Kyle Chalmers Swims 22.83 for Top Seed in 50 Fly Prelims (World Cup – Doha)

2021 FINA WORLD CUP STOP #3 – DOHA

• Thursday, October 21st – Saturday, October 23rd
• Hamad Aquatic Center, Doha, Qatar
• Prelims: 10 am local / 3 am ET
• Finals: 6 pm local / 11 am ET
• SCM (25m)
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Australia’s Kyle Chalmers, after a record-setting 100 free on Friday in Doha, Qatar, took on a different kind of race in prelims of the final day of competition.

He swam the 50 fly and not the 200 free – further emphasizing his focus this fall as more of a pure sprinter. He didn’t swim either the 200 free, nor a butterfly race, at the Olympics individually, but he did swim on Australia’s 800 free relay.

Chalmers is the top qualifier through to the 50 fly final after a 22.83 in prelims, but he’ll face a loaded final that includes, among others, Tom Shields (22.88), Jesse Puts (22.88), Szebastian Souza (23.16), and Vlad Morozov (23.67).

That time puts Chalmers just two tenths behind the season best of his London Roar teammate Vini Lanza so far from the ISL. Lanza is currently Roar’s #2 in that category.

It also includes a fourth-seeded Fernando Silva of Portugal, who in 23.16 set a new National Record. The previous record of 23.29 was also his, set earlier in the World Cup season in Portugal. Silva also broke the Portuguese Record in the 100 fly on Thursday in prelims with a 51.27.

Other Top Qualifiers:

• Arno Kamminga swam 2:05.00 in the 200 breast to lead all qualifiers, including ahead of the Olympic bronze medalist Anton Chupkov (2:06.26) and Japan’s Daiya Seto (2:07.44).
• The top race on the women’s side on Saturday is the 100 free. In prelims, Emma McKeon, who won 3 gold and 4 bronze medals at the Tokyo Olympics, led all qualifiers in 51.82. She was followed by countrymate Madison Wilson (52.12), Sweden’s Michelle Coleman (53.49), and the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo (53.76), all of whom should be much closer in the final. McKeon is the ISL and World leader in that event this fall, thanks to a 51.05 done in Match #8 – in spite of starting halfway through the ISL season. Kromowidjojo (51.99) and Wilson (51.68) have also been under 52 in the ISL.
• South African teenager Matthew Sates continued his electric World Cup run with the top qualification in the 200 free in 1:44.54. He’ll be chased by Danas Rapsys (1:45.38) and Hwang Sunwoo (1:45.68). Hwang already broke the South Korean Record in the 100 free this week, which implies that he’s swimming well, though it would take a huge effort to get Park Tae-hwan’s record of 1:41.0 in the 200 free. He might need to though: Sates’ 1:40.65 from the Berlin stop in early October set a new World Junior Record.
• Another South African teenager, 17-year old Pieter Coetze, swam 53.25 to top the prelims field in the 100 back. He was followed in his heat, and overall, by countrymate Martin Binedell (53.52).