World Cup Toronto: Shaine Casas Goes No. 3 All-Time Effort in 200 IM; Siobhan Haughey Shines in 200 Freestyle
A scriptwriter would have had a difficult time drafting a better start to the second night of the FINA World Cup stop in Toronto. The first two events of the schedule featured a world junior record and a world record, those performances by Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky setting the stage for a spectacular evening. McIntosh opened the action with a WJR in the 400-meter individual medley while Ledecky followed an event later by shaving almost 10 seconds off the world record in the 1500 freestyle.
In the events that followed, the athletes in Toronto continued to shine. Here is what unfolded at the Pan Am Sports Centre:
Men’s 50 Backstroke
Trinidad & Tobago’s Dylan Carter has been the class of the sprinters through the first two stages of the World Cup, and his speed game was on display again in Toronto. Clocking 22.94, the only sub-23 effort in the field, Carter placed ahead of Poland’s Kacper Stowkowski (23.01) and American Justin Ress (23.07). Carter has won both 50 backstrokes and both 50 freestyles during World Cup action, and will look for back-to-back 50 butterfly titles on Sunday.
Women’s 200 Freestyle
Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey made a run at her world record in the event through the first half of the race before finishing in 1:51.13, good for the eighth-fastest mark in history. Haughey owns the world record at 1:50.31 and will have another chance at the mark when the World Cup moves to Indianapolis next week. Haughey split 53.60 at the midway point to build a comfortable lead that left Katie Ledecky with too much room to make up.
Ledecky pulled off a sensational double, as she returned to the pool to place second in 1:52.31. Ledecky raced the 200 freestyle less than 10 minutes after she set the world record in the 1500 freestyle. Aussie Madison Wilson went 1:53.49 for third place.
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
Putting together a wire-to-wire victory, Shaine Casas continued to demonstrate his medley talent by setting a World Cup record of 1:50.37 in the 200 individual medley. The victory was Casas’ third of the Toronto stop, complementing Night One decisions in the 200 backstroke and 100 IM. Following the butterfly and backstroke legs, Casas already had a lead of more than a second and he ultimately finished more than two seconds clear of Finley Knox, the runnerup in 1:52.75.
Casas became the No. 2 performer in history with his performance, which is No. 3 all-time. Ryan Lochte owns the two-fastest swims in history, including the world record at 1:49.63 from 2012.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Relying on her underwater skills, the United States’ Beata Nelson powered away from a strong field in the 100 backstroke and won in 55.75. Nelson built a slight lead on the opening 50 meters, but pulled away over the back half of the race, touching ahead of Canadians Kylie Masse (56.16) and Ingrid Wilm (56.21).
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
The victor in the event from the Berlin stop of the World Cup circuit, Nic Fink made it two in a row when he dispatched the opposition behind a mark of 25.78. The premier American breaststroker, Fink was the only athlete to dip under 26 seconds and was followed in the silver-medal position by Caspar Corbeau (26.15) of the University of Texas.
Women’s 50 Butterfly
The reigning Olympic champion in the 100 butterfly, Canadian Maggie Mac Neil surged to a dominant first-place showing in the 50 fly in her home country. Mac Neil went 24.75 to secure a half-second decision over France’s Beryl Gastaldello. Mac Neil’s swim was a national record, bettering her previous mark of 25.13.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Australian Kyle Chalmers affirmed his status as the top guy on the World Cup scene, as he registered a start-to-finish and won in 45.52, the only performance quicker than 46 seconds. Chalmers delivered an opening split of 21.86 to build a lead and he came home with the fastest finishing split, a 23.66 that handed him a comfortable margin. Italian Thomas Ceccon was second in 46.15, with Brooks Curry taking bronze in 46.32.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
A class field battled it out in the 100 breaststroke, but it came down to a duel between Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte and American Lilly King. Meilutyte was slightly under world-record pace at the 50-meter mark and finished in 1:02.95 to repeat her victory from the Berlin stop. King was right behind Meilutyte in 1:03.23, as the race featured the past three Olympic champions in the 100 breast. Meiltutyte was the 2012 titlist while King won in 2016. The 2020 Games gold medalist was Lydia Jacoby, who went 1:04.62 for fourth. Germany’s Anna Elendt finished ahead of Jacoby for third in 1:04.07.
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Trenton Julian bolted from the blocks and built a sizable lead, then held off a charging Chad Le Clos of South Africa down the stretch to grab the title in 1:49.69. Le Clos was two body lengths back with 50 meters left, but he cut into the American’s lead with every stroke, falling just shy of a huge comeback. Le Clos posted a time of 1:49.78.