2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series – Shanghai: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP-SHANGHAI

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

DAY 1 HEATS START LIST

If you’ve been thinking to yourself that it has been a long time since the end of the Olympics and you have missed the international swimming scene, then do I have news for you. Its back.

The first session of the first leg of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup is about to start. This year, the series reverts back to short course meters, and while some may be taking a break from the sport after a grueling three-year quad between the Olympics, the first stop is still chock-full of talent.

Domestic stars like Li Bingjie and Ye Shiwen take the water for the women, while the reigning king of last year’s series, Qin Haiyang, will look to repeat the feat of sweeping all the breaststroke events. Qin, however, will not have an easy task to win the series title as Pan Zhanle, the recent newly minted world record holder in the 100 free (LCM) Pan Zhanle will look to rack up the wins, as well Leon Marchand, who left the Paris Games as a four-time Olympic Champion.

Marchand has just one event today, the 100 IM, so we’ll see if the Frenchman can generate some speed. Also in the event, albeit in the women’s version, is Kaylee McKeown, who, like Qin, completed the triple-triple last year, winning all the backstroke events at all three stops.

McKeown, who left Paris with two individual golds and a bronze, quietly just broke the 100 back (SCM) world record at last month’s 2024 Australian Short Course Championships. The swimmer who admitted to not having great underwaters on a podcast with Coleman Hodges will, like Marchand, be competing at all three tour stops this year.

This morning, the Aussie star is entered in two events: the aforementioned 100 IM and the 50 back. In each, she will compete against Sweeden’s Louise Hansson, who, in addition to her 10 short course Worlds Medals, was a three-time NCAA champion.

Hansson, however, is not the only one that McKeown needs to look out for as American stars Kate Douglass and Regan Smith each overlap with McKeown in an event, albeit different ones. Douglass joins McKeown in the 100 IM, as does Beata Nelson, who won the World Cup circuit in 2022.

Regan Smith will once again lock horns with McKeown in the backstrokes, with the shortest (and non-Olympic) 50 back kicking off Smith’s World Cup series program. Smith, like Douglass, will be swimming in all three of the stops, so the battle for the series crown will sure be intense. When adding in Zhang Yufei, who is taking on the 50 free, and Siobhan Haughey, who is not competing in this session, the competition will be must watch viewing start to finish. Speaking of viewing… (no puns today, but I’ll take a bad segue…)

The prelims session will be viewable to most fans on the World Aquatics Recast page (for a fee), which can be accessed below. For more information, read here.

WOMEN’S 400 Free– Prelims

• World Record: 3:51.30 – Li Bingjie, CHN  (2022)
• World Cup Record: 3:52.80 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2022)
• World Junior Record: 3:52.80 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2022)

Top 8:

1.  Li Bingjie (CHN) – 4:08.88
2. Gao Weizhing/Liu Yaxin (CHN) – 4:09.45
4. Kong Yaqi (CHN) – 4:09.76
5. Tang Muhan (CHN) – 4:10.38
6. He Ya-Hsuan (TPE) – 4:23.20
7. Pan Pin-Chen (TPE) – 4:24.61
8. Ho Hung-Yi (TPE) – 4:29.59

Not to editorialize too much, but with just ten entrants this morning, not much can be gleaned from this preliminary round. China’s Li Bingjie looked smooth and in control, holding sub-16 25s over the entire race, hitting the 200 mark in 2:02.44, ahead of Liu Yaxin, who was 2:03.38. Liu, was locked in a battle for 2nd with Gao Weizhong, who came home in the only sub-15 split to tie with Liu behind Li. Tang Muhan, who may be better known as a 200 swimmer, finished 5th in the heat.

With the top five clearly separate from places 6-8, expect much faster racing tonight.

MEN’S 400 Free– Prelims

• World Record: 3:32.25 – Yannick Agnel, FRA (2012)
• World Cup Record: 3:32.77 – Paul Biedermann, GER (2009)
• World Junior Record: 3:37.92 – Matthew Sates, RSA (2021)

Top 8:

1. James Guy (GBR) – 3:41.82
2. Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 3:41.99
3. Duncan Scott (GBR) – 3:42.29
4. Kieran Smith (USA) – 3:42.85
5. Charlie Clark (USA) – 3:43.82
6. Kregor Zirk (EST) – 3:43.92
7. Breno Correia (BRA) – 3:44.04
8. Benjamin Goedemans (AUS) – 3:44.11

The 1st heat saw American record holder Kieran Smith take over the lead at the 150 mark, from Estonia’s Kregor Zirk, who was 54.19 at the 100, to Smith’s 54.26. By the 200 (1:51.26), Smith had opened his lead up to over half a second over fellow American Charlie Clark, who also caught up to Zirk’s early speed.  Smith, who failed to make the finals in this event at the Paris Olympics, won the heat in 3:42.85, opening nearly a full second lead over his compatriot.

