Jefimova Breaks a World Cup Record, Kohler Leads a Loaded Field at Berlin Day 3 Prelims

2023 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – BERLIN

• October 6-8, 2023
• Berlin, Germany
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Full Entry List
• Live Results
• Day 1 Live Recap | Day 2 Live Recap

Estonian 16-year-old Eneli Jefimova broke a World Cup Record and Germany’s Angelina Kohler lined up for an upset in the women’s fly during the final prelims session of the 2023 Swimming World Cup stop in Berlin, Germany.

In the women’s 50 breast prelims, Jefimova swam 30.23. That put her well-clear of the 2nd qualifier Ruta Meilutyte (30.90), and more significantly put her ahead of Alia Atkinson’s 30.26 from the 2015 World Cup stop in Dubai.

Meilutyte is the current World Record holder in the event, the two-time defending World Champion in long course, defending World Champion in short course, and defending European Champion. She also swept the event at last year’s series, winning a “Crown” and the $10,000 bonus that goes with it.

Jefimova’s time, though, was just .15 short of her best time that was done at the 2022 World Championships.

In the women’s 100 fly, prelims, a rising German name, racing in front of a home crowd, led a loaded field. Angelina Kohler swam 57.34 in the heats, already very close to her time from the World Championships.

That put her half-a-second clear of the 2022 World Champion Torri Huske (57.85) and the 2023 World Champion Zhang Yufei (57.94).

Among the top performers on the men’s side was Australian Isaac Cooper. He qualified 1st in the 50 fly in 23.25, leading a good field that includes American Michael Andrew (23.27), Australian Ben Armbruster (23.45), and Hungarian Szebasztian Szabo (23.47).

Cooper, who earlier in the meet won the 50 free in 21.93, crushed his best time in the 50 fly hits. His previous fastest was a 23.53 at the 2022 Australian Championships. Cooper now climbs to 8th all-time in the Australian Rankings, behind, among others, the aforementioned Armbruster.

Of note, pop star Cody Simpson was 10th in the heats in 23.91 after finishing 6th in the 100 earlier in the meet.

Also qualifying first on Sunday morning was Mister Reliable Ryosuke Irie of Japan. The holder of 11 World Cup gold medals all-time, Irie qualified 1st on Sunday in the 100 back in 54.67, beating out the World Record holder Thomas Ceccon (54.78).

The 33-year-old Irie has always raced well in Berlin. His last World Cup event win came in 2019 in this same pool where he touched first in the 100 back, 200 back, and on Japan’s 400 medley relay.

Other Top Performers:

• Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who has become a World Cup machine, led prelims of the 100 free in 53.61. This time, though, she’s facing a monster field of contenders. That includes sisters Cate Campbell (53.72) and Bronte Campbell (53.86), Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (54.38), Dutchwoman Marritt Steenbergen (54.68), and American Torri Huske (54.77). Haughey, who won the 200 free in a World Cup Record on Saturday, won 7 races at last year’s World Cup.
• Versatile American 17-year-old Katie Grimes led the field in the 200 backstroke, swimming 2:11.33. That put her ahead of Canadian Kylie Masse, who was 2nd in 2:12.65. Masse was already 2nd in this meet in the 100 back, but with a time of 1:00.02 was well off her best. Australian Kaylee McKeown, who is the World Record holder in this event, is lurking back in 5th in 2:15.37. That casual prelims time, which is 12 seconds slower than her best, gave her a second of margin on qualifying. After winning the 100 back in a new World Cup Record on Saturday, she is still the favorite in finals.
• That was an energy-conserving swim for McKeown; about an hour and 20 minutes later, she took the top seed in the 200 IM in 2:14.61. While the heats in that race were not super fast, the field is very good. It includes Torri Huske (2:15.33), Marritt Steenbergen (2:15.64), Anastasia Gorbenko (2:15.64), Sydney Pickrem (2:15.64), and American Beata Nelson, who swept the 200 IMs in short course in last year’s series.
• Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga led the heats of the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:11.01 ahead of his countrymate Caspar Corbeau in 2:11.34. Lurking as the 3rd qualifier was Qin Haiyang in 2:12.32. Earlier in the meet, the World Champion tied his Asian Record in the 100 breaststroke, so expect him to be faster in fianls. American Nic Fink qualified 5th in 2:12.97. Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi missed the final, swimming 2:14.31.
• Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys led prelims of the men’s 200 free in 1:47.17, with one of Australia’s big summer revelations Maximillian Giuliani, who qualified 2nd in 1:47.73. Giuliani, who turned 20 in July, dropped a 1:46 at the US Pro Championships in July.
• American Josh Brown, an open water specialist, had the top swim in the slow heat of the 400 IM, clocking a 4:32.22.