The FINA Swimming World Cup started up in Tokyo (JPN) and coming on the heels of the World Championships in Korea, the swimming was of high caliber.
Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, who had entered 14 of the 16 individual events, scratched out of most of them and then won the 200 m Butterfly in a very good 2:07.10, a time which would have finished fourth at the Worlds and missed a medal by 0.06.
A pleasant surprise was American Andrew Seliskar’s impressive win in the 100 m Butterfly in 51.34, a lifetime best; that time would have finished fifth in the Worlds final. As it is, it ranks equal-6th on the 2019 year list and gives the U.S. a second contender in the event. Seliskar was the surprise national champion in the 200 m Free in 2018, but didn’t make the final in Gwangju.
There was a big surprise in the women’s 50 m Freestyle, where Sweden’s Michelle Coleman, who made it as far as the semis in Gwangju, beat Australian star (and Worlds bronze medalist) Cate Campbell, 24.66-24.81. It was a seasonal best for Coleman, but still would not have put her in the Worlds final.
Russian Valentina Simonova also entered 14 of the 16 women’s events and she was busy on Friday. She swam but did not qualify for the finals in the 400 m Free, 50 m Back and 50 m Free, but she was seventh in the prelims and finals of the 200 m Breaststroke.
Summaries so far:
FINA Swimming World Cup I
Tokyo (JPN) ~ 2-4 August 2019
(Full results here)
Men
50 m Freestyle: 1. Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 21.56; 2. Shinri Shioura (JPN), 21.92; 3. Michael Andrew (USA), 21.94. Also: 4. Blake Pieroni (USA), 22.03.
400 m Free: Danas Rapsys (LTU), 3:45.57; 2. Zac Reid (NZL), 3:50.25; 3. Jeremy Bagshaw (CAN), 3:52.20.
200 m Back: 1. Mitch Larkin (AUS), 1:55.97; 2. Jacob Pebley (USA), 1:56.37; 3. Hayate Matsubara (JPN), 1:57.74.
100 m Breaststroke: 1. Ilya Shymanovich (BLR), 58.73; 2. Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN), 59.01; 3. Andrew Wilson (USA), 59.02.
100 m Butterfly: 1. Andrew Seliskar (USA), 51.34; 2. Grant Irvine (AUS), 51.63; 3. Szebasztian Szabo (HUN), 51.67. Also: 5. Zach Harting (USA), 52.02; … 7. Andrew (USA), 52.14; 8. Ryan Murphy (USA), 52.51.
Women
50 m Freestyle: 1. Michelle Coleman (SWE), 24.66; 2. Cate Campbell (AUS), 24.81; 3. Ting Wen Quah (SGP), 24.92.
400 m Free: Kiah Melverton (AUS), 4:06.71; 2. Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 4:06.81; 3. Miyu Nambu (JPN), 4:09.39. Also: 4. Erica Sullivan (USA), 4:10.44.
50 m Backstroke: 1. Emily Seebohm (AUS), 28.03; 2. Caroline Pilhatsch (AUT), 28.20; 3. Emi Moronuki (JPN), 28.27.
200 m Breaststroke: 1. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 2:22.35; 2. Reona Aoki (JPN), 2:24.33; 3. Jessica Vall Montero (ESP), 2:25.32.
200 m Butterfly: 1. Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2:07.10; 2. Brianna Throssell (AUS), 2:07.36; 3. Szuzsanna Jakobos (HUN), 2:08.86.
