2023 World Cup Series – Budapest: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2023 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – BUDAPEST

• Friday, October 20th – Sunday, October 22nd
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
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• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap

We’re back at the 2023 World Cup Series for the second session of finals in Budapest, Hungary. If Day 1 and this morning’s prelims were any indication, we’ve got another night of fast swimming heading our way.

Watch:

Day 2 Finals Event Schedule:

• Women’s 400 IM — fastest heat
• Men’s 1500 Freestyle — fastest heat
• Men’s 50 Backstroke — final
• Women’s 200 Freestyle — final
• Men’s 200 IM — final
• Women’s 100 Backstroke — final
• Men’s 50 Breaststroke — final
• Women’s 50 Butterfly — final
• Men’s 100 Freestyle — final
• Women’s 100 Breaststroke — final
• Men’s 200 Butterfly — final

Almost every event this session has a potential Triple Crown winner (they’re bolded on the event schedule above). After she shattered the 50 backstroke world record on Day 1, all eyes will be on Kaylee McKeown as she goes for her 100 backstroke Triple Crown. Like in the other backstroke disciplines, McKeown has been improving in the 100 back over the course of the series. In Athens, she swam 57.63, just .18 seconds off her own world record so we’ll be back on record watch for her today.

South Africa’s Matt Sates is eyeing two Triple Crowns this session: the 200 IM and 200 butterfly. Sates has proved that he’s capable of pacing himself well through the double, even setting a new personal best in the 200 fly last weekend. In the IM, expect him to stick to his race strategy of pushing to the lead on the breaststroke leg.

Benedetta Pilato just joined the circuit in Budapest so she isn’t up for a Triple Crown. However, she established herself as the person to beat in the 100 breaststroke by setting a new World Cup record in prelims. She swam 1:05.75, cracking Alia Atkinson‘s record from 2015 and nearly setting a new personal best. She’s sitting over a second ahead of the field after prelims, but they should close in on her in finals. Tes Schouten and Mona McSharry are seeded 2nd and 3rd and notably, Schouten swam a new Dutch record in the 200 breast on Day 1.

WOMEN’S 400 IM — FASTEST HEAT

• World Record: 4:25.87 — Summer McIntosh, Canada (2023)
• World Cup Record: 4:32.30 — Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2019)
• World Junior Record: 4:25.87 — Summer McIntosh, Canada (2023)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Boglarka Kapas (Hungary) — 4:43.14
• SILVER: Anja Crevar (Serbia) — 4:43.83
• BRONZE: Vivien Jackl (Hungary) — 4:45.95

The home Hungarian crowd had a lot to cheer for in the session’s opening event; the women’s 400 IM featured five Hungarians. That includes the eventual winner Boglarka Kapas. Kapas opened in a 1:03.47 butterfly, leading the field around to the backstroke leg.

There, it was 15-year-old Vivien Jackl who asserted herself. Jackl pushed the pace, turning at the halfway point in 2:13.78, almost a second ahead of Kapas. Both Kapas and Serbia’s Anja Crevar worked the breaststroke leg and Jackl was unable to go with them. With jus 100-meters left, .36 seconds separated Kapas and Crevar.

That gap went down by the final turn, when Kapas led by just .13 seconds. But Kapas found another gear on the final 50 meters, pulling away from Crevar to secure Hungary its first win of the session in the first event. Kapas touched in 4:43.14, ahead of Crevar’s 4:43.83.

Jackl held on for third in 4:45.95, giving Hungary a 1-3 finish.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE — FASTEST HEAT

• World Record: 14:31.02 — Sun Yang, China (2012)
• World Cup Record: 14:51.61 — Mykhailo Romanchuk, Ukraine (2019)
• World Junior Record: 14:46.09 — Franko Grgic, Croatia (2019)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: David Betlehem (Hungary) — 14:58.04
• SILVER: Zalan Sarkany (Hungary) — 15:04.88
• BRONZE: Kristof Rasovszky (Hungary) — 15:08.00

This men’s 1500 freestyle fastest heat quickly separated itself into two groups of four. The front group was led by Zalan Sarkany, who is training in his home nation of Hungary this fall but is expected to return to Arizona State in the spring. Going with him were fellow Hungarians Kristof Rasovszky and David Betlehem, as well as Greece’s Dimitrios Markos. After the first 400-meters, Markos was unable to keep pace with the other three and began to fall away.

