FINA World Cup Shifting to Budapest With Kristof Milak Slated For Action
The second stop of the FINA World Cup series will take place from October 7-9 in Budapest, with the likes of Australian Emma McKeon and Hungarian Kristof Milak slated to headline the competition. While McKeon hauled in seven medals at last summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Milak was the gold medalist in the 200-meter butterfly and set a European record en route to the silver medal in the 100 butterfly.
This year’s World Cup started with a flourish in Berline, as South African teenager Matthew Sates set world junior records in the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley. Sates is scheduled to race in Budapest and is expected to heighten his profile as a rising star in the sport. Between Sates, Romanian David Popovici and South Korea’s Sunwoo Hwang, the international men’s scene features major potential in its youth contingent.
As mentors to members of the United States Junior National Team, Tom Shields, Lydia Jacoby, Blake Pieroni and Linnea Mack will be in action for Team USA. Shields will once again duel with South Africa’s Chad Le Clos in the butterfly events while Jacoby now dives into the pool as the Olympic champion in the 100 breaststroke.
Other notable athletes scheduled for action are Arno Kamminga, the Dutch breaststroke star who won a pair of silver medals in Tokyo, and Kyle Chalmers, who won the silver medal in the 100 freestyle in his most recent Olympic appearance. Madison Wilson will go to work for Australia in the freestyle events.