2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup – Shanghai Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP-SHANGHAI

• Friday, October 18th – Sunday, October 20th
• Shanghai, China
• Prelims at 9:30 am local (9:30 pm ET previous night)/Finals at 6:30 pm local (6:30 am ET)
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Event Schedule
• Entries Book
• Day 1 Prelims/Day 1 Finals
• Day 2 Prelims/Day 2 Finals
• Live Results

DAY 3 FINALS START LIST

MEN’S 400 IM – FASTEST HEAT

• World Record: 3:54.81 – Daiya Seto (JPN), 2019
• World Cup Record: 3:57.25 – Daiya Seto (JPN), 2018
• World Junior Record: 3:56.47 – Ilya Borodin (RUS), 2021

GOLD – Leon Marchand (FRA), 4:00.03
SILVER – Alberto Razzetti (ITA), 4:01.51
BRONZE – Lewis Clareburt (NZL), 4:05.03

With LCM 400 IM World Record holder Leon Marchand of France in the water, it was a little surprising we didn’t see a sub-4:00 in this men’s final.

Still, the 22-year-old 4-time gold medalist in Paris managed to get to the wall first, hitting 4:00.03 for a new personal best.

Italy’s national record holder Alberto Razzetti was next in 4:01.51 while New Zealand’s Olympic finalist Lewis Clareburt rounded out the podium in 4:05.03. The former has been as quick as 3:57.01 in his career to sit as the 4th-fastest man in history while Clareburt’s outing tonight checks in as a new national record.

Of note, South African Matt Sates was a no-show for tonight’s final.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE – FASTEST HEAT

• World Record: 7:57.42 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2022
• World Cup Record: 7:57.42 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2022
• World Junior Record: 7:59.44 – Wang Jianjiahe (CHN), 2018

GOLD – Tang Muhan (CHN), 8:15.34
SILVER – Gao Weizhong (CHN), 8:16.17
BRONZE – Kong Yaqi (CHN), 8:27.21 

China swept this women’s 800m free final, led by 21-year-old Tang Muhan who logged a gold medal-worthy time of 8:15.34. That represents a new personal best.

Behind her was teammate Gao Weizhong who notched 8:16.17 for silver while Kong Yaqi, just 16 years of age, bagged bronze in 8:27.21. This bronze pairs with Kong’s same position captured in last night’s women’s 200m free final where she produced a new lifetime best of 1:55.21.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• World Record: 54.05 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2022
• World Cup Record: 54.78 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2022
• World Junior Record: 55.39 – Claire Curzan (USA), 2021

GOLD – Laura Lahtinen (FIN), 55.58
SILVER – Yu Yiting (CHN), 55.94
BRONZE – Louise Hansson (SWE), 56.07

After destroying her former national record in this morning’s heats of the women’s 100m fly, Finnish athlete Laura Lahtinen shaved off even more time for gold.

This morning, Lahtinen turned in a time of 55.82, crushing her previous Finnish standard of 56.88 turned in during the heats of the 2022 Short Course World Championships.

Tonight, the 21-year-old split 12.06/14.09/14.36/15.07 to get under the 56-second threshold for the 2nd time of her career, posting 55.58. That positions Lahtinen just outside the list of top 20 performers of all time in this event.

Lahtinen already nailed a new national record of 2:03.13 to earn bronze in the 200m fly on night 1 here in Shanghai.

China’s Yu Yiting settled for silver less than half a second back this evening and in the only other sub-56-second effort of the field. Yu produced 55.94 for silver and Sweden’s Louise Hansson also landed on the podium in 56.07 for bronze.

American Regan Smith claimed the 8th slot for tonight’s final but wound up scratching this event. We’ll see her later in the 200m backstroke.

MEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• World Record: 21.67 – Noe Ponti (SUI), 2024
• World Cup Record: 21.67 – Noe Ponti (SUI), 2024
• World Junior Record: 22.28 – Ilya Kharun (CAN), 2022

GOLD – Noe Ponti (SUI), 21.68
SILVER – Nyls Korstanje (NED), 22.00
BRONZE – Marius Kusch (GER), 22.26

After firing off a new World Record in the men’s 50m fly this morning in 21.67, Switzerland’s Noe Ponti nearly produced an identical swim tonight to grab the gold.

