2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup – Shanghai: Day 1 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
• Live Results

Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet

We are so back.

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening — wherever you are in the world, we’re happy to have you joining us for the first finals session of the 2024 Swimming World Cup Series in Shanghai, China. After being held in long-course in the lead up to the Olympic year, in the aftermath the series is back in SCM as we also gear up for the Short Course World Championships in December.

This session will see our first winners, which means that we’ll get our first swimmers officially vying for the Triple Crown–which is a prize for swimmers who win the same event across all three stops of the series.

Kate Douglass headlines the session, coming into finals as the top seed in the 200 breaststroke and 100 IM. She opened her World Cup series with a 2:17.11 in the 200 breaststroke and was the only swimmer in the field to break 2:20 during the prelims session. Later, she popped a 57.72 100 IM, tying Beata Nelson‘s American record from 2021. Nelson herself will be in the final as well; she qualified fourth (58.29) as part of a trio of swimmers who went 58.2 this morning, including Mary-Sophie Harvey (58.20) and Yu Yiting (58.28).

On the men’s side, Leon Marchand led the way in the men’s 100 IM with a 51.65, ahead of Noe Ponti, who’s also the top seed in the 100 fly. Dylan Carter, Jack Dolan, and Isaac Cooper tied for the first seed in the men’s 50 freestyle, all swimming a 21.03.

Women’s 400m Freestyle – Final

• 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. Liu Yaxin (CHN) — 3:58.45
2. Li Bingjie (CHN) — 4:00.18
3. Tang Muhan (CHN) — 4:00.40
4. Gao Weizhing (CHN) — 4:03.55
5. Kong Yaqi (CHN) — 4:03.68
6. He Ya-Hsuan (TPE) — 4:21.63
7. Pan Pin-Chen (TPE) — 4:22.95
8. Ho Hung-Yi (TPE) — 4:25.08

The Chinese home crowd had a lot to cheer about in the opening event. The five Chinese swimmers in the field went 1-2-3-4-5 in the women’s 400 freestyle to kick off the first finals session in Shanghai. On paper, it looked liked this race would belong to top qualifier and world record holder Li Bingjie, but it was Liu Yaxin who got the win. 25-year-old Liu went out with Li, Tang Muhan, and Gao Weizhing and separated herself from the field with about 100 meters to go, passing Tang who held the lead at that point.

Men’s 400m Freestyle – Final

• 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. Duncan Scott (GBR) — 3:36.98
2. Kieran Smith (USA) — 3:38.44
3. Danas Rapsys (LTU) — 3:38.63
4. James Guy (GBR) — 3:40.52
5. Kregor Zirk (EST) — 3:41.16
6. Benjamin Goedemans (AUS) — 3:44.34
7. Charlie Clark (USA) — 3:44.38
8. Breno Correia (BRA) — 3:45.29

Duncan Scott gave James Guy‘s ten-year-old British record of 3:36.35 a serious scare, touching in a 3:36.98 to collect his first win of the World Cup series in the 400 freestyle. In a crowded field, Scott separated himself from the likes of Guy, Kieran Smith, and Danas Rapsys. Scott took the lead at the 125-meter mark and solidly built his lead from there.

Smith began to make his push with about 100 meters to go, but with over a second gap between him and Scott he was unable to catch the British swimmer and was instead involved in a sprint for silver with Rapsys. Scott touched in a lifetime best 3:36.98, well under his previous best of 3:39.11 from an ISL playoff match in 2021.

Smith–the reigning SC World Champion in this event–edged out Rapsys for in 3:38.44, coming from behind on the final 25 meters. Rapsys was .19 seconds behind Smith, making the top three all under 3:40.

Women’s 50m Backstroke – Final

• 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) — 25.36 OC, WC
2. Regan Smith (USA) — 25.70
3. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) — 26.08
4. Peng Xuwei (CHN) — 26.27
5. Louise Hansson (SWE)/Wang Xueer (CHN) — 26.70
6.  —
7. Anastasiya Shkurdai (NIA) — 26.92
8. Hannah Hane Fredericks (AUS) — 26.93

Kaylee McKeown shared ahead of the World Cup series that she was looking forward to racing freely and with no pressure over the three stops. That freedom still came with a lot of speed in the women’s 50 backstroke in this session–McKeown flew through this race, touching in 25.36 for a new World Cup and Oceanian record. The reigning overall World Cup champion on the women’s side, McKeown torched the former World Cup record of 25.81 from Kira Toussaint in 2021, and reset her own Oceanian record by four-hundredths.

