The HardCoreSwim of the week this week was incredibly difficult to pick. At USA Swimming’s Junior Nationals, two Michael Phelps IM National Age Group Records went down, and Caeleb Dressel at 16 was temporarily faster than the old 17-18 National Age Group Record.
But when World Records go down, World Records go down. The Eindhoven stop of the FINA World Cup had four different World Records broken (and one twice), but the most impressive had to go to Hungarian Katinka Hosszu in the women’s 200 IM. She was first a 2:04.39 in prelims, and then kicked things into high-gear to take another second off in finals with a 2:03.20.
In total, she lowered Julia Smit’s old record from 2:04.60 to 2:03.20.
Hosszu dominated the World Cup series last year, but a few things are becoming clear from this new timing of this year’s Cup just after the long course World Championships. For one, the old World Records in short course meters seem to have not been very good, for the most part. Even with polyurethane suits in 2008 and 2009, now with the world’s top swimmers tapered for this series for the first time in a while, just about everyone has caught up to those 2009 times.
It’s also becoming clear that Hosszu’s new racing-on-racing-on-racing has developed a different cycle than maybe we’ve ever seen. She was able to go from the World Championships to this World Cup without missing a beat. There’s no lag yet after that big focus meet, no huge dropoff, no time for a mental or physical recovery. Many of the other top swimmers have even taken on very light schedules for the series: swimming just a handful of their best events.
But not Hosszu. She is pushing as hard as ever through the World Cup, even with her wedding coming up. Is this the effect of her training, and could it be something revolutionary that could work for a lot of people? Or is Hosszu a special talent that can push herself like this? Sports, like most things, are always more fun when that success comes, so can Hosszu keep this nothing-but-success streak going? Or will she hit a spot of adversity and have to bounce back?
There’s a lot of questions, ones that only may be answered in time (despite the protests of friends and family, this is how most questions in swimming are answered). For now, we’ll enjoy her ride and World Record runs, and wish her luck for her upcoming nuptials.
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The HardCoreSwim of the week for the 2013 World University Games goes to the Russian men’s 400 free relay. Vlad Morozov was quite impressive on his own, but as part of the relay, he was even more astounding.
WUG: Russians Post Fastest Time of 2013 in 4 x 100 Free Relay
KAZAN, RUSSIA – The Russians haven’t had a contender in the 100 metre freestyle since Alexander Popov hung up his suit the year after Athens. This year they are fielding a squad of them, as the Russian 4 x 100 freestyle relay crushed the field at the World University Games last week.
The combined 3:10.88 was far and away the fastest time of the year, and is also only a couple seconds behind the world record set by the Americans in Beijing (3:08.24).
6’6” Andrey Grechin, swimming the lead off leg, was off like a shot, clocking a 47.98., opening up a 1.5 second lead. The time puts Grechin third in the world for the 100 this year, behind only James Magnussen (AUS – 47.53) and his teammate Morozov (47.62 – swum later in the individual event). Grechin has dropped over half a second in the event this year from his best of 48.51.
Morozov swam a blistering third leg, splitting a 47.14 (turning in border-line ridiculous 21.66), in a swim that would accurately forecast the way his individual event would go later on in the meet. Morozov swims under Dave Salo at the Trojan Swim Club in southern California, as do Nikita Lobintsev and several other Russians.
The race split by leg:
Lead-off leg: Andrey Grechin – 47.98
2nd leg: Nikita Lobintsev – 47.92
3rd leg: Vladimir Morozov – 47.14
4th leg: Danila Izotov – 47.84
Founded on the pool decks of Southern California, HARDCORESWIM examines and explores the ethos of the hardcore swimmer. HARDCORESWIM is an authentic and innovative designer, marketer and manufacturer of premium quality men’s and women’s swimsuits, Custom Team Swim Suits, training gear, clothing, accessories and related products. Our true, authentic, innovative, iconoclastic, and creative style differentiates us from the bland competitive swim industry and gives us reason to be. All made in the USA. Check us out at www.hardcoreswim.com or find us at www.facebook.com/hardcoreswim .
This afternoon Camille Muffat could lose her last world record in the 400 free. Lauren Boyle and Melanie Costa Schmid will attack it.
Finally I got the chance to rectify Bobo. You mean of course that Mireia Belmonte-Garcia and Lauren Boyle will attack against Muffat’s WR. 😉
I noticed their presence side by side in the final as well. Probably the best race in the evening session.
I correct myself. Of course there is also Melanie who is possibly in world record shape too. Don’t forget Lotte Friis either.
Costa Schmid, Belmonte-Garcia, Friis and Boyle in the final. It will be good one.
A little short for Mireia but she’s on fire. We’ll see.
I think Boyle will break it this afternoon.
And she did it again! New world record for Hosszu this morning in Berlin in the 100 IM prelims in 57.45!
Oh, and Russians. I’m sure they are still wondering how important it was to win that relay by almost six seconds. In other words, how important it was to be fully tapered at the 2013 Summer Universiade.
IronHardCoreSwim! A good pick. Nice to see this woman gets even some recognition for her hard work for swimming.
I expect many would try her racing-method but it’s not only about racing. Hosszu’s method is not entering in all events but also you must want to kill yourself in that pool. Only then it is actually training, not competing. Hosszu has said it herself. After Bergen competition at which she swam every event, she wasn’t happy for her performance as she felt that she couldn’t give everything in that pool.
By the way, Hosszu has scratched many events at first World Cup stops and she is actually racing less than she did last year. Of those events she had entered… Read more »