The First Finals of the Berlin World Cup Should Get You Excited for this Olympic Season

2023 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – BERLIN

On the first day of the first World Cup stop in Berlin, finals were bananas. 1 Asian record, 4 Series records, multiple times that would have medaled at world champs. And it’s *October*.

Even with the slew of championship meets that have occurred in the last 3 months (and we’ve still got Pan Ams later this month), you can see that athletes are zeroing in on racing in this newly started Olympic season. I absolutely expected the times to be slower from top to bottom, but today really impressed (for example: 3 women 4:05 or better in the 400 free, 8 men 52.3 or better in the 100 fly), and we’ve still got 2 more days in Berlin and then 2 more stops in this World Cup series, all long course.

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Sub13
1 year ago

Ruta scraping into the 100 Breast final with a 1:09 is shocking! I wonder what’s up?

Nick the biased Aussie
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Saving energy, almost saved too much.

Sub13
Reply to  Nick the biased Aussie
1 year ago

That’s very unlike her! She breaks world records in semis

Luigi
1 year ago

Ceccon almost broke the 200 back Italian record. Considering it’s October and he is basically a 50 and 100 guy, this is really impressive. The most talented swimmer we ever had, versatility-wise.

Troyy
Reply to  Luigi
1 year ago

Do you know if he has any plans to do the 200 IM?

Luigi
Reply to  Troyy
1 year ago

He said he won’t, because they are complex to train for and they’re always next to other races he cares more about. It’s a shame: 5 years ago as a very young man he set the national record in short course.

Nick the biased Aussie
Reply to  Luigi
1 year ago

He’s got to be one of if not the most versatile male swimmer in the world right now. Would love to see him in the 200m IM.

Sub13
1 year ago

Interesting results in the heats session so far.

MA over Cooper in the 50 back was a little unexpected, as well as Fairweather over Haughey in the 200 free. Obviously they’re only heats but still. Sates looking ok in the 200.

Is Kaylee about to take down Seebohm’s WCR? Probably not yet. She easily could but seems wasteful to swim a 58 low when no one has broken a minute yet

Sub13
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Looks like the YouTube stream has stopped at the 3rd heat of W100 Backstroke. Trying multiple systems and they all freeze at the same place…

Joel
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

I think it said technical difficulties

Sub13
Reply to  Joel
1 year ago

Yeah it’s back on.

Missed a bit of an upset in the 50 fly. Wonder if Zhang might actually take it in the final.

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

MA has similar best times to Cooper in 50 and 100 back but I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Cooper in the 50 back yet given what happened at Worlds.

JamezzzzzzzL
1 year ago

Saying that Carter and Nelson can defend their all their titles plus win the overall titles again would be like saying Usain Bolt can win a marathon.

Sorry.

Last edited 1 year ago by JamezzzzzzzL
Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  JamezzzzzzzL
1 year ago

Funniest thing ever when Swimswam claimed Huske could*easily* win overall title if she’s back to 2022 form

🤣

Sub13
Reply to  JamezzzzzzzL
1 year ago

Who has said that?

Sub13
1 year ago

Ok seeing Qin and McKeown in the first session it seems they must be heavy favourites to win the overall now right? Win absolutely dominated the 100, doesn’t have any competition in the 200. Really he just needs to win the 50 but based on his 100 that shouldn’t be hard. Ceccon might also win 3 events at each stop but guessing Qin’s points will be higher?

For McKeown, the 50 back was her most vulnerable and she won convincingly. Assuming she wins at least 3 events at each stop, Sjostrom is the only one that jumps out at me as winning 3 at each stop but I think Kaylee is likely to get more FINA points.

Am I missing… Read more »

Taa
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Michael Andrew can win 3 I guess and probably get faster at each stop

Anything but 50 BR
Reply to  Taa
1 year ago

Given that he didn’t win the 50 FR here, what 2 events besides the 100 FL would he win?

Sub13
Reply to  Taa
1 year ago

I almost included him but that seems unlikely. He’s lost the 50 free and won the 100 fly. Not sure where he’s getting 2 more wins from at this stop?

Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  Taa
1 year ago

😂

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Sjostrom seems like the only one who could maybe topple McKeown but she’ll need to beat Haughey in the 100 free or Zhang in the 100 fly to do it so McKeown’s path is clearer. Haughey and Zhang don’t appear to have any path to three wins at each meet.

Sub13
Reply to  Troyy
1 year ago

Agreed.

Zhang would need to win either the 50 free or fly, while Haughey already only has 2 events left this meet with no wins so she literally can’t get 3 at each.

I see Sjostrom pretty easily winning triple 50 free/fly. It wouldn’t surprise me if she pulls off the 100 free OR fly at least once at each stop.

But if Kaylee ends this stop as the only one with 3 wins then she should be pretty safe barring disaster.

Klyn
1 year ago

Why are there not very many top Americans swimming?

Gen D
Reply to  Klyn
1 year ago

I’m guessing it’s because most of them are in the NCAA

bob
Reply to  Gen D
1 year ago

Most in NCAA and only the beginning of swim season in North America.Most swimmers just starting their season.

Joel
Reply to  bob
1 year ago

Same with most countries though. In fact, Australia’s top swimmers have to weirdly peak mid year for big LC meets when it is theoretically their short course season and mid winter.

anonymous
Reply to  Klyn
1 year ago

The Americans have a team going to Pan Am Games

Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  anonymous
1 year ago

Pan Am team is not top swimmers

Dan386
1 year ago

What’s happening to USA swimming?

Torchbearer
Reply to  Dan386
1 year ago

Not too much, but I think the rest of the world has caught up…and is getting faster!

The USA at the WCs had so many medalists, but the winning times are just getting crazy- even in out-of-season and off-years.

Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  Torchbearer
1 year ago

Yeah, Americans dominated 2022 worlds because many top swimmers didn’t attend or focus on less events/relays only.

And the winning times were meh.

2023 Fukuoka was when all top swimmers attended and the winning times were just outrageous

DK99
Reply to  Dan386
1 year ago

Focusing 7 months of the year on SCY is finally proving to be inefficient

Samuel Huntington
1 year ago

And another reminder that American swimmers need to step it up. The rest of the world is locked in. Just ok performances from Grimes, Huske, Fink, and Weinstein.

JoeB
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 year ago

”Deep in the trenches” is American slang for ”I’m not good enough to peak more than once in a 12-month cycle.” What? You can’t compete while you’re in training? In a word, soft. And before anyone comments, ”Name any other athlete who peaks more than once a year?” I will give you the Kenyan distance runner Faith Kipyegon, who on June 2 of this year broke the world record in the women’s 1,500 meters, who on June 9 of this year broke the world record in the women’s 5,000 meters, and who on July 21 of this year broke the world record in the women’s mile. Three world records in 49 days. Do you think she had her feet up… Read more »

Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 year ago

No wonder swimming is just once every 4 years sport (in the eyes of public) in America.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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