McKeown renewed her rivalry with Regan Smith in this race. She was well clear of the American in this race, but the pair still occupied the familiar top two spots as Smith took second in a lifetime best 25.70, joining McKeown sub-26 seconds. Smith will be back out shortly in the women’s 200 butterfly.

Ingrid Wilm took third in 26.08, ahead of China’s Peng Xuwei (26.27).

Men’s 200m Backstroke – Final

• 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) – 1:49.12
2. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 1:51.33
3. Enoch Robb (AUS) – 1:51.44
4. Kacper Stokowski (POL) – 1:51.65
5. Noah Millard (AUS) – 1:53.21
6. Jack Dahlgren (USA) – 1:55.04
7. Hoe Yean Khiew (MAS) – 1:56.55
8. Fu Kun-Ming (TPE) – 1:56.97

Pieter Coetze left no doubt about who the man to beat was in the men’s 200 backstroke. Coetze grabbed the lead by the first turn and didn’t look back, speeding to the win in a 1:49.12. It’s a huge best time for Coetze as it’s his first time sub-1:50 in his career (his previous lifetime best was a 1:51.51 from from the 2022 SC World Championships.

Behind Coetze, there was a battle between Lorenzo Mora, Enoch Robb, and Kacper Stokowski. Mora was running second for the entire race and though both Robb and Stokowski outsplit him on the final 25 meters, Mora had enough room to maintain his second place, touching in 1:51.33, .11 seconds ahead of Robb. Stokowski was just nine-hundredths back from Robb, touching in 1:51.65.

Women’s 200m Fly – Final

• World Record: 1:59.61 — Mireia Belmonte Garcia, ESP (2014)
• World Cup Record: 2:00.78 — Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
• World Junior Record: 2:02.96 — Suzuka Hasegawa, JPN (2017)

1. Regan Smith (USA) – 2:01.85
2. Chen Luying (CHN) – 2:02.71
3. Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 2:03.13
4. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 2:05.93
5. Lin Tzu-Yun (TPE) – 2:19.83
6. Tan Shannon (CLB) – 2:20.56
7. Weng Chi Cheang (MAC) – 2:21.63

There were no prelims of the women’s 200 butterfly as the field went straight through to the final. No more than ten minutes after the women’s 50 backstroke, Smith paraded back out for this race. She was touch and go on the walls, including on her first breakout, which put her behind the teenager Chen Luying, who opened the race hard, under world record pace.

Smith built into the race and was able to catch Chen down the closing stretch, taking the win in 2:01.85. While it looks like Chen took down the world junior record, she’s actually been faster, swimming a 2:02.52 last month at the Chinese Championships. However, that record has yet to be ratified, which is why it’s still Suzuka Hasegawa‘s record that shows up on the heat sheets.

Finland’s Luara Lahtinen took down her national record with a 2:03.13, not letting losing her cap during the race shake her too much. The top four swimmers were well ahead of the rest of the field as Mary-Sophie Harvey finished fourth in 2:05.93, well ahead of the back half of the field.

Men’s 100m Fly – Final

• 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) – 48.40 ER, WC
2. Nyls Korstanje (NED) – 49.24
3. Chad le Clos (RSA) – 49.72
4. Matt Temple (AUS) – 49.93
5. Jesse Coleman (AUS) – 50.36
6. Jakub Majerski (POL) – 50.53
7. Harrison Turner (AUS) – 50.61
8. Wang Changhao (CHN) – 51.66

Noe Ponti was seventh at the first wall, turning four-tenths behind the leader, Nyls Korstanje. Ponti fought through the field on the second 25 meters, pulling hiimself up to third at the halfway mark. By the final turn, he had overtaken Korstanje and the veteran Chad le Clos for the lead. He powered his way home, stopping the clock in 48.40 for new World Cup and European records. Ponti held the former European record in 48.47, which he swam at the 2023 European Championships.

Top 5 All-Time 100 Butterfly (SCM):

1. Caeleb Dressel, United States — 47.78 (2020)
2. Chad le Clos, South Africa — 48.08 (2016)
3. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 48.40 (2024)
4. Tom Shields, United States — 48.47 (2020)
5. Evgenii Korotyshkin, Russia — 48.48 (2009)

Ponti won the race handily, building up a big gap between himself and Korstanje, who finished second in his own lifetime best of 49.24. The top four swimmers all broke 50 seconds, as le Clos took 49.72 and Matt Temple touched in 49.93.

