2022 FINA World Cup – Indianapolis: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2022 FINA WORLD CUP – INDIANAPOLIS

• Thursday, November 3 – Saturday, November 5, 2022
• Indiana University Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• SCM (25 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results (Omega)
• Live Stream

Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet

We’re back for the second finals session of the FINA World Cup in Indianapolis. Night 1 provided lots of excitement, and this session should provide more of the same.

Katie Ledecky posted the top time of the morning in the women’s 200 freestyle, narrowly edging out Siobhan Haughey, who’s looking to complete a Triple Crown in the event. When Haughey faced Ledecky in Toronto, Ledecky was about ten minutes removed from setting a world record in the 1500 freestyle–she’ll be fresh this time around. Of course, Ledecky won’t be her only competition. There’s four teenagers in the final capable of making things interesting: Summer McIntosh, Bella Sims, Claire Weinstein, and Erin Gemmell. Watch for Sims to take the race to Haughey and Ledecky and then try to hang on.

Primarily known for her freestyle, Sims also surprised many by taking the top seed in the women’s 100 backstroke. Beata Nelson has owned that race for the whole World Cup circuit so far, using her exceptional underwaters to push her ahead of the field. Sims also has the Canadian duo of Kylie Masse and Ingrid Wilm to contend with, who are also hoping to get the better of Nelson.

On the men’s side, Nic Fink aims to continue his breaststroke dominance: he won a Triple Crown in the 100 breast on Night 1 and is currently 7-for-7 in breaststroke events at the World Cup. In this session, he’ll be holding off Nicolo Martinenghi and Joao Gomes Jr to complete his 50 breaststroke Triple Crown.

Kyle Chalmers is looking to close out his sweep of the men’s 100 freestyle. He’s the world record holder in the event, and in prelims, he posted 46.61 to secure lane 4. While he might not bet near his world record time, he’s been improving at each stop, so he’s on the right trajectory as the focus turns towards SC Worlds. Drew Kibler was the only other person in the field to crack 47 seconds in the heats.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – Fastest Heat

• World Record: 4:18.94, Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 2017
• World Junior Record: 4:21.22, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2022
• World Cup Record: 4:18.94, Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 2017

PODIUM:

1. Sydney Pickrem (CAN) – 4:26.66
2. Katie Grimes (CLB) – 4:27.11
3. Bailey Andison (CAN) – 4:31.30

During the fly leg of the race, it was all Katie Grimes and Hali Flickinger. They continued to hold the top two spots on the first part of the backstroke leg, but Sydney Pickrem began to make her move at the end of backstroke. Coming off the turn into breaststroke, she really began to turn on the jets, rolling right part Grimes to take the lead.

Pickrem held a 1.18 second lead heading into the final 100m. Grimes, who earned silver at LC Worlds and just hours ago set a world junior record in the 1500 freestyle, reduced that gap to .55 seconds over the freestyle leg. In the closing meters, it looked like she might have enough speed going to catch Pickrem, but she ultimately ran out of room.

Pickrem touched first in 4:26.66, about three second off her lifetime best. Grimes finished just over a half-second behind her in 4:27.11. Pickrem’s teammate Bailey Andison rounded out the podium in 4:31.30, starting the Canadian women off on the right foot in this session.

MEN’S 1500 FREE – Fastest Heat

• World Record: 14:06.88, Florian Wellbrock (GER) – 2021
• World Junior Record: 14:27.78, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 2012
• World Cup Record: 14:15.49, Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) – 2016

PODIUM:

1. Bobby Finke (CLB) – 14:45.77
2. Ondrej Gemov (CZE) – 14:48.72
3. Charlie Clark (USA) – 14:50.44

From lane 7, Ondrej Gemov set the pace early, establishing about a two second lead over Americans Bobby Finke and Charlie Clark. Finke, Clarke, and Marwen Elkamash stuck together in lanes 3-4-5, with Markwash holding steady at Finke’s hip, with Clark on the Gator’s other shoulder.

The Americans were able to pull away from Elkamash, but Gemov,who earned bronze in the 800 free last weekend, also extended his gap to over three seconds. With about 350 meters to go, Finke began reel in Gemov and within a 100m, he had completely erased the deficit and taken over the lead.

