FINA CHAMPIONS SWIM SERIES 2019 #1 – GUANGZHOU
- April 27-28, 2019
- Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Olympic Sports Centre Swimming Natatorium
- LCM (50m)
- Saturday – 7:30 pm local / 7:30 am ET Opening Ceremony, 8:00 start
- Sunday – 7:30 pm local / 7:30 am ET start
- FINA Champions Series Info
- Entry List
- Live Stream (Olympic Channel)
- Live Stream (FINA TV)
- Extended Start Lists
- Live Results (Omega)
The opening day of the FINA Champions Swim Series in Guangzhou will feature seven men’s events, seven women’s events, and the mixed 400 free relay to close things out.
One change made from the initial schedule is that the male and female relays have all been scrapped, leaving just the mixed events. For those, teams were chosen out of a hat by FINA officials, with strokes (or order) being assigned by the teams themselves.
Katinka Hosszu will be a busy swimmer early on in the session, competing in the first four women’s events on the schedule.
Women’s 400 Free
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 4:05.16
- Li Bingjie, CHN, 4:05.21
- Zhang Yuhan, CHN, 4:07.39
- Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 4:07.57
In what was a cat and mouse race throughout, with swimmers competing for place rather than time (all four have at least one more swim this session), Katinka Hosszu made her move on the sixth 50 and opened up a lead of six-tenths.
Li Bingjie closed some of that gap by the 350 turn, and then the two had an all-out sprint to the wall. Li had the faster split in 29.07, but it was Hosszu who held on for the win by just .05 in 4:05.16. She gave a very brief post-race interview with three events still left on her schedule.
Hosszu moves into sixth in the world this year.
Men’s 100 Free
- Pieter Timmers, BEL, 48.60
- Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS, 48.75
- Vladimir Morozov, RUS, 49.10
- Chad Le Clos, RSA, 49.25
Russian Kliment Kolesnikov opened up the slight lead at the halfway mark in the men’s 100 free, flipping in 23.30, but it was Belgian Pieter Timmers who closed well in a blazing 24.90 to pickup the win in a time of 48.60.
Kolesnikov was 0.15 back for second in 48.75, with Vladimir Morozov and Chad Le Clos both slightly over 49 seconds for third and fourth.
Women’s 100 Back
- Fu Yuanhui, CHN, 59.60
- Georgia Davies, GBR, 1:00.51
- Emily Seebohm, AUS, 1:01.99
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 1:02.99
Fu Yuanhui broke away from Georgia Davies on the second half of the women’s 100 back to win in a time of 59.60, much to the delight of the home crowd. That ranks her eighth in the world this year.
Davies, coming off of British Nationals last week, was a clear second in 1:00.51, and Hosszu was well back in fourth after only a few minutes in between events. She’ll have the 200 fly shortly.
Men’s 200 Back
- Xu Jiayu, CHN, 1:55.24
- Ryosuke Irie, JPN, 1:56.24
- Li Guangyuan, CHN, 1:57.42
- Danas Rapsys, LTU, 1:58.77
Xu Jiayu led from start to finish to make it two in a row for China, touching in a time of 1:55.24 to improve on his season-best of 1:55.65 that ranks him second in the world behind Russian Evgeny Rylov (1:54.00).
Ryosuke Irie made a late push with a 29.74 final 50 but was still a full second back in the runner-up position in 1:56.24. He currently ranks third in the world with a 1:55.79 from early this month.
Women’s 200 Fly
- Zhang Yufei, CHN, 2:07.36
- Kelsi Dahlia, USA, 2:09.77
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 2:11.95
- Zhang Yuhan, CHN, 2:12.28
Zhang Yufei outlasted Kelsi Dahlia down the stretch to win the women’s 200 fly and keep the Chinese streak alive, clocking 2:07.36 to move up from tenth to fourth in the world in 2019.
Dahlia led the way at the 100m wall and was less than two-tenths back at the 150, but faded on the final 50 (34.33) to fall back by two seconds and settle for second in 2:09.77.
Hosszu held off Zhang Yuhan for third.
Men’s 50 Fly
- Nicholas Santos, BRA, 23.01
- Michael Andrew, USA, 23.27
- Andrii Govorov, UKR, 23.28
- Ben Proud, GBR, 23.34
Short course metres world record holder Nicholas Santos prevailed in a tight men’s 50 fly final, putting up a time of 23.01. About two weeks ago Santos went 22.77 which ranks him second in the world.
American Michael Andrew was clearly beaten off the start but seemed to gain ground as the race went on and ended up a close second in 23.27, out-touching Andrii Govorov by .01. Andrew moves into a tie for eighth in the world after previously sitting ninth (23.36).