At 900-meters, Betlehem made his move, taking over the lead from Sarkany for the first time in the race. Betlehem increased his lead over Sarkany and Rasovszky, and was the only one of the three splitting sub-30 50s at this point in the race. He extended his lead every 50, quickly bringing it to over four seconds. Behind him, Sarkany and Rasovszky jockeyed between each other for second place.

Betlehem got under the 15 minute mark to earn the win, making it two-for-two for Hungary. Sarkany pulled away from Rasovszky towards the end of the race, finishing comfortably in second with a 15:04.88 to Rasovszky’s 15:08.00.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE — FINAL

• World Record: 23.55 — Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2023)
• World Cup Record: 24.40 — Vladimir Morozov, Russia (2019)
• World Junior Record: 24.00 — Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2018)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Michael Andrew (United States) — 24.64
• SILVER: Isaac Cooper (Australia) — 24.82
• BRONZE: Miroslav Knedla (Czechia) — 24.85

Michael Andrew has won the first Triple Crown of the session, completing the sweep in the men’s 50 backstroke. As he’s done through the whole series, Isaac Cooper pushed Andrew through the middle of the race, using a strong reaction time (.54) to get himself up and going.

But the closing meters were all Andrew, who touched in 24.64 to win. That’s a solid time for Andrew; off what he went at the first stop in Berlin (24.47), but faster than he was in Athens (24.79).

After taking bronze in Athens, Cooper climbed back into second, clocking a 24.82 to get the better of Miroslav Knedla by three-hundredths.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — FINAL

• World Record: 1:52.85 — Mollie O’Callaghan, Australia (2023)
• World Cup Record: 1:55.03 — Siobhan Haughey, Hong Kong (2023)
• World Junior Record: 1:53.65 — Summer McIntosh, Canada (2023)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong) — 1:54.08 *World Cup record*
• SILVER: Barbara Seemanova (Czechia) — 1:55.79
• BRONZE: Erika Fairweather (New Zealand) — 1:56.08

This race was all Siobhan Haughey. She blasted out from the start and was under Mollie O’Callaghan‘s world record pace for the first 150-meters. O’Callaghan closed that race like a freight train so Haughey fell off that pace, but she destroyed her own World Cup record with a 1:54.08, touching just .16 seconds off her personal best and Asian record 1:53.92. She was even closer to the 1:53.96 that she swam for 4th at 2023 Worlds.

That earns Haughey a Triple Crown in the 200 freestyle. She has the chance to earn another in the 100 freestyle tomorrow.

Haughey made it clear from the start that it was a race for second, splitting 26.51/28.99/29.13/29.45. The field was able to catch her a bit on the final 50, as the race was on for the remaining spots on the podium. Barbara Seemanova grabbed second in a 1:55.79 with a field-best final 50 split of 29.41. Erika Fairweather made her 3rd 200 freestyle podium, touching out Nikolett Padar for bronze.

MEN’S 200 IM — FINAL

• World Record: 1:54.00 — Ryan Lochte, United States (2011)
• World Cup Record: 1:57.06 — Mitch Larkin, Australia (2019)
• World Junior Record: 1:56.99 — Hubert Kos, Hungary (2021)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Matt Sates (South Africa) — 1:57.73
• SILVER: Kieran Smith (United States) — 1:58.98
• BRONZE: Danas Rapsys (Lithuania) — 1:59.38

Matt Sates earned his first Triple Crown of the session here in the 200 IM and made it three events in a row where a Triple Crown winner has been crowned. Sates moved through the race a bit differently than we’ve seen him do at the first two stops on the World Cup series. Before, he waited until the breaststroke to make his move to the front of the field. But this time in Budapest, he left nothing to chance at led the race from the opening butterfly leg.

