwang Sunwoo (KOR), 46.46

Kyle Chalmers dropped one of the fastest swims in history to dominate the talent-stacked field in the men’s 100 freestyle, putting up a sizzling time of 45.03.

Chalmers’ swim registers as the third-fastest in history, as breaks the Commonwealth, Oceanian and Australian Record of 45.46, set by Matthew Abood in November 2009. Chalmers’ previous best time stood at 45.50, set earlier this month in Budapest.

• Chalmers Splits: 21.64 / 23.39

The only swims faster than Chalmers in history came from Amaury Leveaux (44.94) in 2008 and Vladimir Morozov (44.95) in 2018.

All-Time Performances, Men’s 100 Freestyle (SCM)

1. Amaury Leveaux (FRA), 44.94 – 2008
2. Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 44.95 – 2018
3. Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 45.03 – 2021
4. Florent Manaudou (FRA), 45.04 – 2014
5. Nathan Adrian (USA) / Caeleb Dressel (USA), 45.08 – 2009/2020

Morozov, who defeated Chalmers on Day 1 in the 50 free, was second to the 50 in 22.20, and held off the hard-charging Hwang Sunwoo to take second in 46.31, slotting in for fourth in the world rankings this season.

Hwang, who hit a time of 47.08 in the heats, split 22.69/23.77 en route to a final time of 46.46, breaking Park Tae Hwan‘s South Korean Record of 46.89 set in 2016.

Dutchman Jesse Puts (47.34), American Blake Pieroni (47.59) and Brazilian Fernando Scheffer (47.98) also broke 48 seconds in fourth, fifth and sixth.

Women’s 100 Breast – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 1:02.36, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU)/Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2013/2016

1. Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 1:06.08
2. Emily Visagie (RSA), 1:06.92
3. Back Suyeon (KOR), 1:07.35

Russia’s Yuliya Efimova made it two-for-two in the women’s breaststroke events here in Doha, taking the 100 breast victory in a time of 1:06.08.

Efimova is one of the fastest swimmers in history with a best time of 1:02.91, set in September 2016.

South African Emily Visagie finished .12 off her personal best set in Budapest for second in 1:06.92, while South Korea’s Back Suyeon rounded out the top-three in 1:07.35.

Men’s 200 Fly – Timed Final

• World Cup Record: 1:48.56, Chad Le Clos (RSA), 2013

1. Daiya Seto (JPN), 1:49.76
2. Kregor Zirk (EST), 1:53.06
3. Tom Shields (USA), 1:53.11

The much-anticipated 200 fly showdown between Daiya Seto and Tom Shields lived up to the hype for 150 meters before Seto pulled away for a big win in 1:49.76.

Shields jumped out to the early lead, turning in 52.31 at the 100 with Seto seven-tenths back in 53.03. After Seto made up half a second on the third 50, the Japanese star charged home in 28.45 while Shields faded badly in 32.02.

Seto’s final time falls just shy of his world-leading 1:49.41 set at the ISL’s Match 8 in Naples on September 19.

Estonian Kregor Zirk was almost two seconds back of Shields with 50 to go, but split 30.05 coming home to nip the American at the wall, 1:53.06 to 1:53.11, to snag second. Shields, who has been as fast as 1:50.24 this season, settled for third, and Belgian Louis Croenen was a close fourth in 1:53.31.

Another South Korean Record fell for fifth-place Moon Seungwoo, who clocked 1:54.22 to down the previous mark of 1:54.75 set by Yoo Jung-nam in 2005.