Intense, Fun Match-Ups Set Once Again for Night Two of Doha World Cup

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Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

The second morning of the Doha World Cup stop set up some intense battles for tonight’s finals. The meet, held in Doha, Qatar, is the second stop of the second 2017 FINA/airweave World Cup cluster.

The women’s 100 IM, featuring Katinka Hosszu, Sarah Sjostrom, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Emily Seebohm will certainly be the women’s race to watch, while Chad le Clos and Vladimir Morozov are likely to put on a show in each of their respective events this evening.

Doha World Cup Order of Events:

  • 100m Freestyle Women
  • 200m Freestyle Men
  • 50m Breaststroke Women
  • 100m Breaststroke Men
  • 100m Butterfly Men
  • 100m Backstroke Women
  • 50m Backstroke Men
  • 200m Butterfly Women
  • 200m IM Men
  • 400m Freestyle Women
  • 50m Freestyle Men
  • 200m Breaststroke Women
  • 100m IM Women
  • 200m Backstroke Men
  • 50 m Butterfly Women
  • 4 x 50 m Freestyle Mixed
  • 1500m Freestyle Men
  • 400m IM Women

Women’s 100 Free

Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk had the fastest prelims swim this morning in the 100 free, dominating the field by nearly three full seconds. Her 53.30 will give her a great shot at a medal tonight after Sarah Sjostrom and Ranomi Kromowidjojo get added into the mix. The two earned automatic qualification into the final.

In the heats, Germany’s Lisa Hopink was second in 56.28 and was followed by China’s Chen Yuxi (57.13), Singapore’s Natasha Min Em Ong (57.35), Slovakia’s Barbora Tomanova (57.97) and South Africa’s Jeanri Buys.

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Men’s 200 Free

Countryman Kyle Stolk claimed another top seed this week, this time in the 200 free prelims. His 1:48.02 narrowly edged out Tom Shields of the USA who raced a 1:48.03. Stolk excelled in the middle half of the swim, out racing Shields 54.81 – 56.84. Alternatively, Shields was much faster on the bookend fifties, out-splitting Stolk 51.19 – 53.21. Both men are expected to be much faster tonight, and will be challenged by Chad Le Clos, who received an automatic bid into the heat.

Russia’s Danill Pasynkov was not far behind in 1:48.93. Poland’s Filip Zaborowski (1:49.54), Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi (1:50.14), South Africa’s Josh Stegen (1:50.50) and Singapore’s Jonathan Eu Jin Tan (1:50.95) placed fourth through seventh.

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Women’s 50 Breast

Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, the World Record holder in this event, was the lone swimmer to break the 30-second barrier in the heats. Her 29.81 was the fastest time of the morning. Denmark’s Rikke Pedersen put in a 30.99 for second while Austrian duo Lena Kreundl (31.64) and Lisa Zaiser (32.60) claimed the next two spots. Slovakia did likewise with Miroslava Zaborska (32.96) and Nikoleta Trinikova (33.70) in fifth and sixth. South Africa’s Paige Brombacher (34.11) and CLB’s Pia Hampel (34.81) will round out the heat.

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Men’s 100 Breast

The usual breaststroke competitors at these World Cups took to the men’s 100 breast. Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich (56.95) posted the top time and was followed by South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh (57.81). The men earned bronze and gold, respectively in this event in Hong Kong, but will be heavily challenged by the Russians Kirill Prigoda of Vladimir Morozov in tonight’s final. It took a 56.43 to claim gold last week.

The Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga was third in the heats in 58.16. Russia will add a third competitor to the mix in Ilya Khomenko who took fourth in 58.53. China’s Sun Jiajun (59.34) and Li Xiang (59.53) will also compete in the top heat.

 

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Men’s 100 Butterfly

While Le Clos and Shields will see yet another battle in this event in the final, Belarus’ Pavel Sankovich claimed the top spot out of the morning heats in 51.90. A repeat of this swim will certainly put him in the mix for a medal, but he will need to fight off Paraguay’s Benjamin Hockin who finished in 52.88 and just missed a medal in Hong Kong. Japan’s Yuya Yajima was also under 53 in 52.91.

Germans Ramon Klenz (53.37) and Damian Wierling (53.64) and Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi (53.74) will round out the championship final.

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Women’s 100 Back

Despite earning an automatic slot in the finals, Hosszu decided to swim her morning 100 back regardless of the advantage. Australia’s Emily Seebohm did not make the same choice, and will be fresh for tonight’s final. Hosszu was the clear winner this morning coming in at 57.91. Both women swam 56s in Hong Kong with Hosszu taking the win by about half a second.