Then, it was Finke’s turn to stretch out his lead, with Gemov trying to maintain second place ahead of Clark. He was able to do hold on, touching about just under three seconds behind Finke: 14:45.77 to 14:48.72.

MEN’S 50 BACK – Finals

• World Record: 22.22, Florent Manaudou (FRA) – 2014
• World Junior Record: 22.77, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 2018
• World Cup Record: 22.61, Peter Marshall (USA) – 2009

PODIUM:

1. Dylan Carter (TTO) – 22.72
2. Ryan Murphy (USA) – 22.99
3. Justin Ress (USA) – 23.07

Dylan Carter has done it again, with his win in the men’s 50 backstroke he has completed his second Triple Crown in 2 days. He does it with a massive personal best, ripping 22.72 to undercut his former national record of 22.94. The time is also a new US Open record, breaking the record Guilherme Guido set in 2019.

It was Ryan Murphy who flipped first at the 25, but Carter powered home to beat Murphy by more than two-tenths. Murphy was the only swimmer besides Carter under 23 seconds. He touched in 22.99 and his teammate Justin Ress, who won gold in this event at LC Worlds, took third in 23.07.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – Finals

• World Record: 1:50.31, Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 2021
• World Junior Record: 1:52.85, Kayla Sanchez (CAN) – 2018
• World Cup Record: 1:50.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2017

PODIUM:

1. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 1:51.19
2. Katie Ledecky (CLB) – 1:52.10
3. Madi Wilson (AUS) – 1:52.23

Siobhan Haughey made it back-to-back events with Triple Crowns by taking the win in the women’s 200 freestyle. We expected Bella Sims to take the race to Haughey and Katie Ledecky, but insteaed it was Haughey who got out fast, swimming under her own world record pace through the first 100 yards. Sims was trying to hang with her, but Ledecky caught her on the third 50, and was able to get her hand on the wall in second, ahead of both Sims and Madi Wilson. With Wilson finishing third, this is a repeat of the Toronto podium.

Though Sims finished off the podium, she set a new world junior record with her swim of 1:52.59. She’s now the second Sandpiper to set a world junior record today.

MEN’S 200 IM – Finals

• World Record: 1:49.63, Ryan Lochte (USA) – 2012
• World Junior Record: 1:51.45, Matt Sates (RSA) – 2021
• World Cup Record: 1:50.37, Shaine Casas (USA) – 2022

PODIUM:

1. Kieran Smith (CLB) – 1:52.98
2. Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:53.37
3. Finlay Knox (CAN) – 1:54.03

After securing his first World Cup win yesterday in the men’s 400 freestyle, Kieran Smith added another to his total here with a win in the men’s 200 IM. Smith was fifth after the butterfly leg, but powered through the field with a 28.23 backstroke split to take the lead. He kept the through the rest of the race, holding off a charging Danas Rapsys, who also finished second to Smith in the 400 free.

Canada’s Finlay Knox touched sixth after breaststroke, but ripped a 26.81 freestyle split, the second fastest in the field, to get his hand on the wall third.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – Finals

• World Record: 54.89, Minna Atherton (AUS) – 2019
• World Junior Record: 55.99 Benchmark
• World Cup Record: 55.23, Shiho Sakai (JPN) – 2009

PODIUM:

1. Bella Sims (CLB) – 55.75 WJ
2. Beata Nelson (USA) – 55.90
3. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 56.00

Make that two world junior records in 12 minutes for Bella Sims. She won the women’s 100 back in world junior record fashion with only one heat of the men’s 200 IM separating her two swims. At the final turn, she was .28 seconds behind Beata Nelson, but had a monster final underwater that pulled her even with Nelson and then let her take the lead. If you’re keeping track, that now makes three world junior records for the Sandpipers of Nevada today.

Nelson finished in 55.90 to take second, the only other swimmer under 56 seconds. Sims, Nelson, Wilm, and Masse were all close together coming down the stretch, and it was Wilm who was able to get her hand on the wall ahead of Masse to round out the podium.