Women’s 200 Free
- Sarah Sjostrom, SWE, 1:57.62
- Li Bingjie, CHN, 1:59.40
- Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 2:00.93
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 2:02.56
Sarah Sjostrom had no trouble cruising to the win in the women’s 200 freestyle, with the other three participants having already raced in the session (and Hosszu swimming her fourth event in about 45 minutes). Sjostrom out-split the field on all four 50s to win it by two seconds in 1:57.62. She currently ranks second in the world with her 1:55.29 from earlier in April.
Li Bingjie had a solid swim coming off the 400, taking second in 1:59.40.
Men’s 50 Breast
- Felipe Lima, BRA, 26.68
- Joao Gomes, BRA, 26.70
- Michael Andrew, USA, 27.07
- Fabio Scozzoli, ITA, 27.11
Brazilians Joao Gomes and Felipe Lima established the top two times in the world a few weeks ago in Brazil, both clocking 26.4, and showed they’re still on great form here by going 1-2. Lima edged out Gomes (26.70) for the win by .02, registering a very quick 26.68. Besides the two of them, only Adam Peaty has been faster than what they went here this year.
Michael Andrew had a quick turnaround after the 50 fly and impressed with a third-place showing of 27.07, tying him for eighth in the word.
Women’s 100 Breast
- Ye Shiwen, CHN, 1:07.48
- Molly Hannis, USA, 1:08.33
- Yu Jingyao, CHN, 1:08.51
- Imogen Clark, GBR, 1:08.99
Ye Shiwen emerged from a tight field on the second 50 after sitting in last at the wall to win the women’s 100 breast in 1:07.48, becoming the first swimmer to record a personal best so far this session with her old PB sitting at 1:09.26.
Molly Hannis of the U.S. was third at the 50, but moved through Yu Jingyao and Imogen Clark to grab second place in 1:08.33.
Men’s 200 IM
- Wang Shun, CHN, 1:57.24
- Qin Haiyang, CHN, 1:57.89
- Wang Yizhe, CHN, 2:02.61
- Michael Andrew, USA, 2:04.26
The men’s 200 IM quickly turned into a two-man race between countrymen Wang Shun and Qin Haiyang. After Wang opened up the early lead, Qin closed the gap with a 33.67 breast leg, but Wang answered back by out-splitting him on the freestyle to take the win in 1:57.24. He currently sits second in the world with his 1:56.66 from March.
Qin was six-tenths back in 1:57.89, less than a second off his best time and putting himself ninth in the world this year.
Michael Andrew was well back in fourth swimming his third straight event.
Women’s 100 Fly
- Sarah Sjostrom, SWE, 57.16
- Kelsi Dahlia, USA, 58.25
- Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED, 58.77
- Dana Vollmer, USA, 1:00.78
Sarah Sjostrom made it look easy as she becomes the first swimmer to win two events at the competition in the women’s 100 fly, posting a very impressive 57.16 to come half a second off her season-best 56.69 which is the top time in the world.
Kelsi Dahlia (58.25) moved past Ranomi Kromowidjojo (58.77) on the second 50 to finish in the runner-up spot for the second time this session (also 200 fly), and Kromowidjojo’s showing for third was a new personal best (previously 59.20).
Men’s 100 Back
- Xu Jiayu, CHN, 52.98
- Ryosuke Irie, JPN, 53.25
- Robert Glinta, ROU, 53.70
- Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS, 53.99
Xu Jiayu and Robert Glinta were almost even at the 50 wall, with Xu holding a slight lead in 25.80, and as Glinta began to fade down the stretch Ryosuke Irie picked it up. However, Xu still managed to out-split Irie on the back 50 as he joins Sjostrom with two wins here in a time of 52.98, six-tenths off his world-leading 52.27.
Irie posted 53.25 to take second, moving up one spot to fifth in the world rankings.
Women’s 50 Back
- Fu Yuanhui, CHN, 27.60
- Liu Xiang, CHN, 27.85
- Georgia Davies, GBR, 28.08
- Emily Seebohm, AUS, 29.40
Fu Yuanhui joins Sjostrom and Xu with her second win of the session in the women’s 50 back, as the 2015 World Champion put up a time of 27.60 to improve on her season-best by .01 (keeping her at second in the world).
Her countrymate Liu Xiang, the only woman ever sub-27 in this event, was second in 27.85, putting her in a tie for tenth in the world.
Men’s 200 Fly
- Masato Sakai, JPN, 1:56.44
- Chad Le Clos, RSA, 1:58.31
- Li Zhuhao, CHN, 1:58.51
- Wang Zhou, CHN, 1:59.61
2016 Olympic silver medalist Masato Sakai put on a clinic in the men’s 200 fly, winning by almost two full seconds in a time of 1:56.44. That improves on his season-best set at the Japan Swim less than a month ago (1:56.65).
Chad Le Clos held off a late push from Li Zhuhao, who was the only swimmer to close sub-30 in 29.97, to take second in 1:58.31 to Li’s 1:58.51.
