2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, December 13 to Sunday, December 18, 2022
- Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- SCM (25m)
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Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay Lineups
Men’s 4×100m Medley Relay Lineups
The final day of competition at the 2022 Short Course World Championships sets up a thrilling set of events for this morning’s prelims session.
We’ll see the men’s and women’s 200m freestyle fields take to the pool, which means reigning World Record holder Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong will be racing for the women. We’ll see her vie for lane 4 against the likes of rapidly-improving Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands, as well as Canadian dynamo Rebecca Smith, among others.
For the men’s 200m free, reigning world champion Hwang Sunwoo of South Korea and Romanian prodigy David Popovici are slated to race side-by-side in heat 4, while Danas Rapsys (LTU), Kyle Chalmers (AUS), Matt Sates (RSA) and Kieran Smith (USA) are also among the competitors.
In the 200m back for the women, Kaylee McKeown and Minna Atherton will try to make it a 1-2 Aussie punch in terms of top seeds, while Ryan Murphy and Shaine Casas will lead the American contingent in the men’s edition of the event.
Stay tuned for live updates below:
WOMEN’S 200 FREE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 1:50.31 – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 2021
- World Junior Record: 1:52.59 – Bella Sims (USA), 2022
- Championship Record: 1:50.31 – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 2021
- 2021 Champion: 1:50.31, Siobhan Haughey (HKG)
Top 8:
- Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 1:52.83
- Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 1:53.39
- Erin Gemmell (USA) – 1:53.47
- Barbora Seemanova (CZE) – 1:53.67
- Rebecca Smith (CAN) – 1:53.85
- Leah Neale (AUS) – 1:54.05
- Taylor Ruck (CAN) – 1:54.15
- Madi Wilson (AUS) – 1:54.18
The women’s 200m free saw Dutch ace Marrit Steenbergen snag the top seed, with the 22-year-old posting a result of 1:52.83. That marked the only sub-1:53 time of the field as Steenbergen’s outing fell just .08 outside of her lifetime best of 1:52.75 logged last year en route to winning the European Short Course Championships title.
Steenbergen has already collected 100m free bronze and 100m IM gold at these Melbourne championships.
Reigning world champion and world record holder Siobhan Haughey was next in line with a solid morning swim of 1:53.39 while USA’s Erin Gemmell rounded out the top 3 seeds in 1:53.47.
Gemmell’s outing this morning was also within striking distance of her fastest-ever, a time of 1:53.27 put up at the Indianapolis stop of this year’s FINA World Cup Series
Czech national record holder Barbora Seemanova lurks as the 4th seed in 1:53.67 while newly-minted Canadian national record holder Rebecca Smith posted a time of 1:53.85 to claim seed #5.
MEN’S 200 FREE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 1:39.37 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
- World Junior Record: 1:40.65 – Matt Sates (RSA), 2021
- Championship Record: 1:40.95 – Danas Rapsys (LTU), 2018
- 2021 Champion: 1:41.60, Hwang Sunwoo (KOR)
Top 8:
- Tom Dean (GBR) – 1:40.98
- Katsuhiro Matsumoto (JPN) – 1:41.29
- Maxime Grousset (FRA) – 1:41.79
- Drew Kibler (USA) – 1:41.88
- Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:42.21
- David Popovici (ROU) – 1:42.31
- Tommy Neill (AUS) – 1:42.38
- Hwang Sunwoo (KOR) – 1:42.54
The men’s 200m freestyle was nearly void of the reigning world champion for its final, as South Korean ace Hwang Sunwoo just barely sneaked into the top 8.
19-year-old Hwang captured the 8th seed in 1:42.54 this morning, well over a second off of the leader Tom Dean‘s result of 1:40.98. Hwang had earlier clocked a new national record in this event as lead-off on Korea’s 4x200m free relay. He punched a lead-off of 1:40.99, a time he’ll need to most likely beat if he wants gold this time around in Melbourne.
