The first magic night of competition in Kazan, Russia, was featured by many national and continental records. Kyle Chalmers (AUS) set a new Australian Record in the 50m Freestyle. Same for Arno Kamminga and Fabian Schwingenschlogl in the 100 Breast and Maria Ugolkova (100 IM). Daiya Seto set a new Asian Record in the 100m Individual Medley,
Full Results
The glittering array of stellar swimming talents lined up for the main program of the meet. There were 36 teams at the start orders, each having their share of fame or achievements on Competition Day 1.
With 12 initial sets of medals at stake, Australia and Russia largely dominated the field of the contest. Gold of Russian club’s representative Vitalina Simonova in the women’s 200m Breaststroke came as a sort of surprise, whereas the day registered a number of predictable wins by Leah Neale, Matthew Sates and Kira Toussaint.
Read on to learn how the events unfolded.
Freestyle events
The first final session of the Kazan’s meet started with the 400m women free, where Leah Neale of Australia celebrated her third trip to the podium this year. She won the race in a time of 4:01.73, improving her race of Doha by some 4 seconds. She did not manage however to hit Isabel Gose’s result, who posted the best time of the season in Berlin on Leg#1, 4:00.33. Another Aussie in the field Madison Wilson scored silver, 4:02.05, and Russian Aleksandra Bykova appeared as a fresh face with a bronze medal, 4:05.12.
In the 400m of the same stroke RSA junior rocket Matthew Sates and Lithuanian dragon Danas Rapsys contested the crown at finish, and the only one, who could endanger them was Russian 22-year old Daniil Shatalov. Rapsys was good on the ancor legs, whereas his opponent Sates geared up in the second part of the showdown letting his way on top to fix 3:38.28. Danas Rapsys pocketed silver, 3:38.81, and home hope Shatalov completed the podium in 3:39.54.
“I did not show my best, because I was a little tired. The schedule of the recent weeks has been a little tough. I am for the first time in Russia, and I liked swimming in Kazan. The facilities are nice, and the people are rather welcoming”.
In 50m free women, Australia’s most decorated Olympian Emma Mckeon edged out her teammate Madison Wilson enroute to her 3rd gold in 2021, 23.53 – 23.94. However, she could not show the season’s best, clocked in Doha by Ranomi Kromowidjojo last week, 23.46, so did Wilson, who on her part, out-touching Michele Coleman and Holly Barratt, covering the distance in 23.95.
On the male’s side, as usual, there was Kyle Chalmers of Australia, and the rest of the world. Habitually, he congratulated himself on the lonely finish ahead of the chasers, posting a solid 20.68, new National Record. There were 2 other competitors for the minor merits, including the Russian hope Vladimir Morozov, who had been pushed all the way through by the eventual winner, and finally overtaken, and Jesee Puts of Netherlands. They collected silver and bronze, standing within roughly 0.20 seconds to the winner (20.81 – 21.08).
This is the fastest race of the Swimming World Cup season in 100 fly, so I am pretty happy to do it. I love swimming in Kazan, though without fans. I admit, we are a sort of used to that. So we are concentrated on our goals and try to do our job well.
Backstroke events
The best of the Kazan’s meet in 50m Backstroke was Kira Toussaint. Like in Berlin, in Budapest and in Doha, like she did in Kazan’s World Cup 2 years ago. The 27-years old, which earned gold, in a time of 25.87, was not as fast as her own World Cup record, 25.81, which she posted in Berlin, but she never looked in doubt to secure gold. Holly Barratt pocketed another silver, improving both her medals tally, 26.25, and Daria Vaskina of Russia finished third for the first time this year, 27.09.
I am very happy with the first medal. I could expect a quicker time here, though what I have is not really bad. My main goals this season will be European championships in Kazan, the next week, and FINA Worlds in Abu Dhabi in December.
Russian prodigy Aleksei Tkachev (European junior champion and Russian champion on 50m back) reigned supreme in the 200m backstroke, for the first time this year, and in what a style! He stopped the watch at 1:51.34 and snatched his first gold of the circuit in the longest event of the backstroke program. Israeli Yakov Toumarkin touched home second immediately after, 1:51.55, narrowly edging the world short course relay champion Grigory Tarasevich of Russia, clocking down 1:51.93, who completed the podium in 2019 as well.
