Hosszu: the final eight wins in 2016!

As expected, the three-time Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu (HUN) was the shiniest star at the first edition of the Lausanne Swim Cup, taking place on December 17-18 in the Swiss city on the shore of the Geneva Lake. Over the two days of the competition, in 25m-pool, the Magyar great won eight races and swam the best performance of the meet (937 FINA points) in the women’s 400m IM (4:25.13). The other victories of the Hungarian great included the 400m free, 50m, 100m and 200m back, 100m fly, and 100m and 200m IM. Katinka Hosszu is the “FINA Best Female Swimmer of the Year” in 2016 and was also the woman to beat at the 13th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), held in Windsor (CAN) from December 6-11, having triumphed in seven events!

Among men, the best performer in Lausanne was Germany’s Marco Koch, winner of the 100m and 200m breaststroke. In the longer distance, he clocked 2:04.03 (916 points), while in the 100m race he left World Record holder Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) in second (57.30 for the winner, 57.90 for the South African champion). Koch recently established the WR in the 200m (2:00.44) and won the gold in the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Windsor rendezvous. In Switzerland, Van der Burgh earned gold in the 50m breaststroke, touching home in 26.50.

The Lausanne meet was also attended by a strong French contingent, with Melanie Henique and Medhy Metella respectively winning the women’s and men’s 50m fly (Metella was also the best in the 100m fly), Benjamin Stasiulis getting the gold in the men’s 50m and 100m back, Charlotte Bonnet triumphing in the women’s 100m and 200m free, and 50m breast, Anna Santamans being the fastest in the women’s 50m free, and Clément Mignon sharing the victory with Pieter Timmers (BEL) in the men’s 50m free.

The Belgian star, silver medallist in the 100m free at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, had no difficulties in imposing his superiority in Lausanne, winning two other titles, precisely in the 100m free (47.03), but also in the 200m free (1:44.03). Philip Heintz, from Germany, got the gold in the men’s 200m fly and 200m IM, while the remaining of the Hungarian delegation was also in good shape: Dalma Sebestyen earned gold in the women’s 100m and 200m breast, Peter Bernek won the men’s 200m back, Zsuzsanna Jakabos dominated the women’s 200m fly, and David Verraszto triumphed in the men’s 400m IM.

17-year-old Michael Andrew (USA), one of the stars of the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, and recent winner of the men’s 100m IM in Windsor, was again the best in this race in Lausanne, stopping the clock at 53.11. It was surely one of the most thrilling races of the weekend, with four swimmers inside the 53-second mark: Koch was second in 53.18, Heintz got the bronze in 53.39, while Switzerland’s Jérémy Desplanches was fourth in 53.55. His teammate Thomas Liess was the only Helvetic winner in Lausanne, touching first in the 400m free.

The Lausanne Swim Cup was closed by a Gala in the Olympic Museum, where the best performers of the meet received a special recognition from the Organisers. On this occasion, was already announced the dates for the second edition of the competition: December 16-17, 2017.