FINA World Cup Preview: Hong Kong

FINA World Cup Hong Kong

• Saturday, October 29th – Sunday, October 30th
• Victoria Park Swimming Pool, Hong Kong
• Prelims 9:30 AM, Finals 6:00 PM
• Entry Lists
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Meet Website

Tomorrow the best swimmers in the world will begin competition in the 9th and final stop on the 2016 FINA World Cup in Hong Kong.  Katinka Hosszu and Vladimir Morozov have been the point and money leaders since the first meet in Paris-Chatres, France, which took place at the end of August just a couple of weeks after the Olympic Games in Rio concluded.

Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu is once again entered in every event, though she will likely pare down her schedule to between 6 and 8 events, as has been her strategy throughout this World Cup.  Though Hosszu has the women’s overall title locked down, others have made up some ground on her recently–most notably Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson who broke the world record in the 50 breast in Tokyo, earning her a $10,000 bonus and 20 bonus points.  Atkinson, much like Hosszu, is entered in at least one event in each discipline, including the IM. However, Atkinson, who will likely also pare down her schedule, is only entered in races 200 meters and under.

Morozov will compete in the 100 IM, a race he has already bettered the world record in twice on this World Cup circuit, the 50 and 100 free and the 50 and 100 breast.  After swimming on home turf in Tokyo, Daiya Seto surged to 111 points in the overall standings.  Though he still trails Morozov by 36 points, he maintains a healthy lead over third place Chad le Clos, who he has traded victories with in the 200 fly throughout the series.  Rio silver medalist Masato Sakai is also set to compete in the 200 fly in Hong Kong.  Seto and Sakai are entered in a wide array of different events, though will only race one another in the 100 and 200 butterflies.

National Junior Team star Michael Andrew will compete in a busy line up of events including the 100 IM where he is seeded 4th, the 50’s of fly, back, breast, and free, the 100’s of fly, back, breast, and free, and the 200 IM.  Though Andrew is the most experienced National Junior Team member representing team USA in Hong Kong this weekend, others including Brooke Forde and Sierra Schmidt have also taken on difficult schedules, with each set to swim 7 and 5 events, respectively.

Yulia Efimova will swim the 50, 100, and 200 breast, and the 100 and 200 IM, each race featuring an impressive line up.  Americans Breeja Larson and Molly Hannis could contest for medals in the breaststrokes, as could Iceland’s Hrafnhildur Luthersdottir, who placed 6th in the 100 breast in Rio.

British Olympians James Guy and Ben Proud will represent the entirety of the men’s British contingent, with the two swimming sprint and middle-distance freestyles and sprint butterfly.  Rio 100 freestyle silver medalist Pieter Timmers and Rio (and Sydney) 50 freestyle gold medalist Anthony Ervin, along with Proud from Great Britain, will give Morozov a run for his money (literally) in the 50 and 100 freestyles.  Kyle Chalmers of Australia is absent from this stop on the World Cup circuit after crushing  the junior world record in the 100 freestyle in Singapore and again in Tokyo, where he picked up a win in the 200 free as well.  Aussies Mitchell Larkin, Emily Seebohm, and Madeline Groves will represent the Dolphins in Hong Kong, where Larkin and Seebohm will swim their signature backstrokes and Groves will swim the butterflies and the 100, 200, and 400 freestyles.

AB