Ponti fell just .01 shy of the new standard, posting 21.68 for the decisive victory in the #2 performer in history. Both times easily cleared the former World Record of 21.75 both Brazilian Nicholas Santos and Hungarian Szebasztian Szabo held from respective years of 2018 & 2021.

Former NC State standout Nyls Korstanje punched a result of 22.00 to snag the silver, just off the 21.96 he turned in during the heats. His morning mark represented a lifetime best and the 25-year-old’s first-ever foray under the 22-second barrier. His previous PB stood at the Dutch Record of 22.25 he produced in 2022 so he was still under that tonight.

Germany’s Marius Kusch was the 3rd place finisher this evening in a result of 22.26, within striking distance of his lifetime best of 22.14.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• World Record: 1:58.94 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2020
• World Cup Record: 1:59.35 – Daryna Zevina (UKR), 2016
• World Junior Record: 2:00.03 – Missy Franklin (USA), 2011

GOLD – Regan Smith (USA), 2:00.42
SILVER – Anastasiya Shkurdai (NIA), 2:01.31
BRONZE – Beata Nelson (USA), 2:02.56

After conserving energy by opting out of the women’s 100m fly final, it appeared American Regan Smith was targeting Aussie Kaylee McKeown‘s world record in this 200 back.

The 22-year-old fell short, however, sitting just above the 2:00 barrier at 2:00.42, still a best time by nearly 2 seconds. She now ranks as the 9th-best performer in history and 3rd-quickest American. Only Missy Franklin (2:00.03, 2011) and Beata Nelson (2:00.27, 2020) have been faster.

Nelson earned the bronze tonight in a result of 2:02.56 with Belarusian Anastasiya Shkurdai, racing as an independent athlete, splitting the pair in 2:01.31 for silver. Shkurdai owns a personal best of 2:00.15 from last year.

As a reminder, McKeown raced on day one of Shanghai but decided to drop out of the remaining World Cup Series in the interest of mental health.

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• World Record: 48.33 – Coleman Stewart (USA), 2021
• World Cup Record: 48.84 – Shaine Casas (USA), 2022
• World Junior Record: 48.90 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017

GOLD – Pieter Coetze (RSA), 49.35
SILVER – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 50.03
BRONZE – Kacper Stokowski (POL), 50.33

20-year-old Pieter Coetze of South Africa just put up the fastest time of his career en route to denying reigning LCM World Record holder and Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon the gold in this men’s 100m back.

Coetze stopped the clock at 49.35, slicing .25 off his previous African continental record of 49.60 established at the 2022 Short Course World Championships. He finished 4th there in Melbourne, Australia.

Ceccon of Italy registered 50.03 as tonight’s silver medalist and Poland’s Kacper Stokowski hit a time of 50.33 to round out the podium.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record: 28.37 – Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2022
• World Cup Record: 28.56 – Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2018
• World Junior Record: 28.81 – Benedetta Pilato (ITA), 2020

GOLD – Tang Qianting (CHN), 28.76
SILVER – Benedetta Pilato (ITA), 29.73
BRONZE – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 29.74

It was a super close finish between silver and bronze in this women’s 50m breast but the winner was decisively Tang Qianting of China.

20-year-old Tang, who already nailed a new Asian Record of 1:02.53 to win last night’s 100m breast, powered her way to a mark of 28.76, the sole outing of the field under 29 seconds.

Tang’s result erases her own previous Chinese national and Asian Record of 28.82 put on the books just last month at the Chinese Short Course Championships.

Italy’s Benedetta Pilato was next to the wall in 29.73, eking out the silver just .01 ahead of Hong Kong’s versatile Olympic multi-medalist Siobhan Haughey.

