2018 FINA World Cup Eindhoven Day 1 Finals: Morozov Shows Up Big Time

2018 FINA WORLD CUP – EINDHOVEN

• Friday, September 28th – Sunday – September 30th
• SCM
• Cluster 1 Results
• Entry List
• SwimSwam Meet Preview
• Day 1 Prelims Recap
• Results

Night 1 of the 2018 FINA World Cup Series stop in Eindhoven saw fireworks in the form of a World Record and World Junior Record early on in the session.

China’s Wang Jianjiahe produced a new WJR in the women’s 400m free, the very first event of the evening, touching in 3:54.63 to fall just .11 shy of Spaniard Mireia Belmonte’s World Record. Behind Wang tonight was American Olympic medalist Leah Smith, who settled for silver in 4:01.31, while Russia’s Anna Egorova rounded out the top 3 in 4:04.65. You can read more about Wang’s impressive WJR feat here.

Just 3 races later, Russia’s Vlad Morozov set his lane on fire in the men’s 100m IM, crushing a new WR time of 50.26, shaving .04 off of his own previous WR from last year. He beat runner-up Daiya Seto of Japan by over a second (51.40), while America’s Michael Andrew took bronze in 51.76. You can read more about Morozov’s impressive night here.

At the end of the night, Morozov also was victorious in the men’s 50m free, racing his way to a mighty 20.69 to close out the session. South Africa’s Brad Tandy was next in line in 21.19, while America’s Blake Pieroni earned bronze in 21.34.

Russia’s Yuliya Efimova threatened Leisel Jones’ World Cup Record, coming within .20 of the mark set way back in 2009. Tonight, the 26-year-old two-time Olympic silver medalist earned a 200m breaststroke time of 2:15.62 to come within striking distance of the supersuited Jones mark of 2:15.42 from 9 years ago.

Runner-up in the women’s 200m breast race tonight was Russian teammate Vitalina Simonova and her time of 2:19.65, while Spain’s Jessica Vall rounded out the top 3 in 2:20.06. American Melanie Margalis made her 2018 FINA World Cup debut with a 4th place finish tonight, stopping the clock at 2:20.29.

Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu was in fine form this evening, reaping two wins across her 2 races. The Olympic champion sprinted her way to a 100m IM victory in 57.44 to beat out America’s Kathleen Baker who touched in 58.14. Hosszu also won the women’s 200m fly in 2:02.87 to represent the only swimmer to delve under the 2:03 threshold.

Silver in the women’s 200m fly went to China’s Zhang Yufei in 2:03.09, while USA’s Kelsi Dahlia made her mark on the meet with a bronze in 2:03.31.

In a surprising twist of events, Dutch freestyle ace Ranomi Kromowidjojo topped teammate Kira Toussaint in the women’s 50m backstroke, claiming a new national record in the process.

Tonight’s winner in the 50m back race was Etiene Medeiros of Brazil who clocked 26.07 for gold. But Kromo surprised her fans with a new personal best of 26.10 to come out ahead of morning national record holder Toussaint, who finished in 26.13. You can read more about Kromo’s NR here.

Kromo threw down the speed in the women’s 50m free as well, taking the gold this time in a mark of 23.26. That was off her own World Cup Record of 22.93 set last year, but enough to hold off speedster Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden. Sjostrom settled for silver in 23.67, while Dutch swimmer Femke Heemskerk gave her nation another medal with bronze in 23.77.

South African Chad Le Clos busted out the win in the men’s 100m fly, earning the only sub-50 second time of the field. He earned a winning mark of 49.56 to top the podium, about half a second slower than the 49.09 he produced at this same meet last year.

Runner-up in the race was Brazilian stalwart Nicholas Santos with the 38-year-old still producing world-class times with a 50.22 for silver. France’s Mehdy Metella got his hands on the wall in 50.31 for bronze. Also in the race was Hungarian icon Laszlo Cseh who earned 4th in 51.37, while USA’s Andrew finished in 8th after his 100m IM, but still in the 2nd best SCM time of his career of 52.34.

Additional Winners:

• Australia’s Mack Horton got the job done in the men’s 400m free, taking the top of the podium in a time of 3:49.52. Despite earning the top seed in a morning effort of 3:45.13, American Blake Pieroni settled for silver in 3:41.79.
• Horton’s teammate Mitch Larkin kept his World Cup winning streak going in the backstroke events, taking the men’s 200m tonight in 1:49.75, the only sub-1:50 mark of the field.
• The men’s 100m breast field saw a 1-2 Russian finish in the form of Kirill Prigoda and Anton Chupkov, the latter being the Cluster #1 points leader. Prigoda got his hands on the wall first in 56.88, while Chupkov finished shortly behind in 57.01. Brazil’s Felipe Lima was right there as well, claiming bronze in 57.14.