Sjostrom, Hosszu Double Up On Day 2 Of Doha World Cup

2018 FINA WORLD CUP – DOHA

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu won two gold medals apiece on day 2 of the second stop of the 2018 FINA World Cup series in Doha, claiming all but one of the female events on the schedule.

Hosszu opened the session with an easy win in the women’s 400 IM, clocking 4:39.57 to beat out countrymate Zsuzsanna Jakabos (4:44.87). Hosszu was a bit faster in winning the first stop in 4:37.82, while Jakabos was three seconds faster than her showing there (4:47.93).

The 29-year-old Hungarian followed that up by winning the 100 back, an event she didn’t win in Kazan, in a very solid time of 59.63. Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands, who won the first stop in 59.80, was the runner-up in 1:00.05 in a sparse field that featured just five swimmers.

Sjostrom easily defended the two events she had won in Kazan, claiming the 200 free (1:56.32) over Femke Heemskerk (1:56.92) and winning the 50 fly in a new World Cup Record of 25.39. Hosszu (2:00.16) and Jakabos (2:00.59) were also in that 200 taking 3rd and 4th, while Ranomi Kromowidjojo (25.76) and Kimberly Buys (25.94) were also sub-26 in the 50 fly after Sjostrom was the only one in Kazan.

We saw a second World Cup Record come on the session in the men’s 100 free, as American Blake Pieroni clocked 48.11 to lower Chad Le Clos‘ 2015 mark of 48.16. Vlad Morozov, who won the first stop over Pieroni, was the runner-up in 48.43.

OTHER WINNERS

  • Like Pieroni, Michael Andrew managed to beat out Morozov after falling to him in Kazan, winning the 50 back in a time of 24.49 to Morozov’s 24.79. That swim ties Andrew’s time from the first stop.
  • The 19-year-old was back in action a bit later in the session in the men’s 50 breast, where he finished 2nd to Brazilian Felipe Lima. Lima improved his winning time from Kazan by .06 in 26.84, with Andrew moving up one spot on the podium to 2nd in 27.47 over Kirill Prigoda (27.60).
  • Marcos Gil Corbacho (15:28.19) and Ferran Julia Tous (15:42.84) made it a Spanish 1-2 in the men’s 1500 freestyle.
  • Mitch Larkin, who was 3rd in the 50 back behind Andrew and Morozov, won the 200 IM for the second straight time in 1:59.14 to improve his time from Kazan (1:59.47). In finishing second, Ecuador’s Tom Peribonio lowered his own National Record in 2:00.40. Prigoda (2:03.47) was 3rd.
  • Yuliya Efimova (1:06.27) and Vitalina Simonova (1:07.90) went 1-2 once again in the women’s 100 breast.
  • With the absence of Le Clos due to reported illness, Azerbaijan’s Maksym Shemberev (1:58.45) came out on top in a tight battle with Hungarian David Verraszto (1:58.70) in the men’s 200 fly.
  • The Dutch team successfully won the mixed 4×100 free for the second straight stop, though they were well off their Kazan showing in 3:30.81. Kyle Stolk (50.58) and Jesse Puts (50.08) led them off, and then Heemskerk (55.10) and Kromowidjojo (55.05) really had no challengers toward the end as they won by nearly seven seconds. Hungary was 2nd in 3:37.71, with Jakabos (54.84) and Hosszu (55.89) finishing off their busy sessions.

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Yozhik
5 years ago

Despite Sarah Sjostrom joined Katinka Hosszu in her protest against changing the rule of World Cup the new Prize procedure is perfectly tailored for the swimmers like her. To be guaranteed bonuses that totals $300,000 ($50,000 for each cluster plus $150,000 ) a swimmer has to win at each stop 3 individual events and to perform really well in one of them. If a swimmer wants to get more she can compete in more than three events but the wins there will adjust the total Prize by less than 10%.
That system fits perfectly the likes of Sjostrom, Ledecky, Efimova, King, Murphy – three wins and one in the world record proximity.
That is what caused Shane/Hosszu’s protest.… Read more »

Ecoach
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Hosszu cant be close to world records except the 200 and 400 IM in which she holds the World Records and short course you can add the 100 IM and 100 and 200 back. Power points are percentage points so longer distances can be further off records and score more points. Hosszu may not get higher than Sjostrom but that’s not because of the format. For the record I don’t necessarily agree with the format changes as what swimmers swim should be left to the coaches and swimmers. If Hosszu started doing 4:31 and 2:08 she would be in the top of the standings. Given her past World Cup performances that’s not unheard of. I would put Hosszu in the… Read more »

Yozhik
Reply to  Ecoach
5 years ago

To earn as many points as she got today in 100BK by swimming 400IM she has to do it by 4:33. In 200IM it is 2.09sec.
924 point is not that much in competition with leading swimmers and it is already a tough target for Hosszu. Also it is not clear where Hosszu can get the third win if it would be more or less decent competitor in backstroke events.
Sjostrom, Ledecky, King, Efimova, Murphy can reliably surpass this score in any of their main disciplines:
50 FR, 100FR, 100BU for Sjostrom
400, 800, 1500 for Ledecky,
50,100 BR for King and Efimova
50, 100, 200 BK for Murphy.
Adam Peaty is not… Read more »

tkrisz
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

It would be interesting have a swimming decathlon 50 and 200 meters on each stroke +400IM and 1500 free for total FINA scores. 🙂

Ecoach
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

4:33 should be a tough training swim. She is a 4:26 and 2:06 IMer, I don’t see why it would be harder for her than for the others to hit their times. When you go to short course which most of the meets are you add the 100 IM and 100 and 200 back in which she also holds the world records. Sjostrom has 6 World Records and Hosszu has 5 but 3 of hers are short course which is more valuable in the World Cup.

Tea rex
5 years ago

That’s a really legit time from Pieroni. Respect.

Verram
5 years ago

Soft splits in the 4×100 free mixed relay .. would have been cool if it was a legit Olympic event and see how strong the depth in sprint freestyle is for each imcountry ..

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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