Mixed 400 Free Relay
- Team 3 (He, Proud, Kromowidjojo, Davies), 3:28.84
- Team 2 (Minakov, Le Clos, Hosszu, Li), 3:30.55
- Team 1 (Morozov, Timmers, Wang, Vollmer), 3:31.40
- Team 4 (Kamminga, Andrew, Clark, C.Campbell), 3:31.55
With the teams for the relay chosen out of a hat by FINA officials, there was an interesting mix amongst the teams. At the end it was Team 3 winning going away in a time of 3:28.84, producing four solid legs: He Junyi (49.09), Ben Proud (49.30), Ranomi Kromowidjojo (54.52) and Georgia Davies (55.93).
Andrei Minakov gave Team 2 a lead opening up in 49.02, but a disastrous 51.20 split from Chad Le Clos (coming directly after the 200 fly, of course) had them trailing by over two seconds going into the female legs. Katinka Hosszu (55.35) and Li Bingjie (54.98) collectively out-split Team 1’s Wang Jianjiahe (56.57) and Dana Vollmer (57.04) by over three seconds to grab second in 3:30.55.
Team 1, with the fastest male leg in the field of 48.55 from Pieter Timmers, narrowly held off Team 4 for third in 3:31.40, with Cate Campbell providing the fastest female leg by a landslide for them in 51.94. No one else broke 54.5. Campbell erased 5.10 of a 5.25 second deficit to Team 1 on her leg.
Hosszu swims 4 event and can’t even compete decently in the last 3? Bet you wouldn’t have seen that if 4th place had $0. It’s obvious the only reason she swam 4 events was to make at least $10,000 since she was already there. This shouldn’t be allowed or encouraged. What’s the point of watching two bad swims? Somewhat true of Andrew as well. They should be limited to 2 events a session.
Some fans wants to see her swim her ridiculous schedule, since she’s the only human in the world who can do it. Props to her, too, for taking her first event — a 400 no less — fast.
Not sure about anyone else but Seebohm is racing with food poisoning which explains her slower times.
I was wondering what’s up. Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks
Xu Jiayu very strong and fast for 100M BK
What’s the point of this event? A panic reaction to the ISL. The times have not been eye-catching and there are still too many prominent swimmers absent. This has all the hallmarks of another White Elephant a la the World Cup. Instead of throwing all this money on a non-event, FINA would do better to increase the prize money for the World Championships. And the relays are totally meaningless. Relays do matter when there is national or club pride at stake but just bringing a group of swimmers randomly together is a waste of time.
Agree.
The times for the ISL meets won’t be “eye-catching” either. These swimmers need a steady income, not a once every two years possible — barring injury —- bonanza. What other pro sport would do what you suggest? NBA players don’t get paid for all their crap games, just for the playoffs? Golfers only get paid for majors? NFL players only get paid for the Super Bowl? Ever heard of spring training for baseball? Fans flock to those just to see their heroes play meaningless games.
My point is that it’s meaninglless to have these events when the ISL are about to do the same thing and with greater backing from the swimmers. This is just another example of FINA’s ineptitude and poor allocation of resources.
Seems pretty meaningful to the swimmers who are going to take home combined almost a million bucks for 2 days of racing…
You are comparing team sports to individual one. It is completely different animal. Plus, the traditional system of preparation with heavy loaded training followed by tapering makes high level swimming competitions all year around practically impossible.
ISL is going to look like NCAA with plenty of dual meets and some final championships. It isn’t very profitable if at all in college. And NCAA system has many advantages that ISL won’t have. College system has unlimited pool of swimmers coming from schools and replaceable on regular basis. That creates some dynamic and uncertainty that makes competition attractive. Also there are long time traditions and long lasting fan’s and alumnus devotions. And with all that in-season dual meets are not of… Read more »
hard to tell just from one session, so I am interested to see how the rest of the series goes to see if these are true:
1. this format with very little time between favor stroke specialist vs generalist. There is a higher chance to have to race back to back races (e.g. Hosszu with 4 races in a row (Free, Back, Butterfly and Free) vs Fu had 9 races between 100 and 50 Back/ Dahlia had 5 races between 200 and 100 fly)
2. this format is very much like an extension of the recent change in World Cup – where elites are allowed to go to final directly. Here, only elites are invited and all finals… Read more »
Loved watching that 200 IM
What’s interesting about it? Wang Shun dominated the race from start to finish, as expected. Or do you just enjoy watching Michael Andrew get hit by the piano?🤔
Swimming for money, so safe to say he let up when he wasn’t feeling it. Still had a 100 free to go on the relay and a full schedule the rest of the meet.
2:04?
31.3 free leg?
Davies & Proud both on their trials times. Call me a cynic, but you know what I’m think. Those discretionary picks…