World Cup Berlin, Day 3: Siobhan Haughey Blasts Way to No. 3 Performer in History in 100 Freestyle
It’s been a year of sweep for Kaylee McKeown, who added another one to her resume at the World Aquatics World Cup Berlin on its final day Sunday. McKeown won the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:06.47, a wire-to-wire win that included a World Cup record.
McKeown ended up winning all three women’s backstroke events, as she did at last summer’s World Aquatics Championships. She downed the World Cup records in all three. And just for good measure, she added a 200 individual medley to finish off the meet.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey surged to a mark of 52.02 in the 100 freestyle, an effort that ranks as one of the fastest in history.
All the action from the final day in Berlin:
Men’s 400 individual medley
Brendon Smith pulled off a thrilling victory, using a furious final 50 meters to swim past Matt Sates at the wall by .02 seconds. Smith was .75 seconds back at 350 meters but closed in 27.78 to get to the wall first in 4:13.59. That denied the 200 IM champ from an IM sweep by a tiny margin.
Third place went to Japan’s Kaito Tabuchi, who outtouched Hungary’s Balasz Hollo by .06 in 4:15.78.
Women’s 800 freestyle
The Aussies are on fire on Day 3 of the World Cup Berlin, with an Oceania 1-2. Both Lani Pallister and Erika Fairweather were under the World Cup record set in 2019 by Kiah Melverton. Pallister takes home the record and the win with a time of 8:16.82, downing the existing mark by more than five seconds. Fairweather was under that time, too, the Kiwi teen finishing second in 8:21.23, still 4.41 seconds back of Pallister.
Katie Grimes finished third in 8:25.16, and Isabel Gose of Germany was a solitary hundredth under 8:30 in fourth.
Women’s 100 butterfly
Zhang Yufei delivered a domineering performance in her signature event to claim gold. She clocked in at 56.74, within three tenths of Sarah Sjostrom’s circuit record. Zhang went out in 25.96 and was clear of the field the whole way.
Second went to Angelina Kohler, the German pushing from fourth to second over the final 50 meters. She clocked in at 57.18. That edged out Torri Huske, who went 57.32. Lana Pudar was fourth, ahead of American Beata Nelson.
Men’s 50 butterfly
Australian Ben Armbruster not only bested the field but came out as the top Armbruster in the final. (Luca Ambruster of Germany, not related, was seventh.) Ben clocked in at 23.08, just edging out the pair of Dylan Carter and Michael Andrew, who tied for silver in 23.17.
Szebasztian Szabo was fourth in 23.25.
Women’s 200 backstroke
There was no stopping Kaylee McKeown on her way to a third gold and a World Cup record. She led at each wall, winning in 2:06.47. Only a strong final 50 by runner-up Katie Grimes kept the margin under two seconds.
McKeown downed the 2015 record of countrywoman Emily Seebohm, who had gone 2:06.94.
Grimes was second in 2:08.08. That’s a best time – she had gone 2:09.52 in TYR Pro Swim Series in 2022 – on the back end of a difficult double. It might give another option next summer for a teen with no shortage of them. Kylie Masse of Canada was third in 2:10.32 with Hungary’s Eszter Szabo-Feltothy fourth.
Men’s 100 backstroke
Thomas Ceccon picked up another win at the World Cup Berlin, this one with relatively little drama. He won the 100 back in 52.27, a margin of more than a second and a half back to the chasers.
Ryosuke Irie finished second in 54.05, rallying in the last 50 meters to get to the wall ahead of Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk. Greece’s Apostolos Christou slid from second to fourth over the last 50 meters.
Women’s 50 breaststroke
After struggling in the 100, Ruta Meilutyte took it out on the 50 breast field. She routed the field in 29.56, winning by nearly eight tenths. It’s a World Cup record, taking down the 30.23 set in the morning by Eneli Jefimova.
Even if the Estonian had matched her morning time, she still would’ve settled for silver. She went 30.35 in the evening for second. Third was Poland’s Dominica Sztandera in 30.61, the only other sub-31 performer.
Men’s 200 breaststroke
Much like McKeown, there’s little stopping Qin Haiyang in breaststroke these days. The Chinese superstar added a World Cup record in the 200 breast, winning in 2:07.45. It’s just under two seconds shy of his world record, but it clipped .15 seconds off Anton Chupkov’s 2018 World Cup record.
Qin was a wire-to-wire winner. By the final 50, he was joined by countryman Dong Zhihao, who roared home in 31.37 to get second in 2:08.60. His final 50 was 1.42 seconds quicker than Qin. It was much faster than third-place Caspar Corbeau (33.51), who finished third in 2:08.82. And it was nearly three seconds quicker than Arno Kamminga, who slid from second to fourth in 2:09.30. American Nic Fink was fifth in 2:10.71.
Women’s 100 freestyle
Siobhan Haughey secured another World Cup record with a win in the 100 free, going 52.02. Her time trimmed .32 seconds off the 2019 record set by Cate Campbell …. Sunday’s runner-up, in 53.26. Haughey moved to No. 3 in history in the event.
Third was Sarah Sjostrom in 53.39, as she reacclimates to the 100 free. Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands was fourth in a loaded field, ahead of Bronte Campbell (53.99) and Torri Huske (54.66).
Men’s 200 freestyle
Danas Rapsys capped the day with a win in the men’s 200 free. Though close, he was ahead at each wall, winning in 1:45.75 and edging out Australia’s Maximillian Giuliani by .43 seconds. Giuliani timed a 1:46.18.
American Kieran Smith finished third in 1:48.15, .05 up on Estonian Kregor Zirk. Irsael’s Denis Loktev finished fifth. Trenton Julian slid from third to sixth in the final 50.
Women’s 200 individual medley
Kaylee McKeown was at it again, winning in 2:10.76. In proving her versatility, it wasn’t backstroke in which she made her move, though she had the second-fastest split of the field in that (behind Anastasia Gorbenko). Instead, she took control in breaststroke and held off a charge from Sydney Pickrem on the end.
McKeown finished .51 ahead of the Canadian, who timed a 2:11.27. Gorbenko was third in 2:11.71. Torri Huske, in her third swim of the day, edged fellow American Beata Nelson for fourth in 2:14.50.