2022 FINA World Cup – Toronto: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2022 FINA WORLD CUP – TORONTO

• Friday, October 28 – Sunday, October 30, 2022
• Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC), Toronto, Canada
• SCM (25 meters)
• Start Times
  • Prelims: 9:30 am local (ET)
  • Finals: 6:00 pm local (ET)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results (Omega)
• Live Stream (FINA YouTube)

Day two of the 2022 FINA World Cup stop in Toronto carries the momentum from yesterday into the Pan Am Sports Centre.

Last night we saw Summer McIntosh of Canada fire off a new World Junior Record in the women’s 400m freestyle, producing the 2nd fastest time in history in the process. Olympic legend Katie Ledecky of the United States was right behind, falling only .08 shy of gold but capturing a new American Record in the event.

McIntosh will be taking on the women’s 100m backstroke here on day two, where she’ll be pitted against the likes of domestic talent Kylie Masse, Sweden’s Louise Hansson, as well as Beata Nelson of the stars n’ stripes.

For Ledecky’s part, the multi-faceted ace is expected to race the 200m free where she’ll see Aussie Madi Wilson and reigning World Record holder Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong among her competitors.

On-fire Trinidad & Tobagoan Dylan Carter is ready to rumble in the men’s 50m back, one of three World Cup titles he took during stop one in Berlin.

Additionally, South Africa’s Matt Sates will try to follow up his 400m freestyle victory from last night with a run at the men’s 200m IM.

A must-see event will be the men’s 100m freestyle, where another reigning World Record holder is among the entrants.

Kyle Chalmers of Australia is the fastest man ever in the short course 1free and we’ll see what he has in store against host country swimmer Josh Liendo, Italian rival Thomas Ceccon, the aforementioned Carter and more.

Day Two Prelims Heat Sheet

WOMEN’S 400 IM – SLOWEST HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 4:18.94, Mireia Belmonte (ESP) 2017
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 4:23.33 benchmark
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 4:18.94, Mireia Belmonte (ESP) 2017

Women’s 400m IM final results will be included after the fastest heat in the evening session.

MEN’S 50 BACK – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 22.22, Florent Manaudou (FRA) 2014
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 22.77, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) 2018
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 22.61, Peter Marshall (USA) 2009

Poland’s Kacper Stokowski took the lead in this men’s 50m backstroke, clocking a time of 23.30. That’s just over .30 away from his lifetime best of 22.98 from the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships where he finished 6th.

A pair of Americans are next in line, with Coleman Stewart touching in 22.35 to Justin Ress‘ 23.42.

Lurking as the 6th-seeded swimmer, however, is Dylan Carter. The on-fire Trinidad & Tobago swimmer already won the men’s 50m freestyle last night and was the gold medalist last week in Berlin in this 50m back. We’ll see tonight if the former USC Trojan can outperform the 23.15 he produced to top the podium at the first stop.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 1:50.31, Siobhan Haughey (HKG) 2021
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 1:52.50, Taylor Ruck (CAN) 2016
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 1:50.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017

A stacked women’s 200m free field saw Aussie Olympian Madi Wilson land lane 4 for tonight’s final. The 28-year-old Marion Swimming Club ace produced a speedy 1:54.32 to represent the only sub-1:55 swimmer of the field.

Wilson owns a lifetime best of 1:52.55 from just his past summer and she may need to get close to that to hold off the likes of American icon Ledecky and Hong Kong Olympic medalist Siobhan Haughey. Ledecky cruised to a smooth 1:55.52 to capture seed #2 while Haughey also looked comfortable with a morning swim of 1:56.15.

Haughey owns the World Record with the 1:50.31 she crushed en route to winning the 2021 short course world title last year. After suffering an ankle injury this past May, Haughey competed domestically at the Hong Kong Long Course Open but this World Cup Series is her first time competing internationally this year.

Haughey took the Berlin stop win last week in a scorching 1:51.36 while Wilson was runner-up, well back in 1:54.01.