Sates split 24.76/30.42/33.77/28.77. He was already ahead of the field, but it was still his breaststroke leg that sealed the race for him; he was the only one in the field who broke 34 seconds on that split. He was more than a bodylength ahead of the others as he powered home on the freestyle leg, touching less than a half-second from his personal best in 1:57.73.

Behind him, it was once again Kieran Smith and Danas Rapsys who finished 2nd and 3rd, both improving from their swims in Athens. Smith turned after the butterfly leg in 7th, but moved to 4th on backstroke, then 2nd after the breaststroke leg and was able to hold off a late charge from Rapsys, who split 27.43 on the way home.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE — FINAL

• World Record: 57.45 — Kaylee McKeown, Australia (2021)
• World Cup Record: 57.63 — Kaylee McKeown, Australia (2023)
• World Junior Record: 57.57 — Regan Smith, United States (2019)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Kaylee McKeown (Australia) — 57.33 *World Record*
• SILVER: Kylie Masse (Canada) — 59.26
• BRONZE: Ingrid Wilm (Canada) — 59.64

Make that two World Records in 24 hours for Kaylee McKeown. Just one day removed from breaking the 50 backstroke world record to own all three LCM backstroke world records, McKeown reset her own world record in the 100 backstroke for another Triple Crown.

McKeown flipped at the 50-meter mark in 28.10, five-hundredths off her world record pace from 2021. She charged home in 29.18, blasting away from the rest of the field. She stopped the clock at 57.33, breaking her world record .12 seconds.

Despite breaking the 50 backstroke world record yesterday, McKeown still expressed surprise after the race that she was able to break this one today. She also resets her World Cup record of 57.63, continuing her streak of World Cup records in every backstroke race she’s swum at this World Cup series.

Well behind McKeown, the Canadians Kylie Masse and Ingrid Wilm once again took the remaining spots on the podium. Both improved on their swims from a week ago, dipping under the 1:00 mark. Masse held second the whole race. Wilm was tied for 5th at the 50, and came home in 30.27 to move onto the podium.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE — FINAL

• World Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2019)
• World Cup Record: 26.29 — Qin Haiyang, China (2023)
• World Junior Record: 26.97 — Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy (2017)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Qin Haiyang (China) — 26.30
• SILVER: Adam Peaty (Great Britain) — 26.79
• BRONZE: Nic Fink (United States) — 26.89

Qin Haiyang gave us our fifth Triple Crown in as many events. It’s his second of the weekend, as he was crowned in the 100 breaststroke on Day 1.

Here, Qin was back on the form he’s been in throughout the last few months, rebounding after a 26.52 in Athens to get back down to a 26.30. That swim is just a hundredth off the World Cup record he swam at the first stop of this series in Berlin.

Both Adam Peaty and Nic Fink showed they’re trending in the right direction with this race as well. Peaty matched his 2nd place from Athens but improved on his time, dropping down to a 26.79. Fink improved his 3rd place finish to a 26.89, coincidentally what Peaty went for 2nd place last weekend.

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY — FINAL

• World Record: 24.43 — Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2014)
• World Cup Record: 24.97 — Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2023)
• World Junior Record: 25.46 — Rikako Ikee, Japan (2017)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) — 25.21
• SILVER: Zhang Yufei (China) — 25.23
• BRONZE: Sara Junevik (Sweden) — 26.01

It looked like Zhang Yufei was going to upset Sarah Sjostrom‘s Triple Crown. Zhang led through the majority of the race, and seemed to still have the edge over a charging Sjostrom with five meters to go.

But if there’s one thing Sjostrom’s proven over her incredible career, it’s that she knows how to get her hands on the wall first. And she did just that here in Budapest, pipping Zhang by two-hundredths.

