FINA CHAMPIONS SWIM SERIES 2019 #2 – BUDAPEST
- May 11-12, 2019
- Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
- LCM (50m)
- Saturday – 7:30 pm local / 7:30 am ET Opening Ceremony, 8:00 start
- Sunday – 7:30 pm local / 7:30 am ET start
- FINA Champions Series Info
- Entry List
- Live Stream (NBC Sports) – May 11th
- Live Stream (Olympic Channel) – May 12th
- Live Stream (FINA TV)
- Live Results (Omega)
Today, the opening Press Conference of the second stop of the FINA Champions Swim Series took place in the Duna Arena, the same venue that hosted the 2017 World Championships. Emily Seebohm (AUS), Chad Le Clos (RSA), Katinka Hosszu (HUN), Kristof Milak (HUN), Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) and Nicholas Santos (BRA) answered the questions from the press, accompanied by Julio Maglione (the FINA president), Cornel Marculescu (FINA executive director) and Sandor Wladar (president of the Hungarian swimming federation).
Hosszu: “I am very happy that FINA started to go in this direction”
The Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu is set to race 4 events in this stop. When asked if this competition is the movement she expected from FINA to promote swimming, Hosszu answered: “I also promoted swimming to make it more attractive, I am very happy that FINA started to go in this direction, and this is the way to go forward”.
“We support this format as a trial, as an experimental format. China was pretty fun, it is confident for the swimmers to race only in finals, being totally in-season and being able to have fun. The swimmers must travel but it is fun”, said Hosszu about the format of the series.
Sarah Sjostrom & Emily Seebohm, by Adrian Mancebo/SwimSwam
Sjostrom: “The 2017 Worlds were the best competition of my life”
Sarah Sjostrom is the current leader of the money table after the first stop in Guangzhou (China). Sjostrom will race 5 events in Budapest. “The 2017 Worlds in Budapest were the best competition of my life. Here we just come and we will see, I don’t know if there will be world record or not. Sometimes you surprise yourself”, answered the Swede regarding the chances of setting a new world record here.
Seebohm, Sjostrom and Le Clos, along with many other swimmers (especially those involved in the ISL) just came from training camp in Turkey between stops of the Champions Series
Talking about the food poisoning she suffered in Guangzhou, Australian Emily Seebohm clarified that she is fully recovered and she feels good coming into this meeting. “I just came from a training camp in Turkey, together with Chad and Sarah and the team Energy Standard.”
Seebohm also talked about being the only aussie racing in Budapest: “Yes for the rest of Australians I guess the competition did not suit their season planning. I was in the training camp in Turkey and this place is close, I had a great training there and I am very excited to be back.”
Budapest is like a second home for Chad Le Clos
The South African star comes back to the Hungarian capital after winning gold in the 200 butterfly in the 2017 World Championships, “In Budapest I feel like in my second home, it is great to be here and meet all the fans. I have great memories here and it is one of my favourite pools and one of the fastest. I am very happy to be back.”
“I like to race the best and the best is here in Budapest. I came here just like to a training camp and let’s see what comes out from this.”, commented Le Clos when asked about his expectations.
Nicholas Santos expects to race faster in Budapest
The Brazilian veteran is in the best moment of his career after a succesful 2018, in which he broke the SC world record in 50 butterfly and won gold medal in the same event in the SC world championships. Santos also won gold in the first stop of the series with a time of 23.01. “In 2017 I also got a silver medal here. I am already 39, I am the oldest swimmer and last year was amazing for me. In China it felt great and I expect to race even faster here again.“
Katinka ROCKS!
Other possibilities to follow it from 20.00 CEST/14:00 EST (time difference is 6 hours not 12):
Saturday: https://www.mediaklikk.hu/duna-world-elo/ or https://www.m4sport.hu/
Sunday: https://www.mediaklikk.hu/m4-elo and https://www.m4sport.hu/
Kind of sickening seeing the FINA members in that photo.
Other photos: http://www.nemzetisport.hu/galeria/uszas-bajnokok-sorozata-budapest-sajtotajekoztato-1657
Will yozhik bash housszu in a comment on here? Or maybe i just prevented just that 🤔
Adrian Mancebo did it already calling her a SUPERSTAR. I have nothing to add. Hope she will improve the SUPER quality of her races from average ranking of something around #240 to something under #100. It’s hard to be disagree with her calling it fun to be paid for such a performance about 50 grands. I will for sure fell in love with FINA for that too.
P.S. Ranking was done against results of 2018 season.
As you know, too theese swimmers are mainly paid some coins not to speak too much and make something huge against FINA. Only champions/professionals could do and afford it. This is why right they are here.That’s so simple.
But I think they’ll do that perhaps not so noisy like till now.
It was done already before me by calling her a super star. I hope she will improve the super quality of her races to have average ranking under #100. It is hard to disagree with her about having fun of being paid for such a performance almost 50 thousands dollars.
P.S. Ranking was measured against results of 2018 season.
No, it was done in article before me 😀
Off topic question but is lochte eligible for 2019 Phillips 66