2018 FINA Short Course World Championships Day 1 Prelims: Comerford, Smoliga Set Records

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The FINA World Swimming Championships opened today in Hangzhou, China.

It is a full week of competition with plenty of big performances possible from many of the world’s top swimmers.

Mallory Comerford and Olivia Smoliga made the most noise, breaking American records in the first session.

Here is what is happened in the Day 1 prelims:

PRELIMS RESULTS

Order of events

• Men’s 400 Free
• Women’s 200 Free
• Men’s 200 Fly
• Women’s 50 Breast
• Men’s 100 Back
• Women’s 400 IM
• Men’s 100 Breast
• Women’s 100 back
• Men’s 200 IM
• Women’s 4×100 Free Relay
• Men’s 4×100 Free Relay

Men’s 400 Free

Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys got the short-course worlds off to a strong start by taking the top seed in the 400 free. He finished in 3:36.65 to hold off Norway’s Henrik Christiansen (3:38.04).

Brazil’s Fernando Scheffer took the third seed in 3:39.10, while Zane Grothe of the U.S. took the fourth seed in 3:39.73.

Also making the finals were Russia’s Aleksandr Kransnykh (3:39.86) and Martin Malyutin (3:39.85), who tied, followed by Italy’s Gabriele Detti (3:39.89) and Poland’s Wojciech Wojdak (3:40.36).

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Women’s 200 Free

Mallory Comerford opened her world championships in record fashion. In the 200 free prelims, she went 1:52.52 to break Missy Franklin‘s 1:52.74 from the Duel In the Pool in 2015.

The short course world record is 1:50.43 by Sarah Sjostrom.

Comerford’s prelims swim sets up an interesting showdown in the final as Australia’s Ariarne Titmus was seconding 1:52.66.

Russia’s Veronika Andrusenko took the third seed in 1:54.11, followed by Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands, who finished in 1:54.16.

Also making the finals are Sweden’s Michelle Coleman (1:54.22), Italy’s Federica Pellegrini (1:54.46), China’s Wang Jianjiahe (1:54.63) and Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova (1:54.82).

Leah Smith finished 15th (1:55.52).

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Men’s 200 Fly

Japan’s Daiya Sato used a strong start and a stronger finish to take the top seed in the 200 fly. He finished in 1:49.88.

Sato’s time was well ahead of the rest of the field as China’s Li Zhuhao took the second seed in 1:51.28.

Brazil’s Luiz Altamir Melo took the third seed in 1:51.31, followed by Russia’s Aleksandr Kharlanov (1:51.58) and Zach Harting of the U.S., who finished in 1:51.66.

Also making the final was Bulgaria’s Antani Ivanov (1:51.81), South Africa’s Chad le Clos (1:51.90) and Australia’s Nic Brown (1:52.15).

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Women’s 50 Breast

Another Lithuania swimmer snagged a top seed on opening day as Ruta Meilutyte took the top spot in the 50 breast in 29.56.

U.S. swimmer Katie Meili took the second seed in 29.94, ahead of Italy’s Martina Carraro set the national record and Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, who tied for third by each swimming 30 seconds flat.

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Men’s 100 Back

Brazil’s Guilherme Guido took the top seed in the 100 back, holding off some of the biggest names in recent backstroke history, who will all be looming in the semifinals. He lowered his South American record in the event.

Ryan Murphy of the U.S. took the second seed in 49.72, ahead of China’s Xu Jiayu (49.83), Matt Grevers of the U.S. (50.12), Romania’s Robert Glinta (50.33) and Australia’s Mitch Larkin (50.27).

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Women’s 400 IM

Katinka Hosszu continued her dominance in the 400 IM. The Hungarian Olympic champion has not lost many races in the event the past few years. She took a dominating four-second lead over the field heading into finals.

Hosszu finished in 4:23.59.

France’s Fantine LeSaffre (4:27.74) and Lara Grangeon (4:27.91) followed Hosszu. Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato took the fourth seed (4:28.02) ahead of Melanie Margalis (4:29.14) of the U.S.

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Men’s 100 Breast

Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus took the top seed in the 100 breast, finishing in 56.47.

Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli took the second seed in 56.94, followed by Andrew Wilson of the U.S. (57.01), China’s Wang Lizhuo (57.03) and Brazil’s Felipe Lima (57.14).

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Women’s 100 back

Olivia Smoliga broke the American record in the 100 back by nearly a half second, cruising to the top seed in 55.47.

Kathleen Baker held the previous mark in 55.91 that she set in September during the World Cup stop in the Netherlands.

Smoliga finished well ahead of a strong field. Australia’s Emily Seebohm took the second seed in 57.08, followed by Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu (57.09), Czech Republic’s Simona Kubova (57.13), Baker (57.16) and Australia’s Minna Atherton (57.17).

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Men’s 200 IM

China’s Wang Shun had a strong performance in front of the home crowd to close out the individual first-day prelims, taking the top seed in the 200 IM (1:53.18).

Brazil’s Caio Pumputis took the second seed in 1:53.33, finishing ahead of Josh Prenot of the U.S., who clocked a 1:53.44.

Japan’s Hiromasa Fujimori took the fourth seed in 1:53.48, followed by Brazil’s Leonardo Coelho Santo (1:53.53), Poland’s Jan Switkowski (1:53.60), who set a national record, Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov (1:53.63) and Australia’s Mitch Larkin (1:53.69).

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Women’s 4×100 Free Relay

Lia Neal, Veronica Burchill, Erika Brown and Kelsi Dahlia got the U.S. relays off to a strong start at worlds, taking the top seed in the 4×100 free relay in 3:29.52.

The Netherlands team of Kim Busch, Maaike deWaard, Valerie van Roon and Ranomi Kromowidjojo took the second seed in 3:32.67.

Russia was third in 3:33.33 and China was fourth in 3:33.42.

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Men’s 4×100 Free Relay

Russia’s Evgeny Rylov, Ivan Kuzmenko, Mikhail Vekovishchev and Ivan Girev took the top seed in the men’s relay, finishing in 3:05.16.

Brazil’s Matheus Santana, Marcelo Chierghini, Breno Correia and Cesar Cielo took the second seed in 3:05.70.

The U.S. team of Ryan Held, Kyle DeCoursey, Michael Jensen and Matt Grevers took the third spot in 3:05.72.

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Bogdan Enache
5 years ago

Go Canada ??!!!!

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