Sjostrom stopped the clock at 25.21, just ahead of Zhang’s 25.23. Sweden made it a 1-3 in the event, as Sara Junevik earned 3rd in 26.01 ahead of Australia’s Alexandra Perkins.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE — FINAL

• World Record: 46.86 — David Popovici, Romania (2022)
• World Cup Record: 47.78 — Vladislav Grinev, Russia (2019)
• World Junior Record: 46.86 — David Popovici, Romania (2022)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Thomas Ceccon (Italy) — 48.41
• SILVER: Dylan Carter (Trinidad & Tobago) — 48.52
• BRONZE: Alessandro Miressi (Italy) — 48.62

This one was the toughest of the three wins for Thomas Ceccon, but the Italian put his long reach to use to secure his 100 freestyle Triple Crown.

It was Dylan Carter who led the field around at the 50-meter mark. The sprinter flipped in 23.10, a tenth ahead of Ceccon. Ceccon battled back on the second 50–it looked like Carter might still get it, but at Ceccon put in another dig in the closing meters. He split 25.21 on the 2nd 50 to Carter’s 25.42. That was enough for Ceccon to get his hand on the wall first with a 48.41, .11 seconds ahead of Carter’s 48.52.

Italy’s Alessandro Miressi took 3rd. He charged home in 25.21 (the same split as Ceccon), moving from 5th at the 50 intro 3rd. He ran out of room to chase down the two leaders, and ended up in 3rd a tenth behind Carter in 48.62.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE — FINAL

• World Record: 1:04.13 — Lilly King, United States (2017)
• World Cup Record: 1:05.75 — Benedetta Pilato, Italy (2015)
• World Junior Record: 1:04.35 — Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2013)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Benedetta Pilato (Italy) — 1:05.83
• SILVER: Tes Schouten (Netherlands) — 1:06.29
• BRONZE: Mona McSharry (Ireland) — 1:06.32

Benedetta Pilato gave Italy their second win in as many events, touching 1st in the women’s 100 breaststroke. Pilato was just off the World Cup record that she swam in prelims this morning. However, 1:05.83 was more than enough to get the job done for the win and also it’s another solid swim for Pilato, who struggled in the 100 breaststroke last season. This swim is just .13 seconds off her personal best 1:05.70.

Pilato led the race from wire-to-wire, turning at the halfway point at 30.89, the only person in the race to go sub-31 seconds. She closed in 34.94, holding off a charge from the 200 breaststroke winner Tes Schouten, who set a Dutch record in that event yesterday. Schouten closed in 34.86, securing 2nd in 1:06.29. She moved from 4th at the 50 into 2nd by the end of the race, passing Mona McSharry and Alina Zhmushka.

McSharry rounded out the podium in 3rd with a 1:06.32.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY — FINAL

• World Record: 1:50.34 — Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
• World Cup Record: 1:54.18 — Chad le Clos, South Africa (2015)
• World Junior Record: 1:53.79 — Kristof Milak, Hungary (2017)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Matt Sates (South Africa) — 1:55.25
• SILVER: Richard Marton (Hungary) — 1:56.21
• BRONZE: Trenton Julian (United States) — 1:56.74

Up in lane 1, Matt Sates earned his second Triple Crown of the session, following up his 200 IM win with a win in the 200 butterfly.

Sates turned at the 100-meter mark in 3rd place behind Hungary’s Richard Marton and the United States’ Trenton Julian, who were together in the middle of the pool. Like he did in Athens, Sates really pushed on the third 50, splitting 30.10 to put himself into the lead just ahead of Julian.

He continued to extend his lead on the closing 50, coming home in 29.84 to touch in 1:55.25. That’s a new personal best for Sates, bettering the 1:55.44 that he swam in Athens. He’s now swum a personal best in the 200 fly at all three stops of the World Cup on the way to this Triple Crown.

Marton closed well (30.62) to pass Julian for 2nd, improving on his time from Athens and giving the Hungarian crowd more to cheer about. Julian earned 3rd in 1:56.74.