{"id":623637,"date":"2025-10-10T16:30:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T23:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=623637"},"modified":"2025-10-10T16:41:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T23:41:47","slug":"world-cup-carmel-day-one-finals-kaylee-mckeown-threatens-world-record-hubert-kos-beats-leon-marchand-in-200-backstroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-cup-carmel-day-one-finals-kaylee-mckeown-threatens-world-record-hubert-kos-beats-leon-marchand-in-200-backstroke\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup Carmel \u2014 Day One Finals: Kaylee McKeown Threatens World Record; Hubert Kos Beats Leon Marchand in 200 Backstroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Cup Carmel \u2014 Day One Finals: Kaylee McKeown Threatens World Record; Hubert Kos Beats Leon Marchand in 200 Backstroke<\/strong><\/p>\n

The annual World Cup circuit for swimming opened in style Friday evening Carmel, Ind., with many of the world’s best swimmers arriving at the state-of-the-art high school facility in suburban Indianapolis. The meet’s first finals session started with decorated international veterans\u00a0Lani Pallister<\/strong> and\u00a0Carson Foster<\/strong> claiming wins in the 400 freestyle before\u00a0Kaylee McKeown<\/strong> sizzled in the 50 backstroke, coming within two tenths of the world record.<\/p>\n

Shortly after,\u00a0Hubert Kos<\/strong> took first in his signature 200 backstroke but only after fending off his multi-talented training partner widely considered the best swimmer in the world,\u00a0Leon Marchand<\/strong>. The stellar results continued as\u00a0Regan Smith<\/strong> put a scare into the 2:00-barrier in the 200 butterfly and took down an American record. Later on, world-record holders No\u00e8 Ponti<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>(100 butterfly), Kate Douglass<\/strong> (200 breaststroke) and Gretchen Walsh<\/strong> (100 IM) picked up wins in their main events.<\/p>\n