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≡ SINGAPORE WORLD CUP ≡
The final leg of the three-stage World Aquatics World Cup is in Singapore, with American Kate Douglass making another big splash on Thursday, crushing her own world mark in the women’s 200 m Breaststroke.
She took the record with a 2:14.16 swim in Incheon (KOR) last week, then destroyed it in Singapore, winning in a sensational 2:12.72, taking the mark down by almost two seconds in two weeks. Splits:
● 50 m: 30.47 vs. 30.68 in Incheon
● 100 m: 1:04.07 vs. 1:04.75 in Incheon
● 150 m: 1:38.33 vs. 1:39.20 in Incheon
● 200 m: 2:12.72 vs. 2:14.56 in Incheon
Douglass was faster on every split in Singapore by 0.21, 0.47, 0.19 and a major difference on the last lap, 34.39 in Singapore vs. 34.96 in Incheon: +0.57!
She won the race by a staggering 6.07 seconds, with Belarus’ Alina Zmushka (competing as a “neutral”) second in 2:18.79!
An important part of the Singapore stop was possible $10,000 bonuses for swimmers who swept individual events at all three World Cup stops – Shanghai, Incheon and Singapore – with possible sweeps in 22 events. On Thursday, all six available “Triple Crowns” were converted:
● Men/200 m Back: Pieter Coetze (RSA)
● Men/100 m Fly: Noe Ponti (SUI)
● Men/100 m Medley: Leon Marchand (FRA)
● Women/50 m Free: Kasia Wasick (POL)
● Women/200 m Breast: Kate Douglass (USA)
● Women/100 m Medley: Kate Douglass (USA)
The U.S. also saw a win on Thursday from Katie Grimes in the women’s 400 m Free at 3:57.61, beating Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN: 3:58.21) and fellow American Claire Weinstein (4:00.17). The time moves Grimes to no. 4 all-time on the short-course list.
American star Regan Smith won the women’s 50 m Back for the second straight World Cup, timing 25.48, easily ahead of Iona Anderson (AUS: 25.95), and close to Gretchen Walsh’s 25.37 American Record earlier in the month.
Douglass’s win in the 100 m Medley – in 56.57, a lifetime best – came only about 30 minutes after her record swim, but she won by 0.73 over China’s Yiting Yu, with fellow American Beata Nelson in third (57.53).
Marchand not only completed a sweep of the men’s 100 m Medley World Cup races, but moved to no. 2 all-time, winning in 49.92, only the second to go under 50 seconds and a European Record. He beat Ponti by 0.47 (50.39).
Britain’s two-time Olympic relay gold medalist Duncan Scott won the men’s 400 m Free in 3:34.46, a national record, ahead of American Kieran Smith (3:36.97), with Olympic 100 m Free winner Zhanle Pan (CHN) third in 3:38.78, after winning in Incheon in 3:36.43.
Dylan Carter (TTO: 20.82) won the men’s 50 Free; 2023 World Champion Haiyang Qin (CHN: 55.61) took the men’s 100 m Breast. And Brittany Castelluzzo (AUS: 2:03.44) won the women’s 200 m Fly.
The meet continues on Friday and Saturday.
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