Iron Lady Crushes 400 IM Field, Morozov Hits 47.99 On Day 2 Of FINA World Cup

FINA WORLD CUP – BUDAPEST

Although the International Swimming League’s (ISL) opening match is taking place today in Indianapolis, Indiana, key elite swimmers are making some major waves on day 2 of the FINA World Cup Series top in Budapest.

Dutch National Records were once again registered by Kira Toussaint and teammate Arno Kamminga. They each collected a pair of records on day 1 in the 50m back and 100m breast, respectively. Tonight, Toussaint put up the fastest 100m back time of her career, 59.56 to take gold and check-in with a new NR.

Kamminga’s damage was done in the morning, with the 23-year-old firing off a new Dutch standard of 27.00 in the 50m breast. He followed up with 27.13 for the gold in the evening. You can read about both of these swims here.

Of note, Uzbekistani swimmer Vladimir Mustafin earned a new national record in the 50m breast in the heats with his morning swim of 27.39. He was just off that mark tonight but still earned bronze in a time of 27.46. Silver went to Hungary’s Csaba Szilagyi in 27.41.

The first 400m IM battle between Hungarian Katinka Hosszu and Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato turned out to be no contest, as the Iron Lady crushed the field by over 7 seconds, winning in a 4:34.37 scorcher.

This meet represents the first time both women were in the pool since Cusinato has paired up with the Hosszu’s ex-husband and previous coach, Shane Tusup. Cusinato is among a small training group that also includes David Foldhazi and Liliana Szilagyi.

Hosszu is the reigning World Record holder and Olympic champion in the 400m IM and habitually wreaks havoc in this event. Tonight was no different, as her 4:34.37 winning effort was within 2 seconds of the World Cup Record of 4:32.30 she set at the Tokyo stop this year.

The next closes competitor tonight was fellow Hungarian Zsuzsanna Jakabos who touched in 4:41.73, while Spanish 200m fly Olympic champion Mireia Belmonte wrapped up bronze in 4:41.81.

As for Cusinato, the now-20-year-old celebrated her birthday day with a 5th place finish, touching in a time of 4:48.64. Although that’s well off her own personal best of 4:34.65 in the event, her performance is indicative of the heavy training she is currently under while training for Tusup.

American Michael Andrew got his first win here in Budapest, topping the men’s 200m IM podium in a time of 1:59.02. Lithuanian 400m free victor from night 1, Danas Rapsys, finished less than half a second behind in 1:59.42, while Aussie Thomas Fraser-Holmes got on the board with bronze in 1:59.71.

For Andrew, the Race Pace swimmer’s personal best in this 200m IM is represented by the 1:57.49 he produced at the Pro Swim Series in Richmond this past April. That time remained as the 8th fastest mark in the world at the end of the 2018-19 season, even after the World Championships in Gwangju, Korea.

Finnish swimmer Ida Hulkko got it done in the women’s 100m breast, putting up the fastest time of 1:07.42 for gold. Tonight’s performance checks in as Hulkko’s quickest of her career, beating out the 1:08.04 the Florida State Seminole produced at last year’s European Championships.

As such, tonight marks the first time Hulkko has ever been under the 1:08 threshold in the event.. In fact, her time fell just .07 outside of Jenna Laukkanen’s Finnish National Record of 1:07.35 that’s been on the books since the 2016 Olympic Games.

The reigning World Champion in the men’s 1500m freestyle, Florian Wellbrock of Germany, asserted his dominance once again in the grueling event. Wellbrock crushed a time of 14:57.83 to represent the only swimmer under 15:00 tonight. His time was within range of Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri’s World Cup Record of 14:55.06 that’s been on the books for 4 years.

Wellbrock owns the German National Record in the 1500m in the 14:36.15 he registered at the 2018 European Championships. He came within a hair of that time in Gwangju, claiming gold in a mark of 14:36.54.

Yesterday’s 50m free winner and overall World Cup points standings leader for the men thus far, Vlad Morozov of Russia, found success in the 100m free tonight. Splitting 22.71/25.28, Morozov produced a winning effort of 47.99 to register the only sub-48 second time of the field.

His outing was enough to hold off teammate Vladislav Grinev who touched in 48.57, while Japan’s 200m free World Championships silver medalist Katsuhiro Matsumoto wrangled up 48.97 for bronze.