If heat one went by the books with the middle lanes taking the top three times, then the second heat was an abstract painting. Brits James Guy, and Duncan Scott out of lanes 8 and 0, respectively dueled for the lead with Danas Rapsys, who occupied lane 4. All three were out much faster than Smith and Zirk, with Guy posting a split of 1:48.28 at the halfway point and Rapsys and Scott, joining him sub-1:50 with splits of 1:49.12 and 1:49.77.

Rapsys would close the near-second gap over the last 100 and finished just .17 behind, with Scott taking third in 3:42.29. In the final tonight, with all three grouped together as opposed to separated, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. World Junior Record Holder Matthew Sates finished outside of the final, finishing in 3:44.40, which was good for 9th.

WOMEN’S 50 Back– Prelims

• World Record: 25.25 – Maggie MacNeil, CAN (2022)
• World Cup Record: 25.81 – Kira Toussaint, NED (2021)
• World Junior Record: 26.08 – Sara Curtis, ITA (2024)

Top 8:

1. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) -26.10
2. Regan Smith (USA) – 26.33
3. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 26.40
4. Peng Xuwei (CHN) – 26.86
5. Anastasiya Shkurdai (NIA) – 26.87
6. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 26.88
7. Hannah Fredericks (AUS) – 26.96
8. Wang Xueer (CHN) – 27.09

The first of many races expected to occur between Kaylee McKeown and Regan Smith, went the way of the Australian. Out in 12.65, the double backstroke Olympic gold medalist had enough of a strong start to hold off Smith. Smith, who was 12.99 at the flip, came back faster than McKeown (13.34 vs 13.45) but will need to find a little more tonight to get past her rival.

Ingrid Wilm, who made her first Olympic team this past summer, was just a little slower than the pair, going out in 13.04, but easily puts herself into a possible podium position tonight with her time of 26.40 this morning. After Wilm it’ll be a tight battle as 4th through 6th are separated by just .02 of a second.

MEN’S 200 Back– Prelims

• World Record: 1:45.63 – Mitch Larkin, AUS (2015)
• World Cup Record: 1:46.11 – Arkady Vyachanin, RUS (2009)
• World Junior Record: 1:48.02 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)

Top 8:

1. Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 1:51.89
2. Enoch Robb (AUS) – 1:52.09
3. Noah Milard (AUS) – 1:52.52
4. Jack Dahlgren (USA) – 1:53.97
5. Kacper Stokowski (POL) – 1:54.72
6. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 1:55.53
7. Khiew Hoe Yean (MAS) – 1:56.89
8. Fu Kun-Ming (TPE) – 1:57.43

After breaking the African record in the long course version of this event at the Olympics, South Africa’s Pieter Coetze has put himself in the prime position to make a run at George Du Rand’s 1:47.08 from 2009. Coetze, who swam in the second of three heats, was out the fastest of all competitors, flipping in 54.11. Only three other swimmers were sub 55.5, with the Australian duo of Enoch Robb and Noah Millard splitting 54.16 and 54.59.

The trio will take the center lanes tonight and will look to top the podium, but the USA’s lone entrant Jack Dahlgren, put up a strong performance this morning as well, swimming 1:53.97 and could be in the mix in the final.

MEN’S 100 Fly– Prelims

• World Record: 47.78 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
• World Cup Record: 48.48 – Evgenii Korotyshkin, RUS (2009)
• World Junior Record: 49.03 – Ilya Kharun, CAN (2022)

Top 8:

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 49.63
2. Nyls Korstanje (NED) – 50.18
3. Matthew Temple (AUS) – 50.48
4. Jakub Majerski (POL) – 50.67
5. Jesse Coleman (AUS) – 50.81
6. Chad le Clos (RSA) – 50.84
7. Harrison Turner (AUS) – 51.10
8. Wang Changhao (CHN) – 51.54

Showing off some great backhalf speed, Swiss star Noe Ponti, who was .1 off the podium in Paris, kept the jets going and extended what had been just a .05 lead over Dutch swimmer Nyls Korstanje at the 50 mark to a heat win of over half a second. Ponti’s 49.63 marks the only sub 50 time of the morning and slots him into lane 4 tonight.

Joining him in the final are the aforementioned Korstanje, as well as a strong international field, including Chad le Clos, a 12-time World Short Course champion, and Matthew Temple. The #2 seed overall, Singapore’s Tzen Wei Teong, will not appear in the final after having been DQed in the 2nd heat.