Women’s 200m Breaststroke – Final

• 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) – 2:15.96
2. Alina Zmushka (NIA) – 2:19.98
3. Rebecca Meder (RSA) – 2:20.35
4. Ye Shiwen (CHN) – 2:20.45
5. Andrea Podmanikova (SVK) – 2:23.39
6. Nikoleta Trnikova (SVK) – 2:23.52
7. Sophie Hansson (SWE) – 2:25.02
8. Sophie Angus (CAN) – 2:25.83

After swimming the only sub-2:20 swim of the prelims session, it was clear that Kate Douglass was the favorite for this women’s 200 breaststroke, the question was just how fast she could go here in this first stop of the World Cup. Douglass, the Olympic champion in this race, proved why she was the favorite by wasting no time establishing a lead.

Out in 1:05.4 at the 100-meter mark, at the final touch, Douglass win the race by just over four seconds. Douglass was just off her lifetime best from the 2022 World Championships, a strong starting point for her in this race as she’s committed to all three stops on the World Cup series.

Zmushka moved into second place at first 50 wall and held that spot for the entire race, stopping the clock in 2:19.98 to join Douglass under 2:20. South Africa’s Rebecca Meder kept herself ahead of China’s Ye Shiwen over the final 50 meters and took third in 2:20.35.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Final

• 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) – 55.73 AS
2. Ilya Shymanovich (NIA) – 56.07
3. Sun Jiajun (CHN) – 56.16
4. Joshua Yong (AUS) – 56.66 OC
5. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 56.70
6. Bailey Lello (AUS) – 57.26
7. Joshua Collett (AUS) – 57.63
8. Josh Gilbert (NZL) – 57.88

World record holder Ilya Shymanovich held the lead through the first 75 meters, turning in 25.93 at the halfway point. He was the only one to split sub-26 on the opening 50 meters, as Qin Haiyang turned in 26.11. But Qin saved his big push for the back half; he made his move on the third 25, and though Shymanovich still held the lead, it was only by .05 seconds.

Qin split 14.97 on the final 25 meters, pulling ahead of Shymanovich to earn another win for the Chinese contingent in front of home nation crowds. He posted a 55.73, setting new Chinese and Asian records as well. It was Qin’s countryman Sun Jiajun who had the fastest closing split, bringing it home in 14.89. He passed the Australian Joshua Yong but ran out of room to catch Shymanovich, who held onto second in 56.07.

Sun took third in 56.16, finsihing half a second ahead of Yong’s 56.66. After turning heads at the Olympic Games, Yong continues to look strong in the second half of the calendar year. This swim lowers the Oceanian record of 56.76 that he set less than a month ago at the Australian Championships.

Women’s 50m Freestyle – Final

• 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) – 23.87
2. Zhang Yufei (CHN) – 24.05
3. Milla Jansen (AUS) – 24.19
4. Yang Junxuan (CHN) – 24.20
5. Wu Qingfeng (CHN) – 24.32
6. Sara Junevik (SWE) – 24.43
7. Tang Qianting (CHN) – 24.52
8. Lily Marie Price (AUS) – 24.58

In the women’s 50 freestyle, Kasia Wasick and Zhang Yufei flipped together at 11.55, already two-tenths ahead of the field. Over the back half of the race, Wasick–who specializes in this race while Zhang can swim sprint free and butterfly–was able to outlast Zhang. Wasick split 12.32 on the second 25 compared to Zhang’s 12.50, which gave Wasick all the space that she needed to earn the victory.

Wasick touched in 23.87, getting under the 24 second barrier. Zhang was just off that mark, touching second with a 24.05. Milla Jansen was tied for fourth at the turn with Sara Junevik but in a chaotic finish, was able to get her hand on the wall in third place with a 24.19, a hundredth ahead of Yang Junxuan, who was part of a 2-4-5-7 finish for the Chinese women in this race.

Men’s 50m Freestyle – Final

• 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) – 21.06
2. Jack Dolan (USA) – 21.07
3. Marius Kusch (GER) – 21.09
4. Jamie Jack (AUS) – 21.12
5. Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 21.15
6. Nyls Korstanje (NED) – 21.21
7. Tzen Wei Teong (SGP) – 21.23
8. Ho Ian Yentou (HKG) – 21.74

Three men tying in prelims of the 50 freestyle cemented that this was going to be a close final. And that’s exactly what we got, as Dylan Carter got the better of Jack Dolan by a hundredth of a second. Adding to the excitement of the final was the fact that Carter and Dolan were sixth and seventh at the turn. The field was led by Isaac Cooper at the 25 meter mark, as the Australian flipped  at 9.95.

But over the back half of the race, Carter and Nolan, next to each other in the two middle lanes, were able to get under the wave and power through the field. Both split 10.94 on the second 25, and as the only two sub-11 seconds on the back half, they were able to jump ahead to take first and second.

Up in lane one, Germany’s Marius Kusch took third in 21.09, for his part just .02 seconds behind Dolan. Australia got a 4-5 finish from Jamie Jack and Cooper, as the top five swimmers were separated by less than a tenth.