For Olympic champion Dean, his morning result checks in as a new lifetime best, overwriting the 1:42.33 he produced at the 2019 Scottish Short Course Championships. With his top time here, the 22-year-old Bath swimmer now becomes Great Britain’s 2nd fastest 200m freestyler of all time, sitting only behind national record holder Duncan Scott (1:40.25).
Japanese ace Katsuhiro Matsumoto was right behind Dean to make the final as the 2nd seed, stopping the clock in 1:41.29. That established a new national record for the 25-year-old, surpassing the 1:41.67 he logged at the Japanese SC National Championships this past October.
America will be represented by Drew Kibler in tonight’s final, while the long course world champion David Popovici of Romania will also be gunning for gold. 18-year-old Popovici earned the 6th seed in 1:42.31 this morning, not far off his own NR of 1:42.12 from last year’s European Short Course Championships.
Of note, Australia’s Kyle Chalmers was a late scratch for this men’s 200m free, presumably focusing on the men’s 4x100m medley relay at the end of the session.
WOMEN’S 200 BACK – PRELIMS
- World Record: 1:58.94 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2020
- World Junior Record: 2:00.03 – Missy Franklin (USA), 2011
- Championship Record: 1:59.23 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2014
- 2021 Champion: 2:01.58, Rhyan White (USA)
Top 8:
- Claire Curzan (USA) – 2:02.05
- Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2:02.32
- Kylie Masse (CAN) – 2:02.54
- Margherita Panziera (ITA) – 2:02.88
- Pauline Mahieu (FRA) – 2:02.96
- Peng Xuwei (CHN) – 2:03.27
- Kira Toussaint (NED) – 2:03.40
- Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 2:03.57
The United States captured the top seed in this women’s 200m back, courtesy of 18-year-old Claire Curzan.
Curzan stopped the clock in a time of 2:02.05, a new lifetime best for the Stanford Cardinal. That ranks Curzan 10th on the list of all-time American women performers, as well as places Curzan within the top 30 performers all-time in this event, with the final yet to come tonight in Melbourne.
It’s significant to note that Curzan wasn’t originally slated to race this 2back event. She was added as a result of defending champion Rhyan White withdrew from this meet due to an undisclosed illness.
Reigning Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown put up a time of 2:02.32 to flank Curzan for tonight’s final, while Canadian Kylie Masse was also under 2:03 in 2:02.54, just off her season-best of 2:02.21 from this year’s FINA World Cup Series.
Italy has Margherita Panziera as its medal hopeful, ranked 4th out of the heats with a morning swim of 2.02.88 while France’s Pauline Mahieu became her nation’s 3rd fastest performer all-time with her mark of 2:02.96 to claim the 5th seed.
MEN’S 200 BACK – PRELIMS
- World Record: 1:45.63 – Mitch Larkin (AUS), 2015
- World Junior Record: 1:48.02 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017
- Championship Record: 1:46.68 – Ryan Lochte (USA), 2010
- 2021 Champion: 1:48.68 – Radoslaw Kawecki (POL)
Top 8:
- Shaine Casas (USA) – 1:49.46
- Mewen Tomac (FRA) – 1:49.61
- Ryan Murphy (USA) – 1:49.71
- Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 1:49.79
- Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (FRA) – 1:50.12
- Luke Greenbank (GBR) – 1:50.34
- Ryota Naito (JPN) – 1:50.78
- Radoslaw Kawecki (POL) – 1:50.97
America saw two of its big guns make it into tonight’s men’s 200m back final, as Shaine Casas and Ryan Murphy both made the cut.
Casas led the field in a time of 1:49.46, while Frenchman Mewen Tomac logged a new national record of 1:49.61 en route to picking up the 2nd seed. Murphy was the 3rd fastest swimmer of the morning in 1:49.71, surpassing his season-best of 1:50.56 produced at the FINA World Cup stop in Indianapolis.
The men’s 100m backstroke silver medalist here, Lorenzo Mora of Italy, fired off a time of 1:49.79 while another French racer in Yohann Ndoye Brouard made some noise in 1:5012 for the 5th seed.
The 2021 world champion Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland slid into the 8th seed in 1:50.97.
WOMEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 3:44.52 – USA, 2020
- Championship Record: 3:45.58 – USA, 2018
- 2021 Champion: 3:46.20 – Sweden
Top 8:
- USA – 3:47.67
- AUS – 3:48.90
- CAN – 3:51.40
- SWE – 3:51.40
- JPN – 3:52.92
- NED – 3:52.95
- FRA – 3:53.55
- CHN – 3:54.57
The United States dominated this women’s 4x100m medley relay, with the combination of Alex Walsh, Lilly King, Kate Douglass and Erika Brown collectively clocking a time of 3:47.67 to take the top seed by more than a second.
Douglass’ fly split of 54.46 was the fastest of the field by over a second, with the next closest represented by Sara Junevik‘s leg of 56.05 for 4th seed Sweden.
Mollie O’Callghan started out strongly with the quickest backstroke opener of the field in 55.81 but the U.S. was too speedy for the green and gold to maintain its lead.
MEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 3:19.16 – RUS, 2009
- Championship Record: 3:19.76 – Italy, 2021
- 2021 Champion: 3:19.76 – Italy
Top 8:
- USA – 3:23.55
- JPN – 3:23.68
- ITA – 3:23.81
- GER – 3:24.51
- AUS – 3:52.02
- CAN – 3:25.33
- CHN – 3:26.01
- CZE – 3:26.18
The last event of this prelims session saw the men’s 4x100m medley relay from the United States take center stage. The foursome of Hunter Armstrong, Nic Fink, Trenton Julian and Carson Foster claimed the top seed in a time of 3:23.55.
Armstrong opened in 50.68 while Fink logged a breaststroke leg of 56.71. Julian carried the momentum with a fly split of 49.12 before Foster closed in 47.04.
The foursome landed lane 4 for tonight’s final ahead of Japan’s squad of Ryosuke Irei (50.43), Ippei Watanabe (56.49), Yuya Tanaka (50.06) and Katsumi Nakamura (46.70) who produced a 2nd seeded effort of 3:23.68.
Also in the 3:23-zone was Italy, with the nation wrangling up the 3rd seed in 3:23.81.
We reported earlier that Aussie Kyle Chalmers dropped the individual 2free in order to focus on this men’s medley relay. The 24-year-old Olympic medalist closed in a super speedy time of 46.90 to help his team make the final in 5th place.
Notable Splits:
- Italy’s Thomas Ceccon put up the fastest back split of the field in 49.59, the only sub-50 second time of the pack.
- Japan’s Ippei Watanabe was on point with a breast time of 56.49, beating out USA’s Nic Fink‘s 56.71.
- USA’s Trenton Julian was the fastest flyer, owning a split of 49.12.
- Italy’s Paolo Bonin brought home his nation’s relay in the fastest free time of the field – 46.15.
I wonder if Mollie will anchor the Aussies tonight despite swimming the backstroke leg in the heats. I assumed Madi would do it but she may be too tired after the 200m free individual swim.
Maybe, but mollies change overs are getting even worse….I was wondering if Mollie might do the backstroke leg, Her time was basically identical to McKeown who has the 200m.
Women’s 200 back, women’s 4×100 medley relay, men’s 4×100 medley relay: Australia wins medal table.
I doubt it
That would require USA to lose the M200 back which isn’t going to happen.
I want to see some trex arms from the great endurance athlete Michael Andrew!
Larkin’s 200bk world record is insane
He was so on fire in 2015. WR in SCM and 2 LC world championships Gold.
In the results from the women’s 200 Free it lists Leah Smith in 6th place. She didn’t swim the event. Do you mean Leah Neale?
Sates has been so frustratingly inconsistent this week.
Dude still recovering from that 1:50.15 200 IM
His IM was good, obvi, so i also don’t get why his freestyle wasn’t clicking at all
Chalmers “super speedy” 1.7sec slower than his flat start gold medal swim.. assuming that was just to get through to finals. 😬
Huske May have the best flat start 100 fly….. but Douglass is way faster on a relay
douglass is probably faster flat start as well, based on her yards time vs huske’s
Douglass could either swim fly or free, she is the fastest in both. She has to swim if they want to beat Australia.