2018 FINA World Cup Budapest: Hosszu Grabs Two Top Seeds On Day One

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Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA

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The fourth stop of the 2018 FINA World Cup brings some of the top swimmers from around the world to Budapest, Hungary for another round of short course meter racing.

China’s Wang Jianjiahe kicked off the session as the top qualifier out of the heats in the women’s 400 free with a 4:01.94. Jianjiahe set a world junior record in that event last week in Eindhoven, and was just a tenth off of Mireia Belmonte Garcia’s world record.

Katinka Hosszu was the top seed in the women’s 100 IM (57.91), ahead of a stacked field that includes Kathleen Baker (59.01), Sarah Sjostrom (59.54), Yulia Efimova (59.80), and Emily Seebohm (59.87). In the men’s event, Michael Andrew got his hand to the wall first ahead of world record holder Vlad Morozov, 51.92 to 52.69. Morozov set a world record in this event at last week’s stop in Eindhoven.

Baker was back in the pool shortly after the 100 IM to grab the top seed in the 50 back (26.55), just ahead of Georgia Davies (26.57), while Hosszu returned to the competition pool in the 200 back (2:05.89) just ahead of teammates Zsuzsanna Jakabos (2:06.69) and Liliana Szilagyi (2:07.07). American Kelsi Dahlia was also in the pool in that event, qualifying fourth with Szilagyi in 2:07.07.

Chad le Clos raced his way to the top seed in the men’s 100 fly (50.81) in his first race of the morning, just ahead of Mehdy Metella (51.07). Vitalina Simonova beat out countrymate Efimova in the 200 breast, with the two qualifying first and third respectively in 2:21.87 and 2:24.53.

American Nic Fink made his 2018 world cup debut in the men’s 100 breast, finishing in 57.63 to grab just the top seed for tonight by just .01 over Kirill Prigoda.

Sjostrom ended the session with a quick 23.52 in the 50 freestyle. Femke Heemskerk was also under 24-seconds with a 23.92, just ahead of Olympic gold medalist Pernille Blume (24.00). Morozov took his first top seed in Budapest with a 20.92 swim in the men’s 50 free. He will be joined in the final tonight by Great Britain’s Ben Proud (21.20) and Andrew (21.36).

Other top seeds include Germany’s Poul Zellmann in the men’s 400 free (3:44.29), trailed closely by Australia’s Mack Horton (3:45.25), and Australian Jorden Merriless in the men’s 200 back (1:54.25).

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