2018 FINA WORLD CUP TOKYO
- Friday, November 9th – Sunday, November 11th
- Tatsumi International Swimming Center
- SCM
- Heats at 9:30am local/Finals at 6pm local
- SwimSwam Meet Preview
- Entry List
- Day 1 Prelims
- Day 1 Finals
- Day 2 Prelims
- Results
After setting the pool on fire on the opening day of the Tokyo World Cup stop, tying his world record in the 100 IM and breaking his World Cup mark in the 50 free, Russian superstar Vladimir Morozov was at it again on day 2.
Morozov dropped a massive swim of 45.16 in the men’s 100 free final, breaking both the Russian and World Cup records. Both of those previously stood at 45.23, set by him at the Berlin World Cup stop in August of 2017. He remains in the #4 slot in the all-time rankings, trailing Amaury Leveaux (44.94), Florent Manaudou (45.04) and Nathan Adrian (45.08).
The 26-year-old veteran opened up a massive lead of nearly eight-tenths of a second over the field on the opening 50, splitting 21.44 (which was still a tenth slower than his record pace), and then closed in 23.72 to win the race by a comfortable margin of six-tenths.
Australian Kyle Chalmers, the 2016 Olympic champion in this event, made up a bit of ground on the back half with a closing split of 23.54, finishing 2nd in 45.78 for a new personal best and his first time under 46. That also puts him into a tie with Chad Le Clos for 14th all-time in the event. American Blake Pieroni was 3rd in 46.79.
Morozov has been very consistent on the World Cup circuit for years now, but has really turned up the heat here in Tokyo as he and and his fellow Russian teammates who are in attendance are using this meet as a qualifier for the SC World Championships, as their National Championships are going back home in Kazan right now.
Despite the finals of his primary events not yet contested in Russia, he looks like he’s locked up a spot in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 IM. A look at the state of the potential Russian SC Worlds team after two (out of three) World Cup days and four (out of six) Russian National days to come later today.
Great Result from Morozov as we have come to expect, but I think Chalmers is the real story here. He hasn’t shown to be an explosive sprinter which is favored by short course, but managed to pull out a 45.7 here, I think he’s going to be surpassing his Rio form in 2016.
Vlad is on fire this year
I hate to say it, but the movie Icarus is still in the back of my mind when it comes to Russians.
Hope he can deliver at world champs.
I think Morozov is 4th on the all-time rankings. Nathan Adrian opened the 4×100 Free relay back in the 2009 Duel in the Pool with a 45.08.
That’s true, I’ll update in the article. That Adrian swim isn’t recognized by either USA Swimming or FINA in their official rankings due to the suit ban by USA Swimming, making it always confusing when the all-time ranks in this event come up (or when Pieroni’s 46.25 was recognized as an official American Record https://staging.swimswam.com/blake-pieroni-ties-ian-crockers-scm-american-100-freestyle-record/). But in terms of all-time ranks it makes sense to include it, especially since Leveaux’s 44.94 was suit aided as well (not to mention a bunch of other records).
Interesting to see Chalmers going 21.04 and 45.78. Much faster than what he did at Aussie SCs. He is not going to the SC worlds , so interesting fast times.
Morozov now being described as a “veteran” of the pool has me wondering where the last decade has gone. Sheesh! Life goes by so fast.
Great swims by both Vlad and Chalmers.