2017 Flanders Cup
- Saturday, January 21 – Sunday, January 22, 2017
- Flanders, Belgium
- Full results
Katinka Hosszu piled up 4 individual wins to lead all athletes at the 2017 Flanders Cup in Belgium.
On day 1, she topped the 200 backstroke in 2:12.13, beating out Spain’s Duane da Rocha by about a second. A few events later, she won the 400 IM by about two seconds, going 4:40.61.
The next day, Hosszu nabbed the 200 IM win in a blowout 2:13.22, just a few events after obliterating the 200 free field in 1:58.58.
Just behind Hosszu, Mie Nielsen and Evgeny Rylov each won three events.
On day 1, Nielsen pulled a double, knocking off Hosszu for the 100 free title (54.99 to 55.40) and coming back to add the 50 back with a 28.39. She would return the next day to win the 100 back in a massive blowout, going 59.81 to top the field by well over two seconds. That time currently leads the world ranks for 2016-2017:
2016-2017 LCM WOMEN 100 BACK
MASSE
58.10*WR
| 2 | Emily SEEBOHM | AUS | 58.53 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Kathleen BAKER | USA | 58.54 | 07/30 |
| 4 | Yuanhui FU | CHN | 58.72 | 04/12 |
| 5 | Olivia SMOLIGA | USA | 58.77 | 07/25 |
Rylov had a similarly dominant 100 back on day 1, going 53.93 to crush the field by more than a second. The next day, Rylov doubled up with a win in the 200 back (1:57.41) followed by a sprint 50 back title (25.12) to complete a backstroke sweep. That 50 back leads the world ranks, while he sits #4 in the 100 and #2 in the 200.
Other multi-event winners included:
- Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte, who won the 50 breast in a world-leading 30.87 and the 100 breast in 1:07.03, ranking 3rd worldwide.
- Holly Hibbott of Great Britain, who went 2:12.13 to win the 200 fly, interestingly enough matching Hosszu’s winning 200 back time down to the hundredth. Hibbott also won the 400 free in 4:12.03, just touching out Spain’s Melanie Costa Schmid.
- Andrius Sidlauskas of Lithuania matched Meilutyte’s breaststroke double to give their nation 4 total breaststroke titles. Sidlauskas was 1:00.34 in the 100 breast and 27.89 in the 50 breast.
- Andriy Khloptsov completed a sprint duo, winning the 50 fly in 23.90 and the 50 free in 22.76. In the former, he just nipped 100 fly champ Adam Barrett (52.92) by five one-hundredths.
I’m wondering if Hosszu swam 200free for money only or she plans to compete at this distance in Budapest. She definitely tried to be a contender in 2015 joining very respectful under 1:56 club. But a lot of efforts ended up out of podium in Kazan. Last year she skipped it entirely. The best time of the season was shown in January (1:56.31). 1:58.58 yesterday is actually a good race for January considering that it wasn’t a tough meet and other her races were done in training mode.
If not to count Katie Ledecky the 200free race is again pretty much open.
Imho in Budapest she won’t enter more than 5 individual events. On top of the 2-2 IMs and backs my guess is the 200 fly. 200 free doesn’t make sense as she is not in the league of the sub 1:55-ers.
As for the money, I don’t think so that a few hundreds Euro would motivate her.
So if it isn’t the part of her business plan and if she isn’t going to compete for the title at this distance then taking rank #1 in January was done just for fun. I got it 🙂
Exactly. As you say “it wasn’t a tough meet”. For her it was literally fun, or a light training if you like. She swam breast as well.
Also, not even the irrelevant January is over. Euro Meet this weekend in Luxembourg, with Sjostrom for example. I bet she takes over that #1 rank with ease.
One more thought if I may have. Hosszu has already reached her limits in free, whilst she has a textile PB in 200 fly from Barcelona, which at that time was good for a bronze. If she can cut off a bit more than half a second – and I think she can – she is on the podium again, likely with Belmonte… Read more »
Rylov has a superb technique on backstroke. If he can take a little bit of power then he will be tough to beat in the 200 back.