World Cup Astana, Day 2 Finals: Cameron McEvoy Captures 50 Free Crown in 20.19
In the name of conserving energy, Cameron McEvoy almost got things disastrously wrong in prelims of the 50 freestyle on Friday.
Out of Lane 1 in the final, he got things very, very right.
McEvoy clocked in at a time of 20.19 seconds to win the 50 free and the Triple Crown at the World Aquatics World Cup stop in Astana.
McEvoy’s time is the second-fastest in his career, trailing only the World Cup record of 20.13 he set in Taskhent last week. It was the first of 10 triple crowns – and thus 10 $10,000 checks – up for grabs on Day 2 of the meet in Kazakhstan.
Women’s 400 freestyle
The day started with no triple crown up for grabs, Anna Peplowski and Freya Colbert having split the first two races. This rubber match was a more leisurely pace out, with six swimmers within a second after 300 meters.
But the American Peplowski put the foot down coming home, getting the win in 4:00.25. She outdistanced Colbert in the final 100, the British swimmer second in 4:00.93. Waka Kobori stuck tough with the group in 4:01.03, and Caitlin Deans was fourth in 4:01.41. It was a gap back to Gan Ching Hwee in fifth in 4:04.04.
Men’s 50 freestyle
It was an unusual sight to see a crown chase out of Lane 1, but that was the reality after Cameron McEvoy finished seventh in prelims and slipped into the final by barely two tenths.
It made no difference in the final, the in-form Aussie blowing the field away in 20.19 seconds. It’s second only to his 20.13 from last week. It was decisively better than Egor Kornev, who was second in 20.59. McEvoy had spoiled the Russian’s triple crown bid in the 100 free a day earlier.
Third was Isaac Cooper of Australia in 21.13, a hundredth over Sean Niewold. Kazakh local Gleb Kovalenya tied Dylan Carter for fifth in 21.22.
Women’s 100 individual medley
Marrit Steenbergen has the second of her four triple crowns on the route to the series victory, going 56.54. She bested frequent series antagonist Roos Vanotterdijk with ease, the Belgian second in 58.04.
Abbie Wood was third in 58.68, with Rebecca Meder of South Africa fourth.
Men’s 200 breaststroke
Luke Barr’s first of two triple crown bids on the night was spoiled by Caspar Corbeau. The Dutchman who had been second twice in this event went 2:01.94 to decisively win – and pocket the $2,500 bonus for breaking up a triple crown bid.
Barr was third in 2:03.27, with a quick turnaround to clear it mentally and physically with the 100 IM bid later in the session. Second was Kirill Prigoda, who was third in the first two stops. He went 2:02.41. He’s got a chance to capture the 100 breast crown on Saturday.
Fourth and fifth went to a pair of Hong Kong swimmers, with Adam Mak in second in 2:05.05, .21 ahead of Adam Chillingworth.
Women’s 200 backstroke
Taylor Ruck picked up her second win in the 200 back, only a loss in Baku denying her the triple crown. In her fastest swim yet, the Canadian went 2:02.29. She bested Anna Peplowski, who had beaten her in Baku, by more than a second and a half. The American, on the back of the 400 free double, was second in 2:03.81 to finish behind Ruck, who has the 50 free remaining.
Ellen Walshe was third in 2:04.33, the Irishwoman expanding her racing aperture. Belarus’ Anastasiya Shkurdai was fourth in 2:05.11, followed by Freya Colbert, on a similar 400 free/200 back double, in 2:05.70.
Men’s 100 butterfly
Chen Juner’s 200 fly triple crown bid was spoiled by So Ogata Friday. No such issue on Friday, the 22-year-old Chinese swimmer going 49.59 to capture the prize.
He left no doubt, a full half-second clear of Russian Andrei Minakov in second. Ogata was third in 50.17, losing two tenths to the field off the block in a slow start. Belarus’ Grigori Pekarski was fourth in 50.25. Fifth was Evgenii Shilovskii, the Russian in his first event of the Silk Road World Cup and in the center lane, in 50.69.
Women’s 100 butterfly
In her first 100 fly of the Silk Road circuit, Yu Yiting nearly played spoiler and got an Asian record for her trouble. But Roos Vanotterdijk completed her second triple crown with a time of 54.80, a best time that improves by four tenths her Belgian record from Tashkent.
Yiting was within a tenth at the midway point and two tenths at the 75. Vanotterdijk held off Yu’s surge, though Yu’s time of 55.17 undercut the Asian mark of 55.25 from Lu Ying set in 2014.
Third was Belarus’ Anastasiya Kuliashova in 56.68. She bested Russia’s Daria Klepikova by .02 seconds, with Arina Surkova fifth.
Men’s 200 backstroke
Add a second triple crown and a best time for Pieter Coetze, the South African going 1:48.08 to dominate the field yet again. He moves to the top of the points leaderboard on the men’s side.
Second was Shaine Casas of the U.S. in 1:49.48. Czechia’s Jan Cejka was third in 1:50.14, with Dmitri Savenko of Russia edging countryman Pavel Samusenko for fourth.
Women’s 200 breaststroke
Evgeniia Chikunova made a mockery of the field, the Russian going 2:16.57 to claim the triple crown by nearly four seconds over the field. She was never in any trouble, positively dominating the field.
Second – and a distant one at that – was Tes Schouten of the Netherlands in 2:20.41. She just edged Ireland’s Mona McSharry by .05 seconds. Fourth was Sophie Angus in 2:20.71, a tenth up on Rebecca Meder of South Africa.
Men’s 100 individual medley
After seeing his first triple crown bid spoiled, Luke Barr bounced back fast. He went 51.91 to secure his first triple crown, starting fast and pushing the edge in his preferred breaststroke leg to lead to get the win. Finlay Knox of Canada was second in 52.18.
Third was Shaine Casas in 52.32. Russian Kliment Kolesnikov faded to fourth in 52.45. Alberto Razzetti of Italy was fifth.
Women’s 50 freestyle
It’s a triple triple crown for Kasia Wasick, sealing her ninth straight 50 free win. This one she had to work for, with Marrit Steenbergen swimming the 50 free for the first time on the Silk Road circuit and earning vital points toward her bid to win the series. Wasick just held her off in 23.30, with Steenbergen second in 23.41.
Third was Siobhan Haughey, shy of her Asian record from Baku, in 23.76. Aleksandra Kuznetsova of Russia was fourth in 24.05, .08 up on Taylor Ruck on the back of her double.
Men’s 400 freestyle
Carson Foster’s bid of a triple crown was torpedoed by Lucas Henveaux’s back half, the Belgian winning in 3:36.01. He ended up two seconds ahead of the American’s time of 3:38.11.
Third was Oliver Papai of Hungary in 3:40.52, just edging South Africa’s Matthew Caldwell by .02 seconds. Lewis Clareburt was fifth.