Of note, Aussie freestyler Meg Harris fell out of the top 8 this morning, placing 11th in 1:59.02.

MEN’S 200 IM – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 1:49.63, Ryan Lochte (USA) 2012
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 1:51.45, Matt Sates (RSA) 2021
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 1:50.66, Daiya Seto (JPN) 2021

The top 2 seeds weren’t too much of a surprise, as American Shaine Casas and South African Matt Sates looked in control during their morning swims.

Casas stopped the clock in 1:54.23 while Sates finished in 1:54.27 in his heat, putting just .04 between them for tonight’s final. The pair landed on the podium last night in the 100m IM, with Casas taking gold to Sates’ bronze. Sates, a former Georgia Bulldog, won the 400m free yesterday to continue his stellar World Cup win streak from last year.

Two more Americans made this 2IM final in Trenton Julian and Kieran Smith, while veteran Lithuanian racer Danas Rapsys also made the top 8.

Rapsys was the bronze medalist last week in Berlin behind winner Sates and runner-up Hubert Kos of Hungary. Kos wound up well out of the final, settling for 10th in 1:55.79 this morning.

The bronze medalist from Abu Dhabi, Alberto Razzetti, barely made it to tonight’s final, capturing the 8th seed in 1:55.65.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 54.89, Minna Atherton (AUS) 2019
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 55.99 Benchmark
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 55.23, Shiho Sakai (JPN) 2009

Former World Record holder Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands produced the top time of the morning, hitting 56.58.

Toussaint, who trains at Tennessee, missed the Berlin leg of this FINA World Cup Series after fracturing her finger during a finish in practice. Post-race here Toussaint reportedly said she felt pain in her finger so we’ll have to see how the injury affects her in the medal-contending final.

Canadian power duo Maggie MacNeil and Kylie Masse are waiting to make their move, grabbing the 2nd and 3rd seeds, respectively. Masse took silver in Berlin to American Beata Nelson, clocking a mark of 56.32 so she’s already in the realm of that result.

But Nelson is indeed among the top 8 for tonight’s final, while we’ll have to see if Summer McIntosh or Mary-Sophie Harvey, both of Canada, will join her. McIntosh set a new Ontario age group record with her time of 58.11, edging Kayla Sanchez’s previous mark by .01 seconds.

McIntosh was last night’s spotlight stealer in the women’s 400m free, topping the podium ahead of Ledecky in a new World Junior Record.

Update: MacNeil has reportedly scratched the women’s 100m back final, meaning both McIntosh and Harvey are now into tonight’s race.

MEN’S 50 BREAST – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 24.95, Emre Sakci (TUR) 2021
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 25.85, Simone Cerasuolo (ITA) 2017
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 25.25, Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) 2009

Nic Fink of the United States is primed to repeat his gold from Berlin in this men’s 50m breast, beating the morning heats by nearly half a second.

The reigning short course world champion took the top spot in 26.15 with the next closest athlete being that of Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands who swims for the University of Texas. Corbeau secured the 2nd seed in 26.55 while Japanese racer Yoshiki Yamanaka rounded out the top 3 in 26.70.

Of note, two-time Olympic silver medalist Arno Kamminga is not competing across this World Cup Series as the Dutchman is recovering from a series of illnesses.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 24.38, Therese Alshammar (SWE) 2009
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 24.55, Clair Curzan (USA) 2021
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 24.38 Therese Alshammar (SWE), 2009

Still dripping wet from her 100m backstroke heat, MacNeil raced her way to the top seed in this women’s 50m fly.

The Canadian produced a time of 25.35 to comfortably top the heats, while French swimmer Beryl Gastaldello was next in line in 25.61 and Japan’s Ai Soma snared the 3rd seed in 25.73.

In Berlin, Gastaldello led a 1-2 French punch, taking the gold in 25.16 while her teammate Melanie Henique tied Aussie Holly Barratt for silver in 25.39.