China’s Peng Xuwei (1:00.41), Netherlands’ Maaike De Waard (1:00.45), Graf (1:01.01), Tomanova (1:03.38), Bartovicova (1:03.64) and South Africa’s Kristen Straszacker (1:04.47) placed second through seventh.

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Men’s 50 Back

Sankovich claimed another top spot, this time to be un-interrupted by automatic qualifiers. His 23.97 will give him the top seed just ahead of Germany’s Christian Diener who finished in 24.15. Morozov and Poland’s Radoslaw Kawecki were also in the hunt, finishing in 24.24 and 24.25, respectively.

The crew will also find challenges from Shields (24.65) and Brazil’s Nelson Silva Junior (24.82). South Africa’s Leith Shankland (24.88) and Hungary’s David Foldhazi (25.16) also qualified.

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Women’s 200 Fly

Six entrants will compete in the 200 fly – China’s Yufei Zhang, Hong Kong’s Kin Lok Chan, Germany’s Alexandra Wenk and Hopink, Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas and Lebanon’s Hiba Doueihy. Zhang took the win in Hong Kong in 2:08.64 and will look to repeat this performance in Doha.

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Men’s 200 IM

Russian pair Pasynkov and Prigoda claimed the top two spots in the 200 IM prelims in 1:59.05 and 1:59.11, respectively. Pasynkov had the advantage on the backstroke leg while Prigoda had a dominant back half to the race. Foldhazi was third in 2:01.27, followed closely by Kamminga in 2:01.61. Stolk (2:01.69), South Africa’s Ayrton Sweeney (2:02.63), Australia’s Brodie Cook (2:03.25) and Slovakia’s Adam Halas (2:03.91) round out the top eight.

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Women’s 400 Free

Seven competitors will swim in tonight’s 400 free final – A Chinese quad of Li Bingjie, Wang Jianjiahe, Bao Lin and Shen Duo, Heemskerk, Azerbaijan’s Fatima Alkaramova and CLB’s Michelle Chu. In Hong Kong, Heemskerk had a solid victory in 4:04.30. She finished nearly five seconds ahead of Bingjie.

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Men’s 50 Free

Morozov will find his way to the finals once more in the men’s 50 free after missing out on the event in prelims. He is the heavy favorite here. Netherlands’ Thom De Boer (22.01) and Wierling (22.04) will battle it out for the remaining medals. South Africa’s Douglas Erasmus and Hockin, both at 22.15 could also steal a spot on the podium, while Le Clos is always a wildcard as well. He came in for fifth in 22.19. Stolk (22.40) and Shankland (22.53) will also compete.

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Women’s 200 Breast

Similar to the other women’s mid-distance events, the women’s 200 breast final will feature eight entrants. Led by Atkinson, the group also includes Hampel, Zaiser, Pedersen, Zaborska, Brombacher, Trinikova and Lebanon’s Rebecca Najem Mezher. It took a 2:18.48 from Canada’s Kierra Smith to win last week. Pedersen and Atkinson were the next two finishers.

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Women’s 100 IM

World Record holder in this event, Hosszu, took the top spot in 58.18. She is likely to win this event, despite heavy challenges from sprint stars Sjostrom (1:00.78), Seebohm (1:01.49) and Kromowidjojo (1:01.52). With all the fan favorites in one heat, this will certainly be the race to watch tonight. Kreundl was also not too far out finishing fifth in 1:01.87. She was followed by Zaiser (1:02.15), Slovakia’s Tamara Potocka (1:05.41) and Bartovicova (1:06.08).

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Men’s 50 Back

Likewise, the 50 back will see all the usual names. Sankovich led the prelims in 23.97 as the only swimmer under 24. He held off Morozov for the win in Hong Kong. The Russian placed third this morning in 24.24. The men were broken up by Diener who took second in 24.15. Kawecki (24.25), Shields (24.65), Silva Junior (24.82), Shankland (24.88) and Foldhazi (25.16) will also race in the final.

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Women’s 50 Fly

Sjostrom and Kromowidjojo will hit the water once more in the 50 fly finals. Sjostrom took the win last week in 24.62. De Waard, however, won the top time in the heats in 26.49. Atkinson tested her strength in the fly with the second seed in 27.34, just ahead of chan (27.43) and Graf (27.47). Singapore’s Jamie Yazhen Koo (28.08) and Potocka (28.51) will also compete.

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