Katinka Hosszu Tops Prelims in Four Events at Tokyo World Cup

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Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Day two of prelims at the FINA World Cup stop in Tokyo featured several top-seeded efforts from Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu. Hosszu has won more than 200 career World Cup races and is in position to win the overall World Cup title for women for the fifth straight year.

To start off the morning, Hosszu edged out in front of the field in the women’s 100 free. Hosszu checked in at 53.40, just ahead of Canada’s Michelle Williams, who came in at 53.52. Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen (53.60), the USA’s Kelsi Worrell (53.65) and Japan’s Rikako Ikee (53.72) all secured prime lanes for the final.

Hosszu later topped the field in the 200 fly in 2:05.96, finishing almost two seconds ahead of No. 2 qualifier Miyu Nakano (2:07.62). Hosszu also recorded the top time in the women’s 400 free with a 4:03.34. China’s Dong Jie finished second in 4:04.68, and 10k Olympic gold medalist Sharon van Rouwendaal was well back in third in 4:06.25. Hosszu then picked up a top seed in a fourth event, the women’s 100 IM. She posted a 59.17, with only Japan’s Miho Teramura joining her under 1:00 (59.62).

Young Australian Clyde Lewis finished well ahead of the field in the men’s 200 free with a 1:44.37. Great Britain’s James Guy, last year’s World Champion in the event, was second in 1:45.41, and Japan’s Daiya Seto got third in 1:45.64.

Russia’s Yulia Efimova qualified first in the women’s 50 breast with a 29.87. Molly Hannis of the USA was just behind in 29.93, and Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson got third in 30.01. Atkinson, the co-world record-holder in the event, edged Efimova for the win in the 100 breast Tuesday night.

Brazil’s Felipe Lima topped the 100 breast prelims in 58.05, edging out Japanese countrymen Ippei Watanabe (58.18) and Yoshiki Yamanaka (58.32). In fact, Lima and Russia’s Vladimir Morozov (eighth, 59.08) were the only non-Japanese swimmers to make the final. Japan then qualified first and third in the men’s 100 fly as Kouhei Kawamoto led the way in 50.92, and Seto was third in 51.13. South Africa’s Chad le Clos split the difference at 51.08.

The unheralded Japanese duo of Miyuki Takemura (57.65) and Sayaka Akase (57.73) led the way in the women’s 100 back, ahead of Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina (57.95) and Australia’s Emily Seebohm (57.99). Hosszu, the Olympic gold medalist in the event, barely snuck into the final in seventh, touching in 58.19.

Japan’s Junya Koga led the way in the men’s 50 back in 23.76, just ahead of Russia’s Stanislav Donets (23.79). Belarus’ Pavel Sankovich and Spain’s Miguel Ortiz-Canavate tied for third in 23.83, and Romania’s Robert Glinta was fifth in 23.92. The USA’s Josh Prenot qualified first in the men’s 200 IM in 1:55.87. Japan went two-three in the event with Keita Sunama (1:56.29) and Seto (1:56.59).

The top eight in the men’s 50 free were separated by just eight one-hundredths of a second, with Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud finishing first in 21.51, and Japan’s Kousuke Matsui touching eighth in 21.74. Other notable qualifiers include American Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin (fourth, 21.62), South Africa’s Roland Schoeman (fifth, 21.64) and Morozov (seventh, 21.73).

Competing in her home country, Olympic gold medalist Rie Kaneto beat out the field by more than two seconds in the women’s 200 breast. She touched in 2:19.84, ahead of Hannis (2:21.64) and Efimova (2:22.02). Japan’s Masaki Kaneko led the way in the men’s 200 back in 1:51.93, more than a second ahead of Australia’s Mitch Larkin (1:52.99).

Worrell concluded the morning session with a top-seeded time of 26.06 in the women’s 50 fly. Ikee finished a quarter-second back in 26.31, and she was followed by Seebohm (26.39), Ottesen (26.50) and Atkinson (26.54).

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Darkec

7 years ago

Proofread before you post! 21.74 – 21.51 will never be 0.08.

Darkec

7 years ago

Reply to Darkec

Not to mention you have more then one mistake like this one in the article.