SWIMMING Preview: $314,000 in bonuses available as World Cup cluster ends in Singapore

Triple Olympic Champion Katinka Hosszu (HUN)

The third meet in the 2019 FINA Swimming World Cup is getting ready at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore, with some big money on the line as the first “cluster” of the meets ends and $314,000 on bonuses are on the line.

There is prize money at each meet – from $1,500 down to $200 for sixth place – but the top six in scoring in each gender at the end of the first cluster will receive $50,000-35,000-30,000-20,000-10,000-5,000-4,000-3,000.

So after the first two legs:

Men:
1. 96 ~ Vladimir Morozov (RUS)
2. 87 ~ Andrew Wilson (USA)
3. 72 ~ Mitch Larkin (AUS)
4. 66 ~ Danas Rapsys (LTU)
5. 51 ~ Szebasztian Szabo (HUN)

Women:
1. 105 ~ Cate Campbell (AUS)
2. 102 ~ Katinka Hosszu (HUN)
3. 63 ~ Emily Seebohm (AUS)
4. 45 ~ Michelle Coleman (SWE)
5. 36 ~ Alia Atkinson (JAM)

A total of 305 swimmers – 143 international and 162 from local clubs – have registered for the World Cup, to be held in a long-course pool (50 m). The top entries:

Men:
● Mitch Larkin (AUS) ~ 50-100-200 m Back, 200 m Medley
● Danas Rapsys (LTU) ~ 100-200-400 m Free, 50-100 m Back, 50 m Breast, 100 m Fly
● Szebasztian Szabo (HUN) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50 m Back, 50-100 m Fly
● Vladimir Morozov (RUS) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50 m Back, 50 m Fly
● Joseph Schooling (SGP) ~ 200 m Medley
Michael Andrew (USA) ~ 50 m Free, 50-100 m Back, 50-100 m Breast, 50-100 m Fly, 200 m Medley
Andrew Wilson (USA) ~ 50-100-200 m Breast
Blake Pieroni (USA) ~ 50-100-200-400 m Free, 50-100 m Fly

Women:
● Cate Campbell (AUS) ~ 50 m Free, 50 m Back, 50 m Fly
● Emily Seebohm (AUS) ~ 50-100-200 m Back, 50 m Breast, 200 m Medley
● Katinka Hosszu (HUN) ~ 100-200-400-800 m Free; 50-100-200 m Back, 100-200 m Breast, 50-100-200 m Fly; 200-400 m Medley
● Alia Atkinson (JAM) ~ 50-100-200 m Breast, 50-100 m Fly
● Vitalina Simonova (RUS) ~ 50-100-200-400-800 m Free, 50-100 m Back, 50-100-200 m Breast, 50-100 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley
● Michelle Coleman (SWE) ~ 50-100-200 m Free, 50-100-200 m Back
Erica Sullivan (USA) ~ 200-400-800 m Free, 200 m Back, 200 m Fly, 400 m Medley

The World Cup scoring only allows swimmers to score in three events, so for Hosszu to enter in 13 is simply a menu to select from and she will likely swim 4-6 events in total. Scoring is 12-9-6 in individual races, but the key will be the bonus points for the top performances (24-18-12) according to the FINA points table; the performance bonuses will decide the cluster winner.

The endurance award for the first cluster goes to Russian Vitalina Simonova, who has entered 14 events in each of the two meets so far and completed them all, swimming at least in the heats. She actually won her specialty, the 200 m Breaststroke, in last week’s meet in Jinan (CHN).

Local fans will be watching for Rio 2016 hero Joseph Schooling, who won the 100 m Butterfly over U.s. superstar Michael Phelps, and is entered in the 200 m Medley.

It should be quite a tussle. Look for results here.