SWIMMING Preview: Final cluster starts in Kazan with Campbell and Hosszu still fighting it out

Hungary's swimming superstar Katinka Hosszu

The FINA Swimming World Cup enters its final phase for 2019 with two more meets, in Kazan (RUS) this weekend and Doha (QAT) next week. Neither is especially important on their own, except for the annual prize derby, which has significant awards remaining:

(1) Cluster prizes of $50,000-35,000-30,000-20,000-10,000-5,000-3,000-2,000 for the top eight scorers;

(2) Overall series prizes of $150,000-100,000-50,000 for the top three.

The men’s overall race is essentially over, although not clinched for Russia’s Vladimir Morozov. The maximum points that can be scored in a single meet is 60 and he has a 87-point lead with two meets left. The women’s race is much closer:

Men:
1. 264 Vladimir Morozov (RUS)
2. 177 Danas Rapsys (LTU)
3. 132 Michael Andrew (USA)
4. 129 Andrew Wilson (USA)
5. 117 Arno Kamminga (NED)

Women:
1. 243 Cate Campbell (AUS)
2. 240 Katinka Hosszu (HUN)
3. 135 Michelle Coleman (SWE)
4. 120 Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN)
5. 105 Emily Seebohm (AUS)

Hosszu has been consistent, winning the maximum three events in each meet in the series, but Campbell – despite losing frequently – has been winning via bonus points for the best performance of the meet on the FINA Points table.

Both will be tired after heavy workloads in the International Swimming League meets in Europe, especially in Budapest (HUN) last week. But they are both entered with typical workloads (for them):

● Cate Campbell (AUS) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50 m Fly
● Katinka Hosszu (HUN) ~ 50-100-200-400 m Free, 50-100-200 m Back, 100-200 m Breast, 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley

Among the men’s entries:

● Vladimir Morozov (RUS) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50 m Back
● Danas Rapsys (LTU) ~ 200-400-1,500 m Free, 200 m Medley
Michael Andrew (USA) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50-100 m Back, 50-100 m Breast, 50-100 m Fly, 200 m Medley

Two swimmers – Zsombor Bujdoso (HUN) and Ilaria Cusinaro (ITA) – have entered all 16 individual events (!), but can scratch down from that list anytime they choose, so we’ll see how many they actually undertake.

Prize money at the Kazan meet itself is $1,500-1,000-500-400-300-200 for the top six placers in each event. Look for results here.