Top 5 Performances from Day 2 of the FINA Champions Swim Series – Budapest

FINA CHAMPIONS SWIM SERIES 2019 #2 – BUDAPEST

Day 2 of the Budapest stop of the FINA Champions Series saw a few new world #1 times, impressive triple wins, and more in the Duna Arena. Below is a breakdown of five standout performances/happenings from day 2 of the meet.

1. Sarah Sjöström and Katinka Hosszu dominate with triples – these two names have dominated headlines in the swimming world, and they were incredible tonight in Budapest. Sjöström continues to make 23’s look commonplace in the 50 free with a 23.97 tonight, and her 1:56.58 victory time in the 200 free after winning the 50 fly (25.32) in a new world #1 time as well as the 50 free was gritty. She then hopped back in to anchor a relay with a respectable 53.35 split. Speaking of toughness, Hosszu had a fantastic 200 fly (2:06.62) win, followed by a sub-1:00 100 back win and a 2:08 200 IM win.

2. Justin Ress wins his first and only race of the weekend – the NC State alum is in his first stretch of time post-college career. After a great 48.8 split on the 4×100 free relay last night, Ress raced his sole individual event of the weekend, the 50 back. Winning in 24.68, he defeated WR-holder Kliment Kolesnikov and American icon Matt Grevers and moves to #5 in the world. He didn’t have his best NCAA championships in March, but his long course form has looked very sharp (and a quick nod to Grevers, who has been very impressive this weekend, too) and Ress is looking like he’ll be one to really pay attention to at the World University Games.

3. Huge new national record for Danas Rapsys in the 400 free – Rapsys was out like a rocket, swimming ahead of WR pace for the first 250 meters or so. He didn’t falter very much at all, and held on to win big in 3:43.36. That ties him for #2 in the world this year, while his time decimated his own national record of 3:46.73. That kind of swim in May is rare, and it’s remarkable how far he’s come: his best was 3:53.33, nearly ten seconds slower, until 2018. Though he’s known more as a 200 freestyler (he won silver in that race at the 2018 European Championships and won that race here in Budapest, as well), Rapsys is really coming into his own as a mid-distance threat.

4. After Kristof Milak‘s huge 200 fly, Chad le Clos gets revenge – Milak’s 200 fly last night was less than a second from his season best from Hungarian Nationals, and it was his fourth-best performance ever. He wouldn’t end up on top tonight, though, as le Clos busted out a 51.25 to win the 100 fly. Milak settled for 2nd (51.67), while le Clos jumps up to #3 in this season’s world rankings.

5. Belgium’s Pieter Timmers defeats impressive 100 free field – Timmers, who had somewhat unexpected success in Rio with a 47.80 to take the 100 free silver, is very much so still around and still dangerous. Taking down Russia’s Vladimir Morozov and France’s Mehdy Metella, both top world sprinters, Timmers clocked a 48.32 tonight. He hasn’t been this fast since Rio, and it was his fifth-best outing ever; he’s only ever been under 48.6 at either Olympics or Worlds (except for one 48.59 from May of 2015 in Antwerpen).

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Yozhik
4 years ago

@BROWNISH:
I would like to point your attention to the fact of how deceiving can be the impression about the race with strong competition and the win from behind.
One of the best example of that, and I’m sure you remember it, is women 4×200 relay (LEN 2014).
Believe me, it worth to spend 8 minutes of watching it. One of the brightest moment of Pellegrini’s legacy
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jhsujOWmkLk
Everybody remember it as the point of Pellegrini’s glory, but actually a few know that it was the race where the fastest ever (by this day) split was swum (Sjostrom: 1:53.6) and Federica’s split was only 1:56 something.
I will make conclusions about relevance of this story tomorrow, as promised.

Awsi Dooger
4 years ago

I didn’t remember the men were there

Rowdy takes grief but I do miss his emphasis on the reactions times. Blume got stuck on the 50 freestyle but Coughlin didn’t notice nor the play by play guy. Modest variable in a race of that length especially against Sjostrom…or should I say Hostrom. I learned that this weekend, more times than necessary.

Predict It
4 years ago

I told my teammates after the Rio games and I’ll say it again right now: Danas Rapsys will win the 200 freestyle in Tokyo. Mark my words.

200 SIDESTROKE B CUT
4 years ago

Rapsys’s 400 free and splits made me realize how ridiculously that men’s 400 free WR swim was done (1:51/1:48?!).

MugSeven
Reply to  200 SIDESTROKE B CUT
4 years ago

Bierdermann’s last 100, especially the last 50, were insane.

Swammer
Reply to  200 SIDESTROKE B CUT
4 years ago

Is there a video of Bierdermann’s 400?

MugSeven
Reply to  Swammer
4 years ago
50 free
Reply to  200 SIDESTROKE B CUT
4 years ago

Total Bs. Bierdermann was almost nothing without that suit

sven
Reply to  50 free
4 years ago

The guy definitely benefited more than most from the suits, but his best textile 200 free time is better than any currently-active US swimmer (1:44.8), and he still won two medals at the 2011 World Champs after the suits were banned. Also worth noting that the two guys who beat him in the 400 at that meet have since served doping suspensions, so he may very well have been the fastest clean guy in the 400. The only guys to beat him in the 200 at that meet were Phelps and Lochte– living legends. He was certainly not “almost nothing.”

I’m glad the suits are banned, but we can’t direct all our bitterness at people who were only playing by… Read more »

Swammer
4 years ago

After 2016 American backstroke lost some of its depth but now with ress and Dean Farris with Murphy and Grevers I think America could have 4 guys under 52.7 or faster if they could they could have half the final at world champs.

Thomas
Reply to  Swammer
4 years ago

And possibly Pebley?

Swammer
Reply to  Thomas
4 years ago

5 guys

Packoastie
Reply to  Swammer
4 years ago

Coleman Sterwart as well possibly? Unproven in LCM, but 43.9 in yards is fast.

ITR
Reply to  Packoastie
4 years ago

well, in SCY there is 60m underwater and 31 meters of swimming while in LCM there is 30 meters underwater and 70 meters of swimming. incomparable really. But I’m also curious what he can do in a pool that matters.

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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