2018 FINA World Cup Day 2 Prelims: Sjostrom, Andrew Continue Grabbing Top Seeds

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Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA

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The second stop of the 2018 FINA World Cup continued this morning in Doha, Qatar with heats of the men’s 50 backstroke, women’s 200 free, men’s 200 IM, men’s 50 breaststroke, women’s 50 butterfly, and the men’s 100 freestyle. While no World Cup records fell on the first night of finals, there are some records that could be in jeopardy tonight.

Michael Andrew started off the morning with a blazing fast 50 backstroke, leading the field by more than a second in 24.73. The next closest qualifier was the Netherlands’ Jesse Putts in 25.84, with Mitch Larkin (25.86) and Vlad Morozov (25.99) lurking right behind. Morozov just set the World Cup record in this event in Kazan, narrowly edging out Andrew with a 24.43, so expect him to be much faster tonight.

Andrew’s second top seed came in the 50 breast, where he was the top seed in 27.29. That was about half a second off of Cameron van der Burgh’s 2015 World Cup record. Qualifying second was 100 breast champion from last night Felipe Lima in 27.95.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom also had two top seeds in the women’s 200 free (2:02.02) and the women’s 50 fly (25.67). She was 1:55.98 in the 200 in Kazan after a 2:00 swim in the morning, so expect the 24-year-old to take another crack at Katinka Hosszu’s 2015 World Cup record tonight. Hosszu herself qualified fourth in the heats this morning.

Sjostrom’s 50 fly time was only a few tenths off her recent World Cup record in the event from Kazan, where she won in 25.39. As the world record holder and given the speed she has shown in the 50 freestyles so far in the World Cup, don’t be surprised to see that record continue to go down tonight.

Belgium’s Pieter Timmers ended the session with a top seed in the 100 free (49.30), just ahead of American Blake Pieroni (49.66). Timmers is the reigning Olympic silver medalist in this event from Rio, although he did not compete at the most recent European Championships this summer. Morozov, who won this event last week in Kazan, qualified fifth here in 50.86.

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Hmm...

5 years ago

The king of prelims…

Thomas A. Small

5 years ago

Congratulations