MEN’S 50 BREAST – Finals

• World Record: 24.95, Emre Sakci (TUR) – 2021
• World Junior Record: 25.85, Simone Cerasuolo (ITA) – 2017
• World Cup Record: 25.25, Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) – 2009

PODIUM:

1. Nic Fink (USA) – 25.83
2. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 26.02
3. Michael Andrew (USA) – 26.32

This win in the men’s 50 breaststroke marks Nic Fink‘s second Triple Crown in two days; he has yet to lose a breaststroke race during the 2022 FINA World Cup. Here, he was just a bit slower than he was last weekend, 25.78 to 25.83, but it didn’t matter as he was about two-tenths ahead of second place Nicolo Martinenghi.

Michael Andrew finished third in 26.32.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY – Finals

• World Record: 24.38, Therese Alshammar (SWE) – 2009
• World Junior Record: 24.55, Claire Curzan (USA) – 2021
• World Cup Record: 24.38 Therese Alshammar (SWE) – 2009

PODIUM:

1. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 25.16
2. Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) – 25.18
3. Abbey Weitzeil (USA) – 25.32

It was a close finish in the women’s 50 butterfly, with Louise Hansson pipping Beryl Gastaldello by .02 seconds to win, 25.16 to 25.18. Hansson hadn’t swum this race at either of the previous World Cup stops but wanted to “switch up her event lineup” for this final meet.

It was American sprinter Abbey Weitzeil who turned first at the 25 meter mark. Hansson and Gastaldello ran her down on the closing meters, but she was able to maintain a spot on the podium by touching third. Weitzeil is primarily known for her freestyle abilities, and talked after the race about how exciting it was for her to also mix up her events and “get to swim something other than freestyle.”

MEN’S 100 FREE – Finals

• World Record: 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 2021
• World Junior Record: 46.11, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 2018
• World Cup Record: 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 2021

PODIUM:

1. Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 45.55
2. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 46.27
3. Drew Kibler (CLB) – 46.82

That’s the fourthTriple Crown completed this session, as Kyle Chalmers takes the win in the men’s 100 freestyle. He’s now won this event 7 races in a row. He took the lead right at the start of the race, flipping at the 25-meter mark .02 seconds ahead of Thomas Ceccon. Chalmers only extended his lead as the race went on, and ended up winning the race by more than half a second.

Ceccon held his second place throughout the race as well, and touched second in 46.27. Drew Kibler clocked 46.82, .02 seconds faster than his prelims swim to take third.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – Finals

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

PODIUM:

1. Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:02.77
2. Lilly King (USA) – 1:03.74
3. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 1:05.21

Out of lane 7, Ruta Meilutyte earned a Triple Crown in the women’s 100 breast, the fifth of the night. She was flirting with her own world record until the closing meters of the race, and though she fell off the pace right at the end of the race, she did clock 1:02.77 for a new U.S Open Record. That passes the 1:03.00 mark that Lilly King set at the 2019 ISL championship.

King was also in this field in her home pool, and it was a race between her and Meilutyte the whole way. Meilutyte kept the lead the entire way, but King pushed especially through the first 50. She took second in 1:03.74, just under a second behind Meilutyte. Anastasia Gorbenko took third in 1:05.21.

MEN’S 200 FLY – Finals

• World Record: 1:46.85, Tomoru Honda (JPN) – 2022
• World Junior Record: 1:49.62, Chen Juner (CHN) – 2022
• World Cup Record: 1:48.56, Chad Le Clos (RSA) – 2013

PODIUM:

1. Chad Le Clos (RSA) – 1:49.89
2. Trenton Julian (USA) – 1:50.08
3. Ilya Kharun (CAN) – 1:51.70

After running out of room to catch Trenton Julian in this event in Toronto, Chad Le Clos didn’t make the same mistake twice. He kept it close to Julian over the first 100 meters, then backed off on the third 50. He made his move on the last 50, highlighted by a massive underwater off his final turn. It was then that he caught Julian, and though it looked like he was tightening up, he had just enough left in the tank to get his hands on the wall first.

He won this race in Berlin, and was just off that time tonight with a 1:49.89. Julian finished just behind him in 1:50.08. Finishing third was Ilya Kharun, who set a new Canadian record in his first meet representing Canada.