Henique was a no-show for this morning’s heats while Barratt captured the 5th slot in 25.86. Barratt is among the top 10 best performers all-time in this 50m fly, owning a lifetime best of 24.75 from October of last year.

Last night’s 50m free victor, Kasia Wasick of Poland, made it into this final with a mark of 25.91. She owns a PB of 25.66 from 2 years ago.

MEN’S 100 FREE – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS) 2021
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 46.11, Kliment Kolesnikov 2018
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS) 2021

The reigning World Record holder in this men’s 100m free event looks to be in great position to carry his win streak on from Berlin, as Kyle Chalmers of Australia cruised to the top seed.

The 24-year-old Olympic champion from the 2016 Olympic Games punched a morning effort of 46.96, exactly what he produced in the heats last week before he ultimately topped the first stop’s podium in 45.88.

American Brooks Curry got the job done this morning for the 2nd seed, logging 47.05 while Italy’s young gun Thomas Ceccon, the reigning World Record holder in the long course 100m backstroke, clocked 47.19 for 3rd.

TTO’s Dylan Carter, already in the men’s 50m back final, will also put his hat in the ring for a medal in this blue ribbon event. He took the 5th seed in 47.37.

Missing from tonight’s final is Josh Liendo of the host nation. Liendo, who claimed bronze in this 1free event at the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships, was relegated to 9th in a time of 47.62.

Also out of the top 8 is last night’s 100m fly silver medalist Matt Temple of Australia, placing 11th in 47.65 this morning.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 1:02.36, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU)/Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2013/2016
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 1:02.36 Benchmark
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 1:02.36, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU)/Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2013/2016

A foursome of sub-1:05 swimmers in this women’s 1breast was led by German maestro Anna Elendt.

22-year-old Elendt, who trains at the University of Texas, just fired off the fastest time of her career to claim the top seed in 1:04.54. That also checks in as a new German national record, overtaking the 1:04.78 Caroline Ruhnau put on the books in 2009.

American Olympic Lilly King did her thing to get into the mix for a medal, logging 1:04.62 while teammate and reigning Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby is also right there in 1:04.70.

Ruta Meilutyte, the Lithuanian who retired in 2019, only to come back and break the European Record in the 50m breast, looks to be keeping in form. She produced 1:04.74 to keep things close for tonight’s medal contest.

Meilutyte topped the podium in this event last week in Berlin, posting a super speedy 1:03.07 as the 7th fastest outing of her storied career.

MEN’S 200 FLY – HEATS

• WORLD RECORD – 1:46.85, Tomoru Honda (JPN) 2022
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 1:49.62, Chen Juner (CHN) 2022
• WORLD CUP RECORD – 1:48.56, Chad Le Clos (RSA) 2013

The men’s 200m fly swimmers kept their cards relatively close to their chests this morning.

American Trenton Julian made his 2nd final of the day. After finishing in the top 8 in the men’s 200m IM, he took the top seed here in 1:53.10.

Taipei’s Kuan-Hung Wang was also in the 1:53 zone with a time of 1:53.59 while Mexico’s Hector Ruvalcaba clocked 1:53.98 to follow suit. Wang was the bronze medalist in this event at the first stop, getting to the wall there in 1:51.04.

South Africa’s Chad Le Clos lurks as the 6th seed in 1:54.53, doing what he had to do to make the final in a bid to repeat as the gold medalist from his 1:49.62 outing in Berlin.

Missing the final was Hungary’s Kos once again, in addition to Italian Federico Burdisso, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in this event. Kos swam 1:56.75 for 9th while Burdisso swam 1:58.00 for 11th this morning.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE – SLOWEST HEAT

• WORLD RECORD – 15:18.01, Sarah Kohler (GER) 2019
• WORLD JUNIOR RECORD – 15:45.29, Merve Tuncel (TUR) 2020
• WORLD CUP RECORD

Women’s 1500m free final results will be included after the fastest heat in the evening session.