Shaine Casas Breaks World Cup Record in 200 IM, #2 All-Time to Only Lochte

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 2 Finals Live Recap

American swimmer Shaine Casas picked up his third win of the Toronto stop of the FINA World Cup Series in the 200 IM, and this result might have been the most-impressive yet.

Casas broke the World Cup Record in the 200 meter IM and became the second-fastest swimmer in the history of the event when he swam 1:50.37. That broke the old record of 1:50.66 that was set in Kazan last year by Daiya Seto, and sits behind only Ryan Lochte‘s World Record of 1:49.63 from 2012 on the all-time lists.

Splits Comparison:

Casas opened faster than either Lochte or Seto did in their best swims. That opening fly-back stretch was the difference-maker on the World Cup record relative to Seto, in spite of Seto being a great butterflier and backstroker. Casas gave up ground to Lochte on the backstroke leg, which is the best leg for both him and Lochte.

Lochte set that World Record at the 2012 World Short Course Championships, which was swum at the peak of Lochte’s career. At those World Championships, he won 6 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medal, and broke World Records in both the 100 IM and 200 IM. For as accomplished as Lochte was in long course and at the Olympic Games, he might be the greatest short course swimmer in history.

In long course, Casas still has not accomplished what Lochte did. But the 22-year old is making his name as one of the best short course swimmers in the world already, and his long course isn’t far behind.

Casas won 6 medals at the 2021 World Short Course Championships, including gold in the 100 back and 200 medley relay, albeit against thin fields. Earlier this year, at the more-robust long course World Championships, Casas won a bronze medal in the 200 backstroke: his first major long course international medal.

All-Time Top 10 Performers, Men’s 200 IM (Short Course Meters)

1. Ryan Lochte, USA, 1:49.63 – 2012 World SC Championships
2. Shaine Casas, USA, 1:50.37 – 2022 FINA World Cup – Toronto
3. Kosuke Hagino, Japan, 1:50.47 – 2014 World SC Championships
4. Daiya Seto, Japan, 1:50.66 – 2021 FINA World Cup – Kazan
5. Andreas Vazaios, Greece, 1:50.85 – 2019 European SC Championships
6. Wang Shun, China, 1:51.01 – 2018 World SC Championships
7. Caeleb Dressel, USA, 1:51.14 – 2021 ISL Match #6
8. Carson Foster, USA, 1:51.35 – 2021 World SC Championships
9. Laszlo Cseh, Hungary, 1:51.36 – 2015 European SC Championships
10. Matthew Sates, South Africa, 1:51.45 – 2021 FINA World Cup – Berlin

Casas swam at Texas A&M for 3 seasons, and as a senior he won three NCAA titles (100 back, 200 back, 200 IM). He forfeited his final two seasons of eligibility to turn pro and train at the University of Texas under legendary coach Eddie Reese.