Women’s 100m IM – Final

• 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) – 56.99 AM 
2. Yu Yiting (CHN) – 57.51 AS
3. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 57.76
4. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 57.82
5. Beata Nelson (USA) – 58.10
6. Rebecca Meder (RSA) – 59.19
7. Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 59.30
8. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 59.58

Both 100 IMs lived up to the hype. The women got the ball rolling in their final, the last women’s race of the session. Fresh off winning the 200 breaststroke final, Douglass was first to the wall after the butterfly leg, opening her race in 11.53, .05 seconds ahead of Yu Yiting.

But Yu and the field fought back on the backstroke leg; Douglass was fifth at the halfway point as Beata Nelson, Yu, Harvey, and McKeown all moved ahead of her. While Nelson held the lead after backstroke, Yu took over on the breaststroke leg, turning for home with the lead ahead of Douglass, who had clawed back into second place and was .05 seconds behind Yu.

Douglass split 13.71–the only sub-14 second freestyle split–to retake the lead and swim away for the win. In what she said was her first 100-meter IM final, Douglass rebroke the American record that she tied during prelims, bringing it and the Americas record sub-57 with a 56.99.

Yu finished second in 57.51, bettering the Asian record of 57.75 that Rikako Ikee swam in back in 2017. McKeown, the Paris bronze medalist in the 200m IM behind Summer McIntosh and Douglass, took third here in the 100 IM, finishing in 57.76, about two-tenths off Alicia Coutts‘s Oceanian record. Harvey just missed the Canadian record by .02 with a 57.82 for fourth place.

Top Six All-Time Women’s 100 IM (SCM):

1. Katinka Hosszu, Hungary — 56.61 (2017)
2. Kate Douglass, United States — 56.99 (2024)
3. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden — 57.10 (2017)
4. Beryl Gastaldello, France — 57.30 (2020)
5. Charlotte Bonnet, France — 57.47 (2023)
6. Yu Yiting, China — 57.51 (2024)

Men’s 100m IM – Final

• 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) – 50.65
2. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 50.66
3. Duncan Scott (GBR) – 51.14
4. Wang Shun (CHN) – 51.24 AS
5. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 51.63
6. Pan Zhanle (CHN) – 51.78
7. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 52.72
8. Michael Andrew (USA) – 53.19

Many of these World Cup finals on day one were absolutely stacked and this field to close out the session was no exception. All eyes were on Leon Marchand in the middle of the pool, but in a final littered with Olympic medalists, it felt like there was the possibility for a surprise win over the Paris Olympics phenom.

After setting a European and World Cup record in the 100 fly earlier in the session, it was no surprise to see Ponti take the race out fast, splitting 10.16 on the butterfly leg to Marchand’s 10.23. Ponti held onto the lead through the backstroke leg with a 12.53 split, as 100 back Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon split 12.61 to move into second ahead of Marchand.

Ponti did not do a crossover turn from backstroke to breaststroke and it looked like that was the race for him, as Marchand used a strong pullout to take the lead (14.96 breast split). But Ponti refused to go away; he was still holding onto second place at the final turn, and mounted a charge on the freestyle leg. He and Marchand hurtled towards the wall together and at the touch, it was Marchand who took the win with a French record of 50.65, just .01 seconds ahead of Ponti, who swam what the announcers refered to as “likely the fastest 100 IM with no crossover turn in history.” Ponti’s time is also a Swiss record, his second on the session.

As we’ve gotten used to seeing the British IMers do, Scott made a big push on the freestyle leg. There’s less room for him to use his closing speed in the 25 meter pool, but he was still able to go from fourth to third, touch the wall in 51.14, and set a new British record, bettering the 51.78 he swam in 2021.

In fourth place, Tokyo 200 IM champion Wang Shun swam an Asian record of 51.24. Daiya Seto held the previous mark in 51.29.

Top Six Swimmers After Day 1

Women

1. Kate Douglass, United States — 39.3 points
2. Regan Smith, United States — 36.8 points
3. Kaylee McKeown, Australia — 35.1 points
4. Mary-Sophie Harvey, Canada — 27.8 points
5. Rebecca Meder, South Africa — 26.5 points
6. Laura Lahtinen, Finland — 25.7 points

Men

1. Noe Ponti, Switzerland — 36.8 points
2. Duncan Scott, Great Britain — 34.2 points
3. Nyls Korstanje, Netherlands — 28.6 points
4. Qin Haiyang, China — 19.7 points
5. Leon Marchand, France — 19.2 points
6. Pieter Coetze, South Africa — 19 points