With the third and final stop of the inaugural FINA Champions Series coming up in Indianapolis at the end of the month, there are five swimmers who are undefeated in at least one unique event who will be racing for a third-straight win in Indy.
Below is a quick look at those five swimmers looking at possible event sweeps: three men and two women.
MEN
| Swimmer | Event | Budapest Time |
Guangzhou Time
|
| Pieter Timmers | 100 free | 48.32 | 48.60 |
| Anton Chupkov | 200 breast | 2:08.23 | 2:07.48 |
| Nicholas Santos | 50 fly | 22.60 | 23.01 |
WOMEN
| Swimmer | Event | Budapest Time |
Guangzhou Time
|
|
Sarah Sjöström
|
100 free | 53.03 | 52.82 |
| 200 free | 1:56.58 | 1:57.62 | |
| 50 fly | 25.32 | 25.55 | |
| 100 fly | 56.78 | 57.16 | |
| Katinka Hosszu | 200 IM | 2:08.81 | 2:08.72 |
Swede Sarah Sjöström has lost just one race out of her ten total individual swims at the two stops combined: the 50 free to Cate Campbell. She’s been the most dominant force during this series by far, having won four events twice. Hungarian Katinka Hosszu has been edged out in some of her events this series, but has held strong in the 200 IM.
Meanwhile, Belgium’s Pieter Timmers, Russia’s Anton Chupkov, and Brazil’s Nicholas Santos are poised for sweeps in one event each. Timmers has been very strong, taking down opponents like Vladimir Morozov, Mehdy Metella, and Chad le Clos in the 100 free. Chupkov has been making 2:07’s and 2:08’s look easy in the 200 breast, while Santos, at age 39, set a new South American record in the 50 fly in Budapest.
FINA’s payout for just two meets at this series is nearing the $2 million mark with the Indy stop left. Sjöström has been far-and-away the highest earner, having amassed $104,000 already. She could add more than $50,000 to that wallet in Indy with her five individual swims and any relays. Behind Sjöström is Hosszu, at $87,000; she’s made $27,000 more than the highest male earner, Michael Andrew of the USA ($60,000), while nobody else has made over $50,000 so far.
Chupkov sits at #11 on the earnings list, with Timmers at #23 and Santos at #24.
Italian breaststroker Fabio Scozzoli and British sprinter Ben Proud are undefeated in the 100 breast and 50 free, respectively, but neither will be competing in Indy. Proud walks away with $38,000 and Scozzoli with $30,000.