2023 World Cup – Budapest: Noe Ponti Arrives With 51.34 100 Fly Prelim

2023 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – BUDAPEST

• Friday, October 20th – Sunday, October 22nd
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Live Results

The opening session of the World Cup finale in Budapest kicked off on Friday morning with several swimmers positioning themselves to earn the “Triple Crown” in tonight’s finals, led by Chinese star Qin Haiyang.

Qin, who has won the men’s 50, 100 and 200 breast at the first two legs in Berlin and Athens, paced a very competitive field in the men’s 100 breast heats that saw seven men break the 1:00 barrier.

The 24-year-old put up a time of 59.19, leading the Dutch duo of Arno Kamminga (59.35) and Caspar Corbeau (59.50), and Nic Fink (59.54), Federico Poggio (59.59), Nicolo Martinenghi (59.75) and Adam Peaty (59.93) also went sub-1:00.

Belarusian Ilya Shymanovich, the world record holder in the short course 100 breast, missed the final by placing 9th in 1:00.59.

Another blistering event in the morning session was the women’s 50 free, where world record holder and reigning world champion Sarah Sjostrom put up a time of 24.14 to near her winning time from the Athens final (24.10)—she was 23.95 in Berlin.

Like Qin, Sjostrom will have a chance to earn the Triple Crown by winning the final—a $10,000 bonus for winning the same event at all three stops—but she’ll have her work cut out for her as Cate Campbell (24.49), Bronte Campbell (24.51), Siobhan Haughey (24.83) and Michelle Coleman (24.99) also broke 25 seconds.

Taylor Ruck also raced for the first time since the 2023 World Championships, qualifying for the final in 7th (25.17).

In the men’s 400 free, world champion Sam Short made his presence felt as he grabbed the top seed in a time of 3:49.83, leading Danas Rapsys (3:50.94), who is aiming for the Triple Crown in the final.

Another notable swim came from Switzerland’s Noe Ponti, who didn’t compete at the first two legs but dropped a time of 51.34 to lead the field in the men’s 100 fly. Ponti’s time is faster than the winning times from either of the first two stops, with Michael Andrew having won in Berlin (51.66) and Matt Sates (51.82) coming out on top in Athens.

Ponti will take a run at the World Cup Record of 51.04 in tonight’s final, with his season-best sitting at 51.00 from the 2023 World Championships where he placed 7th.

In the men’s 50 free, Dylan Carter had his fastest swim of the season and one of the fastest of his career in 21.98, nearing his lifetime best of 21.91 as he qualified 1st for the final ahead of Andrew (22.05) and Kenzo Simons (22.11). Andrew won the Athens stop in 21.96, and Aussie Isaac Cooper, who snuck into the final in 8th, was the Berlin winner in 21.93.

OTHER TOP SEEDS WITH TRIPLE CROWN SHOT

• Erika Fairweather (NZL), women’s 400 free – 4:06.74
• Kaylee McKeown (AUS), women’s 50 back – 27.47
• Zhang Yufei (CHN), women’s 200 fly – 2:09.89
• Tes Schouten (NED), women’s 200 breast – 2:24.66