Louise Hansson Delivers Swift Time in Prelims of 100 Fly at World Cup in Toronto; Summer McIntosh Chasing Another WJR
With a performance of 55.59, Sweden’s Louise Hansson produced one of the highlights of the third day of preliminaries at the FINA World Cup stop in Toronto. Although Hansson will have to back up their mark during the evening session, her effort was a strong start to action at the Pan Am Sports Centre. Hansson will be challenged in the final by reigning Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil of Canada. Mac Neil went 56.69 for the second seed.
Mac Neil also advanced as the No. 2 seed in the 100 freestyle, as her time of 52.31 was just behind the morning-leading swim of Poland’s Katarzyna Wasick. The winner of the 50 freestyle on the opening night of competition, Wasick checked in with a time of 52.17. The third seed, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, might be the favorite at night. Haughey is coming off a victory in the 200 freestyle and went 52.50 for her prelim of the 100 freestyle.
Sprint specialist Dylan Carter of Trinidad & Tobago qualified first in the 50 butterfly, his 22.71 ahead of the 22.79 of Aussie Kyle Chalmers and the 22.86 of South African Chad Le Clos. Meanwhile, Poland’s Kacper Stokowski turned in the only sub-50 outing of the morning in the 100 backstroke, going 49.98. Lurking in fifth was Shaine Casas (50.52.08), who has already won the 100 individual medley, 200 IM and 200 backstroke in Toronto.
One of the most-anticipated duels of the night will be the clash between American Lilly King and Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte in the 50 breaststroke. King grabbed the top seed by the slimmest of margins, touching the wall in 29.90 to the 29.91 of Meilutyte. King was second to Meilutyte in the 100 breaststroke on Saturday night.
Canada’s Sydney Pickrem went 2:07.94 to qualify on top of the 200 individual medley, with countrywoman Summer McIntosh easing to a 2:10.40 for the sixth seed. McIntosh will chase the world junior record in the event during finals, a mark that sits at 2:04.48 to Yu Yiting of China. McIntosh was second to Kylie Masse in the 200 backstroke, with the women going respective times of 2:05.52 and 2:04.02.
Other top seeds were earned by Brazil’s Caio Pumputis (2:05.68) in the 200 breaststroke and Matthew Sates (1:43.58) of South Africa in the 200 freestyle.