Pilato has been as fast as 28.81 in her career, the reigning World Junior Record, while Haughey’s time tonight is a new PB and national record. The former stood at the 29.88 she produced during the 2019 International Swimming League (ISL) season.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record: 2:00.16 – Kirill Prigoda (RUS), 2018
• World Cup Record: 2:00.48 – Daniel Gyurta (HUN), 2014
• World Junior Record: 2:03.23 – Akihiro Yamaguchi (JPN), 2012

GOLD – Joshua Yong (AUS), 2:01.67
SILVER – Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2:01.92
BRONZE – Caspar Corbeau (NED), 2:02.42

In an upset against the reigning LCM World Record holder Qin Haiyang of China, it was 23-year-old Joshua Yong of Australia who raced his way to this men’s 200m breaststroke victory.

Yong blasted a huge lifetime best of 2:01.67 to top the podium, overtaking a longstanding national record in the process. The former Australian standard stood at the 2:01.98 Olympian Christian Sprenger established way back in 2009.

Yong, who made his Olympic debut for the green and gold this year in Paris, now checks in as the 11th-swiftest performer all-time in this event.

25-year-old Qin put up a time of 2:01.92 for silver, off his lifetime best of 2:01.15 from the 2018 Short Course World Championships while Dutchman Caspar Corbeau claimed bronze in 2:02.42.

Marchand of France missed the podium, positioned 4th when all was said and done in a time of 2:02.99 after his 400m IM.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – FINAL

• World Record: 50.25 – Cate Campbell (AUS), 2017
• World Cup Record: 50.58 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017 & Emma McKeon (AUS), 2021
• World Junior Record: 51.45 – Kayla Sanchez (CAN), 2018

GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 51.89
SILVER – Yang Junxuan (CHN), 52.11
BRONZE – Milla Jansen (AUS), 52.43

Just a handful of events after her 50m breast, Haughey was back in the water to contest the women’s 100m free final.

Haughey stopped the clock at 51.89 to represent the sole sub-52-second swimmer of the pack. That’s about a second outside the former University of Michigan Wolverine’s lifetime best of 50.79 notched during the 2021 ISL season.

China’s Yang Junxuan wrangled up silver in 52.11 while Australian Milla Jansen, just 17 years of age, claimed her second World Cup medal with bronze in a time of 52.43.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:39.37 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• World Cup Record: 1:39.37 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• World Junior Record: 1:40.65 – Matt Sates (RSA), 2021

GOLD – Duncan Scott (GBR), 1:40.92
SILVER – Edward Somerville (AUS), 1:42.14
BRONZE – Danas Rapsys (LTU), 1:42.35

27-year-old Duncan Scott of Great Britain put on a show to win this men’s 200 free, pumping out a massive win in 1:40.92.

That cleared the field by well over a second en route to the versatile multi-Olympic champion coming within striking distance of his 1:40.25 national record from 2020.

Australia got on the board in the 3rd consecutive event, courtesy of Edward Somerville who touched in 1:42.14. It was at last month’s national short course championships where 19-year-old Somerville scorched a huge personal best of 1:40.64 to become the 7th-swiftest performer of all time.

Lithuanian racing mainstay Danas Rapsys turned in a time of 1:42.35 for bronze.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record: 2:01.86 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2014
• World Cup Record: 2:02.13 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2014
• World Junior Record: 2:04.48 – Yu Yiting (CHN), 2021

GOLD – Kate Douglass (USA), 2:04.09
SILVER – Yu Yiting (CHN), 2:05.39
BRONZE – Rebecca Meder (RSA), 2:07.42

The United States captured the final gold of this first stop in Shanghai, courtesy of Olympic medalist Kate Douglass,

Douglass touched in a time of 2:04.09 to claim the victory in the women’s 200m IM, beating the field by over a second. Douglass’ personal best remains at the 2:02.12 nabbed in 2022 to become the #2 performer ever in the event.

Carrying momentum from her 100m fly silver medal earlier in the session, Yu of China earned runner-up status once again. Yu posted 2:05.39, about a second outside her national record of 2:04.48 established at the 2021 Short Course World Championships.

Rounding out the podium was South African Rebecca Meder, adding this 2IM bronze to the 100m breast bronze she put in her pocket last night. Meder hit 2:07.42, shaving .05 off her own South African record of 2:07.47 logged at the 2022 Short Course World Championships.