WOMEN’S 200 Breast – Prelims

• World Record: 2:14.57 – Rebecca Soni, USA (2009)
• World Cup Record: 2:15.42 – Leisel Jones, AUS (2009)
• World Junior Record: 2:14.70 – Evgeniia Chikunova, RUS (2022)

Top 8:

1. Kate Douglass (USA) – 2:17.11
2. Ye Shiwen (CHN) – 2:21.26
3. Rebecca Meder (RSA) – 2:21.63
4. Alina Zmushka (NIA) – 2:21.70
5. Sophie Angus (CAN) – 2:25.23
6. Andrea Podmanikova (SVK) – 2:25.28
7. Sophie Hansson (SWE) – 2:25.66
8. Nikoleta Trinkova (SVK) – 2:26.70

Maybe it is a little pre-mature as she still has the 100 IM to race his session, but Kate Douglass could be chasing some records this evening in the 200 Breast. While Ye Shiwen got a large roar of support as she took the first heat win in 2:21.26, over Alina Zmushka’s 2:21.70, all eyes should be on Douglass this evening.

Out in 1:06.09, the only swimmer under 1:07.50, Douglass was nearly two seconds ahead of Rebeca Meder, who was 1:07.73 at the halfway point. Douglass’s last 100 was nearly perfect with matching splits as she closed the race in 17.73, 17.75, 17.77 and 17.77. While Rebeca Soni’s 2:14.57 from the 2009 Duel in the Pool may be a little too much with the 100 IM prelims still to race, the great Lesisel Jone’s 2:15.42 could certainly be under threat.

Meder who is third into tonight’s final is better known as an IMer, but may be looking to jump into the large gap left by the retirement of Tatijana Smith.

MEN’S 100 Breast – Prelims

• World Record: 55.28 – Ilya Shymanovich, NIA (2021)
• World Cup Record: 55.61 – Cameron van der Burgh, RSA (2009)
• World Junior Record: 56.66 – Simone Cersuolo, ITA (2021)

Top 8:

1. Qin Haiyang (CHN) – 56.52
2. Sun Jiajun (CHN) – 56.80
3. Ilya Shymanovich (NIA) – 56.92
4. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 56.95
5. Joshua Yong (AUS) – 57.23
6. Bailey Lello (AUS) – 57.75
7. Joshua Collett (AUS) – 57.80
8. Josh Gilbert (NZL) – 58.28

There was a little bit of a break before the start of heat 2 as the crowd’s appreciation for Qin Haiyang continue through the swimmers stepping on the block. Qin, for his part did not disappoint the crowd as he won his heat and posted the fastest time of the morning, swimming 56.52.

Qin was one of just two swimmers who were out in under 12 seconds, and kept up his speed posting the fastest 2nd  split in the field as well (14.51). If anyone were to put pressure on Qin’s quest to repeat the triple crown from last fall, it would be his compatriot Sun Jiajun. Sun, who joined Qin under 12 in the first 25 (11.97) won the third heat ahead from lane 3 and sits just .28 back of Qin.

After suffering an injury at the Olympics, Dutch breaststroker, Arno Kamminga placed 12th this morning, finishing in 59.01, but the Netherlands will still be represented by Caspar Corbeau, who placed 4th this morning in 56.95. Perhaps a bigger name to miss tonight’s final is the reigning Olympic Gold medalist, Nicolo Martinenghi. The Italian star placed 10th this morning in a time of 58.59.

WOMEN’S 50 Free – Prelims

• World Record: 22.93 – Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED (2017)
• World Cup Record: 22.93 – Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED (2017)
• World Junior Record: 23.69 – Anastasyia Shkurdai, NIA (2020)

Top 8:

1. Kasia Wasick (POL) – 23.82
2. Lily Price (AUS) – 24.22
3. Milla Jansen (AUS) – 24.27
4. Zhang Yufei (CHN) – 24.33
5. Wu Qingfeng (CHN) – 24.34
6. Yang Junxuan (CHN) – 24.40
7. Sara Junevik (SWE) – 24.54
8. Tang Qianting (CHN) – 25.00

In a field of her own, Poland’s sprinting star, Kasia Wasick, was a world apart this morning. Out in 11.54, Wasick posted the overall fastest time this morning of 23.82. Not only was the Pole out the fastest but her last 25 of 12.28, also earned top honors.

.4  back of her are the dangerous Aussie pair of Lily Price and Milla Jansen. The two will flank Wasick tonight, but will have to be wary of China’s Zhang Yufei, who was out second quickest of the entire field (11.67) and seemed to conserve some speed in the last 25.