Butterfly events
In 200m fly it was the time for Zsuzsanna Jakabos of Hungary to shine as a sure favorite Maria Ugolkova and a fresh face in the pursuit Anastasiya Markova challenged her season’s best. The winner recorded a beautiful 2:05.88, which was definitely far from the 2019 Swimming World Cup’s best of Chinese Liu Zige, 2:00.78, though pretty enough to beat her opponents, distributing minor merits on 2:05.97 and 2:07.46 respectively.
Power American Tom Shields delivered another title in the Men’s 100 Butterfly, 49.20. Following the script of three previous legs, he showcased his good shape, but could not perfect his result from in Berlin (48.67). The next two finished within a half a second ( 50.07 – 50.33). The Magyar hope Szebasztian Szabo registered his 2nd silver and 4th podium presence at the same time, and Russian Pavel Samusenko landed bronze, 50.33.
A good start of the competition. Impressive indeed. I loved the finish. I love swimming with the guys, they are very strong. Every time I go out, I strive to win, I don’t think of the overall challenge. We shall never cease working hard and take these medals as a motivation for the coming challenges, and there will be a lot of them in during the FINA Worlds in Abu Dhabi.
Breaststroke events
The women’s 200m Breaststroke had three different winners in three previous races. The fourth leg in Kazan presented another name and full podium Russian born. Vitalina Simonova converted her good plan for the final, and did not only topped the podium, but also managed to brush the season’s best to 2:19.22 set by Czech Kristyna Horska in Berlin. Another two home stars pocketed minor merits. Yulia Efimova took silver, 2:20.49, and 2019 Kazan’s stop winner Maria Temnikova landed on bronze, 2:21.12.
Kazan’s leg repeated the same standing in the 100 Breaststroke, like in Doha. The Dutch Arno Kamminga finishing atop in 100 Breaststroke scored a marvellous 36 title in his swimming world cup career on the season’s best time and a new Dutch Record, 55.82. As always, he was challenged by German Fabian Schwingenshogl, 56.16 (another national Record), and Anton Chupkov of Russia, 57.30 who produced a better spurt against Andrius Sidlauskas of Lithuania.
Individual medley events
The 100m IM finished predictably as a rivalry of Swiss Maria Ugolkova vs. Swedish Michelle Coleman. The last 25 meters proved crucial for the winner of the morning session, who took advantage of her lead and rushed to the final touch, 58.47 (NR) – 58.54. The seconds clocked were rather solid, as all three medallists registered themselves within 0.20 seconds interval. Russian Anastasiya Sorokina completed the podium, 1:00.08.
The men’s 100m medley final featured every prize-winner of the previous three World Cup races. On Friday we saw Daiya Seto on top, improving his best time of the season and setting a new Asian Record, 51.29, followed by Russian Olympic star Kliment Kolesnikov on second, 51.31, and South African Matthew Sates on third, 51.96.
It is a big pleasure to get returned to the competition process after the pandemic uproars. It is a pleasure to come back to Kazan after almost 2 years. The competitions are of good use, because they help to train fit during the competition process. Today in my performance I liked everything, but this is not yet the end of my work. There is some time before the FINA Worlds, and now I have the food for analyses, where I should improve myself.
Summery. After the Competition Day 1 of the FINA Swimming World Cup #4, 10 nations registered on the podium, largely dominated by Australia, which counts 3 golds, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal. Russian clubs' representatives are sitting on 2 gold and 1 silver. The other gold winning nations were Hungary, the Netherland, the USA, SwitzerlandSouth Africa.
The three-day event is underway in the Tatars capital, hitting its midst tomorrow. On Friday, October,29, the medal offer includes 12 sets displaying all 4 swimming strokes and distances ranged from 50 to 1500. The cherry on the cake will be a 4x100m freestyle mixed relay, which will culminate the sport program of the evening.