Chad le Clos Rattles FINA World Cup 100 Fly Record In 48.58; Wasick, Fink & Casas Win On Opening Day In Berlin
Chad le Clos marked the start of his training partnership with Dirk Lange with the 10th-fastest 100 fly in history as the FINA World Cup got under way in Berlin.
Le Clos has joined up with fellow South African and coach Lange at his Frankfurt training stable and on Friday he split 22.65/25.93 – the only sub-26 second 50 in the field – to win in 48.58 for the sixth-swiftest of his career.
It was just 0.10secs off Evgeny Korotyshkin‘s 2009 World Cup record of 48.48 with the super-suited records still distorting the landscape.
Chad le Clos: Photo Courtesy: FINA
The time was 0.50secs outside Le Clos’ African record of 48.08 dating back to the 2016 World Short-Course Championships.
Friday’s performance came after a year of frustration, illness and surgery, as well as the lowest point of his career at the Commonwealth Games when he finished fourth in the 100 fly.
He told Swimming World earlier this month he had been “written off in world swimming” before vowing to silence the doubters, saying “they are making a huge mistake to write me off, everyone. So good luck to them.”
Noe Ponti (49.38) and Matteo Rivolta (49.75) joined Le Clos on the podium.
Wasick Rattles National Record; Carter Takes Men’s Title
Katarzyna Wasick was the comprehensive winner of the 50 free with her time of 23.32 just 0.02 outside the Polish record she set during the ISL in November 2020.
There was clear water and 0.77secs between Wasick and Australia’s Meg Harris who clocked 24.09 with just 0.01 separating her from Erika Brown (24.10).
Dylan Carter was the only man inside 21secs as he won the men’s event in 20.77 and in a repeat of the women’s race, the next two home were just 0.01 apart with world record-holder Kyle Chalmers (21.04) beating Florent Manaudou to the touch (21.05).
Fink Heads USA One-Two; Casas Atop The Podium
Nic Fink: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Nic Fink led home an American one-two in the 100m breaststroke, going out in 26.60 and home in the only sub-30 to stop the clock at 56.43.
Reece Whitley was 0.63 behind in 57.06 with Nicolo Martinenghi moving from fourth at halfway to clinch the final podium place in 57.14.
World bronze medallist Shaine Casas led from start to finish to claim the 200 back in 1:50.02 ahead of European champion Yohann Ndoye Brouard whose time of 1:50.56 was 0.67 outside Benjamin Stasiulis’ French record of 1:49.89, another set in the 2009 super-suit era.
Beryl Gastaldello led throughout to take the 100IM in a speedy 57.76 ahead of Beata Nelson (57.82) and Anastasia Gorbenko (58.57).
Thomas Ceccon won the men’s event in 51.52 ahead of Matt Sates (51.62) and Javier Acevedo (51.74).
Haughey Opens The Session With Dominant Win
In the opening race of the session, Siobhan Haughey was ahead by the 125m mark to claim a dominant win in the 400 free in 3:56.52.
Barbora Seemanova touched second, 3.63secs adrift in 4:00.15 with Isabel Gose a further 0.04secs behind to take third in 4:00.19.
Siobhan Haughey: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Matt Sates – the 2021 World Cup men’s champion – prevailed in the men’s equivalent after trading the lead with Danas Rapsys and Kieran Smith.
The South African surged ahead at 300m, a lead he never relinquished to win in 3:36.40 with Smith of the USA (3:37.27) and Lithuanian Rapsys (3:40.36).
Ilaria Cusinato won the 200 fly in 2:05.30 as a battle royale unfolded behind the Italian with Laura Lahtinen and Hali Flickinger separated by just 0.02 (2:05.61 to 2:05.63) after moving from fourth and fifth respectively on the final 50.
Tes Schouten stopped the clock at 2:19.55 to win the 200br ahead of Thea Blomsterberg (2:19.96) and Abbie Wood (2:21.27).
Kylie Masse won the 50 back in 26.15 with Ingrid Wilm making it a Canada one-two in 26.21 and Maaike de Waard of the Netherlands third in 26.39.
Dirk Lange is German, your comment implies he is South African. He coached the SA team for a period