MEN’S 50 Free – Prelims

• World Record: 20.16 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
• World Cup Record: 20.48 – Vladimir Morozov, RUS (2018)
• World Junior Record: 20.98 – Kenzo Simons, NED (2019)

Top 8:

1. Dylan Carter (TTO)/Jack Dolan (USA)/Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 21.03
4. Jamie Jack (AUS) – 21.11
5. Tzen Wei Teong (SGP) – 21.21
6. Nyls Korstanje (NED) – 21.23
7. Marius Kusch (GER) – 21.24
8. Ian Ho (HKG) – 21.38

Three different swimmers posted the top time this morning of 21.03 as Dylan Carter and Jack Dolan tied in the 3rd heat and Isaac Cooper joined them there just one heat later. Of the trio, Cooper had the most different splits as he took it out in 10.04, the fastest of the field and closed in 10.99, whereas Carter was 10.19/10.84 and Dolan 10.18/10.85.

After making the top 8 in the 100 fly earlier, Nyls Korstanje booked his second finals appearance for tonight after posting the 6th fastest time of the morning of 21.23. Michael Andrew, now under a new coach, just missed making the finals as his time of 21.49 (10.28/11.21) were not fast enough to crack the top 8.

WOMEN’S 100 IM– Prelims

• World Record: 56.51 – Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2017)
• World Cup Record: 56.51 – Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2017)
• World Junior Record: 57.59 – Anastasyia Shkurdai, NIA (2020)

Top 8:

1. Kate Douglass (USA) – 57.72
2. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 58.20
3. Yu Yiting (CHN) – 58.28
4. Beata Nelson (USA) – 58.29
5. Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 58.82
6. Rebecca Meder (RSA) – 59.22
7. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 59.65
8. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 59.75

I DID CALL A RECORD WATCH, but it ay have been for later tonight, but Kate Douglass‘s 57.72 prelims swim this morning equaled the American Record of 57.72, set by Beata Nelson back in 2021 during the ISL Finals.

Douglass, one of the most versatile swimmers on the planet, dove into the water approximately less than 30 minutes after her 200 breast swim. Out fast in 11.78, by the halfway point both Mary-Sophie Harvey and Beata Nelson, crept up in the backstroke to take the lead as Douglass’s 14.95 gave way to Harvey’s 14.40 and Nelson’s 14.53 splits. However, Douglass roared back splitting 16.90 and 14.09 on the last 50 to take the win in 57.72. For reference Harvey was 17.23 and 14.41 on the last 50 and Nelson split 17.44/14.40.

With so few entrants entered in the event with a scm time, many swimmers entered with non conforming time, beat their “seed and made the final. Like Douglass, both Kaylee McKeown and Louise Hansson navigated their doubles and safely made it into the final tonight, albeit in 7th and 8th. Perhaps a little surprising, McKeown’s backstroke split of 14.89 ranks only 4th fastest, but that likely means she may have more in the tank tonight.

MEN’S 100 IM– Prelims

• World Record: 49.28 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
• World Cup Record: 50.26 – Vladimir Morozov, RUS (2018)
• World Junior Record: 50.63 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)

Top 8:

1. Leon Marchand (FRA) – 51.65
2. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 52.00
3. Shun Wang (CHN) – 52.15
4. Duncan Scott (GBR) – 52.21
5. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 52.48
6. Michael Andrew (USA) – 52.66
7. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 52.88
8. Pan Zhanle (CHN) – 53.12

Like in the women’s 100 IM, the lack of scm times, meant that swimmers were scattered throughout the heats in random lanes and when added to cap swapping that went on, the 100 IM was a highly entertaining race.

France Leon Marchand looked smooth and in control as he posted the fastest time of the morning. Swimming out of heat 2 lane 3, Marchand was 10.64/12.72/14.95/13.34 to stop the clock in 51.65, the only sub-52.00 time of the morning. His stiffest competition appears to come from the real Noe Ponti, who will occupy lane 5 tonight after swimming 52.00. I say real as Heat 4 winner Thomas Ceccon was also wearing a red cap emblazoned with Ponti’s name. The Italian’s time of 54.48 is fastest enough to qualify him into tonight’s final in 5th, but he’ll have to overcome both Wang Shun and Duncan Scott if he wants a spot on the podium. Scott, like in the 400, was in an unusual lane as the Scot swam in lane 0 in the 2nd heat.

After missing the final in the 50 free, American Michael Andrew rebounded quickly and took 6th overall in the prelims this morning in a time of 52.66.