Arno Kamminga lowered his Dutch record in the 100m breaststroke to 55.82 with the ninth-fastest time in history at the FINA 2021 World Cup in Kazan, Russia.
Out in 26.41 and back in 29.41, the double Olympic silver medallist moved to within 0.48 of Ilya Shymanovich’s world record of 55.34, with Fabian Schwingenschlogl setting a German mark of 56.16 in second.
That sliced 0.17 off his previous best of 55.99 from the Speedo Fast Water Meet in July 2021.
Kyle Chalmers blasted a new Australian record of 20.68 in the 50 free, slicing 0.06 off his previous mark of 20.74 from the ISL final in December 2019.
Daiya Seto set an Asian record of 51.29 in the 100IM, slicing 0.01 off the previous mark of 51.30 set by Kosuke Hagino at the 2014 World Short-Course Championships.
Kamminga has his eyes on the European and world short-course titles in the coming weeks but his performance on Thursday prompted a huge smile and a shout of ‘woah’, the Netherlands swimmer delivering the ninth-swiftest performance in history.
Top Five All-Time
- 55.34: Ilya Shymanovich
- 55.41: Adam Peaty
- 55.61: Cameron van der Burgh
- 55.74: Emre Sakci
- 55.82: Arno Kamminga
Women’s 400 Free
Madi Wilson has been on superb form throughout this World Cup series and she won the 400 on the last outing in Doha.
She qualified fastest from the heats and went stroke for stroke with fellow Australian Leah Neale through the opening stages with the latter 0.40 ahead at halfway, a lead she extended to 0.88 with 100 to go.
She was 1.48 ahead at 300 and although Wilson came back on the final 25 it was Neale who got the touch in 4:01.73 to 4:02.05 with Aleksandra Bykova third in 4:05.12.
Men’s 400 Free
Matthew Sates has made a startling entrance on to the senior international stage during the World Cup series.
He has tussled with Danys Rapsys throughout with the Lithuanian winning the 400 free at the opening leg in Berlin.
Sates not only turned the tables next time out in Budapest but he did so in a WJR of 3:37.92 before claiming victory once more in Doha.
The pair lined up alongside each other in lanes three and four with Daniil Shatalov in five.
Rapsys led through the opening 200, reaching the halfway point 0.29 ahead of Shatalov before the Russian went ahead as Sates moved into third.
Shatalov was first at 300 but Sates made his move to reduce the deficit to only 0.02 with 50 to go when the South African accelerated with a two-length blast of 25.78 to take victory in 3:38.28.
Rapsys moved past Shatalov to take second in 3:38.81 with the Russian third in 3:39.54.
Women’s 50 Backstroke
Kira Toussaint has been in a league of her own over two lengths with victory in each of the three previous rounds.
The Netherlands swimmer set a World Cup record of 25.81 in the opening leg in Berlin and made her intentions clear in the morning heats in Kazan when she went 25.89, almost a second clear of Holly Barratt who qualified second.
Again it was Toussaint who got her hand to the wall first in 25.87 ahead of Barratt (26.25) and Daria Vaskina (27.09).
Men’s 200 Backstroke
There was a new winner in the event with Aleksei Tkachev moving from third to first with a final 50 of 27.59 to touch in 1:51.34.
Yakov Toumarkin had held the lead at 150 and went stroke for stroke with the Russian but finished second in 1:51.55 with Grigory Tarasevich next home in 1:51.93.
Women’s 200 Fly
Anastasiya Markova led at the 50 and was ahead by 0.22 from Zsuzsanna Jakabos at halfway.
Come the 150 mark and the Russian swimmer led by 0.31 only for the Hungarian to draw on to her shoulder and take the touch by 0.09 in 2:05.88 to 2:05.97.
Maria Ugolkova has been a regular on the podium during the series and she claimed another medal in 2:07.46.
Men’s 100 Fly
Tom Shields has completely dominated this event with three wins in as many races.
Out in 22.52 and back in 26.68, the American was never threatened as he stopped the clock at 49.20.
Szebasztian Szabo was second in 50.07 with Pavel Samusenko next home in 50.33.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Yulia Efimova won the event last time out in Doha but it was Vitalina Simonova who led the way in the heats in 2:19.80 in her first World Cup appearance of 2021.
Simonova led at halfway in the final and come the 150 mark, the 29-year-old was 0.96 ahead of Efimova who had moved into second.
She continued to extend her lead and touched in 2:19.22 with Efimova second in 2:20.49 and her fellow Tokyo Olympian Maria Temnikova third in 2:21.12.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Double Olympic silver medallist Arno Kamminga has dominated over four lengths and came into Kazan with three golds from the three stops so far.
He was ahead at halfway albeit with a lead of just 0.06 over Fabian Schwingenschlogl.
The pair turned together going into the final 25 but Kamminga pulled away to win in 55.82, a new Dutch record and 0.48 off Ilya Shymanovich’s world mark.
Schwingenschlogl set a German record of 56.16 in second with Anton Chupkov next home in 57.30.
Women’s 50 Free
Ranomi Kromowidjojo led three women home inside 24secs in Doha last week.
Emma McKeon was second that day in 23.56 and was favourite in the absence of the Netherlands swimmer.
And so it transpired as she stopped the clock in 23.53 with fellow Australian Madi Wilson next home in 23.94.
Just 0.01 separated second from third as Holly Barratt made it three Australians on the podium with a tie for bronze with Sweden’s Michelle Coleman in 23.95.
Men’s 50 Free
Kyle Chalmers rattled the 100 free world record last week in Doha as he went third all-time but it was Vladimir Morozov who won the 50 last time out in a speedy 20.89, the only sub-21 in the field.
On Thursday Chalmers blasted to victory in an Australian record of 20.68 ahead of Morozov (20.81) and Jesse Puts (21.08).
Women’s 100 IM
Maria Ugolkova held off Michelle Coleman on the final 25 to take victory in a Swiss record of 58.47 to 58.54.
Anastasiia Sorokina was next home in 1:00.08.
Men’s 100IM
This was set to be a heavyweight clash with Daiya Seto and Kliment Kolesnikov occupying the centre lanes.
Kolesnikov held a 0.51 lead at halfway only for Seto to produce a second 50 of 27.65 to touch the wall first in 51.29 by just 0.02.
Kolesnikov was second in 51.31 with Matthew Sates taking his second medal of the evening in 51.96.