Grinev is the Russian National Record holder in this 100m free event, holding a lifetime best of 47.43 from this April’s Russian National Championships. He finished with the bronze in Gwangju with a final time of 47.82.

Additional Winners:

  • World Championships silver medalist this year in the women’s 50m fly, Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands, got her hand on the wall first tonight in the event in a time of 25.63. She owns a PB of 25.35 from Gwangju, but tonight’s outing still ranks within the top 10 performances of this Olympian’s career.
  • Hungary’s Bence Biczo led a trio of extremely close 200m fly times, without the reigning World Record holder Kristof Milak in the mix. Milak has said he will be backing off the 2fly in meets for a while, which left Biczo to take the gold tonight in 1:58.67. That time is just .02 ahead of runner-up Daniil Pakhomov of Russia, who collected silver in 1:58.69. Czech swimmer Sebastian Lunak rounded out the top 3 in 1:58.71.
  • Morozov doubled up on his 100m free win with a gold in the men’s 50m backstroke. His time of 24.70 represented the only time of the field to get under 25 seconds.
  • Russia’s Veronika Andrusenko got her hand on the wall first in the women’s 200m free, clocking 1:59.58.

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Riez
4 years ago

At the Games she definitely goes sub 4:30 and hardly anyone else does so. I would predict 4:28 mid.
I don’t get this Cusinato “battle”. They are obviously not in the same league.

Steve
4 years ago

Get real!
It is not a contest between Hosszu and Cusinato at all. Cusinato/Tusup is not even close to challenging Hosszu. Even after Tokyo and after Hosszu retires, Cusinato is still has a lot to prove against the remaining field.
It takes more than making a bunch of videos to win an event.

AnEn
4 years ago

Is Toussaint the one who was caught doping?

Admin
Reply to  AnEn
4 years ago

She initially recorded an AAV (adverse analytical finding), but was ultimately cleared. Not cleared as in “it wasn’t her fault,” but cleared as in the whole case was dropped.

Troyy
Reply to  AnEn
4 years ago

It was a false positive.

Troyy
4 years ago

*Snoozeinato

Yozhik
4 years ago

Do you actually know the history of Hosszu’s sudden ascending?
2008 – 20 yo – 4:37.43
2009 – 21yo – 4:30.31(suits)
2010 – 22yo – 4.34.68
2011 – 23yo – 4:35.76
2012 – 24yo – 4:32.83
Tusup Era
2013 – 25(!) yo – 4:30.41 (4:41.18 in January, 4:38.67 in April)
2014 – 26(!!)yo – 4:31.03
2015 – 27(!!!) yo – 4:30.39
2016 – 28(!!!!)yo – 4:26.36
Hosszu did have a strong setback after switching to Tusup’s system of coaching. If she was so talented and did it all by herself then what she was thinking about for previous 10 years of her swimming career before getting 25 years old.… Read more »

Packoastie
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

Is yozhik tusup?🧐

Ervin
Reply to  Packoastie
4 years ago

Seriously tho

Riez
Reply to  Packoastie
4 years ago

No, he is Craig 🙂

Yozhik
Reply to  Packoastie
4 years ago

Do you know how your name sounds in Russian? “ПАКОСТИ”. Not nice at all. 😀

Steve
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

There some, very little truth in what you are saying. Katinka was discarded and mocked by her former coaches and abandoned by the corrupt Hungarian swimming federation. Tusup was the right person at the right time to motivate Hosszu and he deserves a lot of credit for that.
His conduct after their break-up is disgusting. He is only hurting himself.

Yozhik
Reply to  Steve
4 years ago

Never heard of it (about treatment of Hosszu at early stages of her career). Nor in the media nor at swimming forums. Tell us more about it, please.

