2018 FINA WORLD CUP – SINGAPORE
- Thursday, November 15th – Saturday, November 17th
- OCBC Aquatic Centre, Singapore
- SCM
- Start Lists
- Results
A heated battle is about to go down in Singapore at the final stop of the 2018 FINA World Cup Series. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom remains atop the women’s rankings through Tokyo, holding a total of 285 points, but Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu is hot on her heels, carrying 270 points into this week’s final competition.
Russia’s Yuliya Efimova is also in the mix with 234 points to rank 3rd among all women, while speedster Ranomi Kromowidjojo of Netherlands also holds over 200 points with 219.
Although only an athlete’s 3 fastest performances earn points toward the overall ranking, Hosszu is giving herself her best shot by entering 15 events. That’s compared to Sjostrom’s 6 events. The pair will go head-to-head in the 50m free, 200m free, 50m fly, and 100m IM, where Sjostrom has had the leg up on the Hungarian each time.
But, Sjostrom will have another threat to contend with in the form of Kromowidjojo, as the twosome have gone back and forth a number of times in the 50m free, 50m fly and 100m free events.
As for the men, the field from Tokyo remains generally in tact, but local fans will be treated to their home country hero of Joseph Schooling. Making his World Cup debut, the 23-year-old Olympic gold medalist is set to contest the men’s 50m and 100m butterfly events.
He’ll be pitted against a stacked 100m fly field with China’s Li Zhuhao, America’s Michael Andrew, Belarus’ Yauhen Tsurkin and Japan’s Masayuki Umemoto. Even freestyle ace Kyle Chalmers of Australia is getting in on the race, ranked among the top 20 on the 100m fly entry lists. Of note, South African Chad Le Clos is not competing in Singapore, as he didn’t in Tokyo.
The men’s 50m fly will have several of the same key players, but Russian dynamo Vlad Morozov will be added to the field. Morozov leads all men in the FINA World Cup points by a comfortable margin, holding 342 points to teammate Kirill Prigoda‘s 213.
Aussie Mitch Larkin is still seeking to add to his point haul, sitting in 3rd with 183, while Americans Andrew and Blake Pieroni round out the men’s top 5.
WOMEN’S RANKING (AFTER TOKYO)
| Rank | Country | Family Name | First Name | Total | Cluster #1 | Cluster #2 | Beijing (CHN) | Tokyo (JPN) | Singapore (SGP) |
| 1 |  – SWE |
SJOSTROM | Sarah | 285 | 120 | 84 | 33 | 48 | |
| 2 |  – HUN |
HOSSZU | Katinka | 270 | 90 | 72 | 60 | 48 | |
| 3 |  – RUS |
EFIMOVA | Yulia | 234 | 78 | 75 | 51 | 30 | |
| 4 |  – NED |
KROMOWIDJOJO | Ranomi | 219 | 63 | 66 | 33 | 57 | |
| 5 | – NED |
HEEMSKERK | Femke | 165 | 51 | 42 | 39 | 33 |
MEN’S RANKING (AFTER TOKYO)
| Rank | Country | Family Name | First Name | Total | Cluster #1 | Cluster #2 | Beijing (CHN) | Tokyo (JPN) | Singapore (SGP) |
| 1 | – RUS |
MOROZOV | Vladimir | 342 | 84 | 134 | 54 | 70 | |
| 2 | – RUS |
PRIGODA | Kirill | 213 | 36 | 72 | 60 | 45 | |
| 3 |  – AUS |
LARKIN | Mitchell | 183 | 72 | 72 | 21 | 18 | |
| 4 |  – USA |
ANDREW | Michael | 174 | 87 | 36 | 27 | 24 | |
| 5 | – USA |
PIERONI | Blake | 159 | 57 | 60 | 27 | 15 |
How is Schooling’s fitness right now? Is he tapered for this meet?
We’ll see when the leg starts
He did an 18 in practice. He is ready
Correct me if I’m wrong, but since Schooling never does US meets outside of NCAA, will this be the first time him and Michael Andrew race? That seems crazy
Ummm…yeah it probably is. I don’t remember Schooling ever doing a PSS meet. Did MA ever go down for the American Short Course Championships?
Good observation if true.
The simplest thing that Sarah Sjostrom needs to secure overall win is to beat Hosszu in 100IM. And we will see it happening. In this case Kromowidjojo will win/tie the third cluster. And all this pretty much depends on Alia Atkinson’s decision of not having useless 100fly right before 50BR where she can be really fast.
Katinka will win the 100 IM and very likely the 3rd cluster. The question is the overall. Who will be the 1st and 2nd (Sarah or Katinka) and who the 3rd and 4th (Yulia or Ranomi).
It was only 0.03sec difference in 100IM race in Tokyo. And Sarah is getting better and better in this event.
Hosszu is 18 points ahead of Kromowidjojo in this cluster. If Hosszu is out of bonus points at last stop then Ranomi has a chance to win $50,000. She needs Yulia/Alia swim fast their signature event.
True.
The 100 IM prelim was faster, in the final Katinka wasn’t as good.
About the second part: yes, Ranomi has, but she has to be the first, and no points for Katinka (as you wrote she would need Alia, Sarah or Yulia too), and Ranomi has to win 2 golds and 1 silver otherwise she can only reach a tie.
It’s the same for the overall. If Katinka will have 12 points more (in this case she will win the cluster) than Sarah the overall can be a tie. Katinka will win 3, and Sarah needs 2 golds and 1 silver othervise she will be the 2nd overall…etc.
Tough race, good to see it.
Yes, it is actually a smart move. When you have more than one final during evening session it makes sense to swim them saving energy not caring much about fast time if it isn’t necessary for the win. If there is no competition to get to the finals during prelim session then she can swim very fast one race only and to take easy on other events where she needs to be just among 8 fastest, but not the first one as it will be in finals.
Yes, this is the tactics, I think. Entering 15 events is also about this. I would’t be amazed if she swim only the IMs and the 200 fly and no backs e.g. IMO 100IM final will be the point scoring event. Katinka can’t afford to lose it against Sarah and that’s her highest FINA points chance at the moment.