FINA Short Course Worlds: Kate Douglass Scares 200 IM American Record as Top Seed
Kate Douglass led the way in prelims of the women’s 200 individual medley at FINA Short Course Worlds Monday, with a time of 2:04.24.
That time earned her the top seed among the eight progressing to finals in Abu Dhabi. It also buzzes within .16 seconds of the American record belonging to Melanie Margalis from the 2020 International Swimming League season. Margalis qualified sixth from prelims in 2:08.16. She earned bronze in the 400 IM.
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Douglass’s time was the quickest in prelims by more than two seconds. Second was Yu Yiting of China in 2:06.48. Douglass has a pair of relay medals already in this meet, leading off the goal-medal winning 400 free relay and silver from prelims in the 200 medley relay.
Canada pushed a pair of swimmers into the final with Sydney Pickrem and Bailey Andison in third and fourth, respectively. Missing out is Erin Walshe, who won the silver medal in the 400 IM. She was ninth, with the consolation prize of a demolition of the Irish record by more than two seconds in 2:08.69. (The record of 2:11.13 belonged to Niamh Kilgallen since 2017.)
Men’s 200 medley relay
Egypt is the surprise second seed from prelims, turning in a stellar African record time in the morning. The foursome of Mohamed Samy, Youssef El Kamash, Youssef Ramadan and Abdelrahman Sameh clocked in at 1:33.19. That lopped more than a second off the continental record set at the 2014 World Championships by South Africa (1:34.41), with Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos in the middle.
The fastest time of the morning belonged to Russia in 1:32.52 with the foursome of Pavel Samusenko, Mark Nikolaev, Oleg Kostin and Aleksandr Shchegolev. With plenty of weapons waiting in reserve and two silvers and a goal over the three men’s relays so far, the Russians are the favorites.
Brazil is the third seed in 1:33.21. The United States was fourth in prelims in 1:33.29 (Shaine Casas, Will Licon, Trenton Julian, Zach Apple).
Men’s 400 individual medley
Daiya Seto is in prime position for 400 IM gold for a fifth consecutive FINA Short Course Worlds, an unbroken record that dates to 2012. The Japanese star set the pace in prelims with a time of 4:00.84, six seconds shy of his world record by nearly two seconds up on the field.
Second was Carson Foster of the United States in 4:02.36, the same order that the top two finished in during the 200 IM. Ilia Borodin of Russia is third in 4:04.35. Foster has American company in the final with Kieran Smith having qualified fifth. Alberto Razzetti, the bronze medalist in the 200 IM, qualified sixth. Among the did-not-starts is 100 IM medalist Tomoe Hvas, 200 IM Olympic champ Wang Shun and 200 IM Olympic silver medalist Duncan Scott, who is still dealing with a non-COVID illness. Only 18 men contested the event.
Women’s 100 butterfly
A field in flux still has a Swede on top, but it’s not the one we’ve gotten so used to seeing. Louise Hansson, winner of the 100 back at this meet, is the top seed from prelims in 56.04. Not entered in the race is competition record-holder Sarah Sjostrom.
The other surprise of the prelims is the low position of Maggie MacNeil, the Olympic champion in this event ahead of Sjostrom. She finished in a tie with Ellen Walsh for 14th, progressing to the semifinal where she’ll occupy an outside lane.
The second seed from prelims is Claire Curzan of the United States, who went 56.46. Third is 100 fly Olympic silver medalist and the 200 fly champ at this meet, Zhang Yufei, in 56.47. Torri Huske of the U.S. is safely through in fourth, as is 200 fly bronze medalist Lana Pudar of Bosnia and Herzegovina in fifth.
Men’s 100 freestyle
Josh Liendo’s breakout FINA Short Course Worlds could have yet another chapter. The Canadian sprinter set the fastest time in prelims in the 100 free at 46.26 seconds. He leads out more established sprinters like Alessandro Miressi of Italy and Russian Vladislav Grinev in an event where 16 qualify for semifinals.
The top 16 finishers are separated by just 1.05 seconds, with 200 free champ Hwang Sunwoo grabbing the 16th and final spot ahead of Mikel Schreuders of Aruba. Also through to the semifinals: Ryan Held in fifth, Zach Apple in 10th and Kliment Kolesnikov in 15th.
Women’s 50 freestyle
Sarah Sjostrom’s reward for eschewing the 100 butterfly was a sharp, maybe uncatchable form in the 50. The Swede was first in prelims in 23.31 seconds. That’s just .12 off the competition record set in 2018 by Ranomi Kromowidjojo.
Kasia Wasick of Poland finished a distant second in 23.63, with Abbey Weitzeil (23.69) and Kromowidjojo (23.86) following. Mariia Kameneva also cracked 24 seconds. Claire Curzan is through in eighth.
Men’s 50 breaststroke
The heads of state are all assembled. Both the 100 breast champ (Ilya Shymanovich in 25.77) and 200 champ (Nic Fink in 26.09) are through easily, in first and fifth, respectively. Nicolo Martinenghi, the 100 breast runner-up, was fourth in 26.02. The 200 runner-up, Arno Kamminga, is through in sixth. Joining that elite class are Emre Sakci of Turkey in second in 25.87 and Brazil’s Joao Gomes Junior in third in 26.01.
Women’s 800 freestyle relay
The Russian Swimming Fedration recorded the top time in prelims by about a second with the foursome of Ekaterina Nikonova, Anna Egorova, Daria Ustinova and Valeriia Salamatina clocking in at 7:44.49, while the United States took second in 7:45.58 with Torri Huske, Katharine Berkoff, Emma Weyant and Paige Madden. China, with 400 and 800 frree gold medalist Li Bingjie swimming the leadoff leg, qualified third in 7:47.50.
Also competing in the final will be Hungary, Germany, Canada, Brazil and Hong Kong as eight of the nine teams that raced in prelims qualified. Canada will be in lane seven for the final, but this team could grab gold or at least a medal with Kayla Sanchez and Katarine Savard set to join Summer McIntosh and 200 free silver medalist Rebecca Smith.
Men’s 1500 freestyle
Olympic silver medalist Mykhailo Romanchuk of Ukraine led the way into the final with a 14:24.76 in prelims, with bronze medalist Florian Wellbrock of Germany finished about a second behind in that heat with a 14:25.79. Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri, the 2016 Olympic champion in the 1500 free, swam a 14:28.11 in that heat to also get in. But the minor surprise came in the prior heat, when Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui swam a 14:25.77, which locked down lane five for the final. Hafnaoui, 19, missed the final of the 400 free, the event in which he stunningly won Olympic gold, earlier in the meet, and he bounced back in an event in which he didn’t even compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
France’s Damien Joly, Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, Italy’s Domenico Acerenza and Norway’s Henrik Christiansen also made the final.