Brownish
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago
Yozhik
Reply to  Brownish
4 years ago

Does this very long article says anything about Hosszu suing FINA? Sorry, I’m not that much fluent in Hungarian. Do you know the outcome?

iLikePsych
4 years ago

I’m wondering this completely separately from the Tusup drama: is there an argument for Hosszu as most dominant IMer in recent history? (referring to dominance in terms of number of wins, not margin of best time). I can’t remember the last time she lost an IM event since 2012, but I don’t follow her at smaller/non-international meets. I know Peirsol is lauded for the 200 back from 2003-2007, and Ledecky still has her 800 streak going, but assuming it’s unbroken, her streak especially stands out with Ledecky’s illness and Sjostrom’s upset at the last WC

Jack
Reply to  iLikePsych
4 years ago

I think Phelps was unbeaten in the 400 IM from 2002-2012 and the 200 IM from 2003-2010.

Packoastie
Reply to  Jack
4 years ago

And that was going up against Ryan Lochte which makes it even more impressive

iLikePsych
Reply to  Jack
4 years ago

I thought about Phelps of course but figured Lochte would have gotten him a few times, I guess it wasn’t until 2011 where Lochte started beating him

Togger
Reply to  Jack
4 years ago

Not sure you can count Phelps’ 400 IM as unbeaten 2009-2011 as an achievement, he just didn’t swim it. On that basis, my 200 fly unbeaten streak has been uninterrupted for 15 years.

Lochte won the 200 in Rome, Phelps didn’t swim it.

However, Phelps has to be given extra credit for beating Cseh and Lochte for his, equivalent to the Federe/Nadal/Djokovic situation where not only is the winning insane, it’s done against other all time greats.

Yozhik
Reply to  iLikePsych
4 years ago

She lost to Sjostrom last year.
Also check what is going on with the competition among female IMers. No progress. Even worse – decline. Ledecky generated the wave in distance swimming encouraging other swimmers to challenge her. Look only this season we have two swimmers at 8:14 and one at 815. Nothing like that with Hosszu and IM.

Octopus
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

The loss to Sjostrom was in 100 IM, The last loss in 400 IM was to Belmonte in Eindhoven WC (SC), while the last loss I remember on 200 (LCM) was in Phoenix(Mesa) at the Arena Pro in April 2016.

Octopus
Reply to  Octopus
4 years ago

PS. none of these losses of Hosszu occurred at major world event.

Octopus
Reply to  Octopus
4 years ago

Though in Eindhoven she lost and so far could not regain the 400 SC WR

Ol’ Longhorn
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

Same is true for men, so your point?

Yozhik
Reply to  Ol’ Longhorn
4 years ago

No point. Just underlying the fact that dominance by wins depends on two factors. One of which is the strength of the field. Just a few articles earlier Swimswam. celebrated 100th world cup gold medal of Vladimir Morozov.

John
Reply to  Yozhik
4 years ago

No point…. sums it up nicely

Octopus
Reply to  iLikePsych
4 years ago

Slightly off: The most dominant female IM-er in the not so recent history could be Donna de Varona. From age 13 to 17 she swam dozen of WRs and won the Olympics in Tokyo Olympics by a huge margin. She retired at the age of 17 — those were different times.

Aquajosh
Reply to  iLikePsych
4 years ago

Yana Klochkova says hi

Riez
Reply to  iLikePsych
4 years ago

Darnyi was unbeaten throughout his carrier in both IMs, except for one 200 at nationals.

Ytho
4 years ago

MA needs to improve that freestyle badly

DBSwims
Reply to  Ytho
4 years ago

Especially since MA is a 50 guy and Rapsys is a mid distance freestyle, i dont think MA did that bad. I mean, u arent going to say that Seto sucks at free because Litherland almost completely caught up in the free WC. Also, Rapsys is more of a back half swimmer and even chased Yang down for the win before his DQ. Fraser-Holmes is also primarily an IMer and 2 free swimmer.

The Ready Room
Reply to  DBSwims
4 years ago

I don’t think that’s a fair comparison… 30.5 is pretty egregiously bad when you’re going 1:59.0. For context, the last 50 of Mireia Belmonte’s 400 IM was faster.

Ytho
Reply to  DBSwims
4 years ago

You are right, but where did I say he sucks at free? His last 50 was like 30.5, which imo needs improvement, that’s all I stated. His free outside of a 50 looks odd to me, and the times also show that. It needs some work, but I’m sure they will figure it out.

I mean, back then the last 50 of my 200 IM was comparable to his, but with a PB 15+ secs slower.

Backstrokebro
4 years ago

I mean, is anyone really surprised?

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Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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