Budapest 2024, Day 5 Prelims: Boglarka Kapas Ends Decorated Career, Daiya Seto Misses Bid For 7th Straight Title
Boglarka Kapas will take to international waters for the final time on day six of prelims at the short-course worlds in Budapest.
The Hungarian – winner of world gold and Olympic bronze – is set for an emotional goodbye to the sport on Saturday and will go in the final prelim of the 400IM.
Daiya Seto, who has been battling a cracked rib, is going for his seventh straight title in the men’s 400IM after starting his bull run at Istanbul 2012.
The 50 freestyle, 50m breaststroke, men’s 800 free and mixed 4x100m medley relay will also be contested at the Duna Arena on the pcnultimate day of prelims.
Women’s 400IM
Kapas has enjoyed a fine career that has seen her win Olympic bronze at Rio 2016 and 200 fly gold at the 2019 World Championships. There have been seven titles among 13 medals in the European long-course pool and five trips to the podium in the continental short-course pool.
The 31-year-old took to the blocks for the final prelim and came in eighth in 4:37.46 for 16th overall. She was given a rousing reception by the home crowd at the Duna Arena and presented with flowers by Sandor Wladar, head of the Hungarian Swimming Federation.
There were tears as Kapas absorbed the standing ovation with a film showcasing her career shown on the screen.
There were more flowers for the Hungarian as she made her way into the mixed zone where swimmers stop to talk to the media.
There were a complete range of emotions for Kapas who told Swimming World: “All of them. Actually this whole year was really emotional for me and I was a little bit worried before the race because I felt sick. I was like maybe I can’t even manage to compete in the 400IM but I am glad that I did it. I think it’s a pretty good time for me int he morning and so it was okay.
“I was just so happy to swim in front of the home crowd and my family and my friends – they gave me so much power for the last metres.”
Katie Grimes posted the swiftest prelim time in 4:24.74 with Summer McIntosh looking ominous in 4:25.86, the Olympic champion 1.22 inside WR pace at halfway.
Men’s 400IM
Seto went in the fourth and final prelim alongside Olympic bronze medallist Carson Foster and Alberto Razzetti, winner of the European long-course title at Roma 2022.
Max Litchfield – fourth in the long medley at the last three Olympic Games – set the pace in the third prelim, the Briton clocking 4:00.37 ahead of European record-holder Ilia Borodin, now a neutral athlete.
It proved a step too far for Seto and his cracked rib as he was locked out by one place in 4:05.45, a time that was 10.64 slower than the world record of 3:54.81 he set at the ISL final in Las Vegas in December 2019.
Litchfield and Borodin will occupy the centre lanes in Saturday’s final where they’ll be joined by Tristan Jankowicks (4:02.01), Foster (4:02.11), Razzetti (4:02.18), Kaito Tabuchi (4:03.85), Trenton Julian (4:03.96) and European champion Apostolos Papastamos who booked the final spot in 4:04.24.
Women’s 50 Free
Gretchen Walsh – who has set six individual world records in four days of Budapest competition – was in record-breaking form once more.
The quadruple Paris 2024 medallist split 11.25/11.77 to stop the clock in 23.02, 0.02 inside Emma McKeon’s championship record of 23.04 from Melbourne 2022. It was also an American standard, Walsh taking 0.08 from her own record of 23.10 set in October 2024.
The American is within sight of Ranomi Kromowidjojo’s WR of 22.93 that has stood since August 2017.
Walsh’s USA teammate Kate Douglass was second through in 23.20 with Milou van Wijk claiming the 16th and final spot in 24.33. Caitlin de Lange set an African record of 24.14.
Women’s 50m Breaststroke
This has all the hallmarks of a classic race and one where they may well be an assault on Ruta Meilutyte’s 28.37 WR that has stood since Melbourne 2022.
Tang Qianting, winner of the 100br, heads the field in 29.15 ahead of Lilly King (29.20) and Eneli Jefimova (29.24) with Meilutyte and Benedetta Pilato, 2021 silver medallist, both posting 29.38.
Men’s 50m Breaststroke
Qin Haiyang, winner of the 100m, headed the field in 25.51 as 0.74 separated the top 16. The Chinese swimmer was followed by 2022 bronze medallist Simone Cerasuolo (25.67), Kirill Prigoda (25.76) and Michael Houlie (25.77) with world record-holder Emre Sakci through in 25.82.
Caio Pumputis claimed the 16th and final semi spot in 26.25.
Men’s 800 Free Slowest Heats
Florian Wellbrock posted a time that would have been good enough for bronze at Melbourne 2022. The German went in the third prelim where he went 7:31.90. Fellow German Sven Schwarz was second-fastest in 7:33.24 with Elijah Winnington recording 7:35.34.
Saturday’s fastest heat features 1500 winner Ahmed Jaouadi although none of the entry times are sub-7:33.
Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay
The USA quartet of Shaine Casas, Aj Pouch, Alex Shackell and Alex Walsh booked lane four in 3:34.30 by just 0.01 from Australia (3:34.31).
Also through were the Netherlands, Canada, Great Britain, Neutral Athletes, Spain and Italy with Japan and South Africa the two reserves.
