The first slate of entrants for the upcoming FINA World Cup has been announced. Thomas Ceccon (ITA), Kyle Chalmers (AUS), Nic Fink (USA), Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR), Siobhan Haughey (HKG), Louise Hansson (SWE), Kylie Masse (CAN) will all be in attendance for all three stops in the Fall 2022 circuit: Berlin, Toronto, and Indianapolis.
The 2022 series will kick off in Berlin from October 21-23, followed by Toronto from October 28-30, and it will conclude in Indianapolis from November 3-5.
The ‘elite eight’, as dubbed by FINA, will take to the pool this fall and compete in the three three-day short course meets. The group of swimmers announced thus far is a high-level squad, made up of Olympic medalists, world record holders, and ISL champions.
Last year’s FINA World Cup MVP Matt Sates will be making a return to the scene this year, having won 18 medals in 2021. Competing at four of the 2021 stops, Sates collected 13 gold medals, 4 silvers, and 1 bronze, set three world junior records and accumulated USD $140,000 in prize money.
Sates followed up his showing in the fall of 2021 with his NCAA debut in January for the University of Georgia. Sates won a national title for the Bulldogs just weeks after landing in the USA, swimming a 4:06.61 Championships record. He also took silver in the 4×200 freestyle relay (6:05.59) and bronze in the 200 free. In the wake of his NCAA debut, Sates announced that he would not be returning to Georgia and would forego his remaining NCAA eligibility.
Sates raced for South Africa at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and World Championships and despite making several finals, came away medal-less from those two meets.
There will be USD $1.2 million up for grabs this year, along with USD $10,000 bonuses for those who either set a world record or who win the same event at all three World Cup meets. At last year’s FINA World Cup, Kyle Chalmers managed to down the men’s 100 freestyle with a 44.84. As one of the ‘Elite Eight’, Chalmers will be back in action in 2022. Another world record holder in Siobhan Haughey will make her return to the short course pool this year.
Haughey swam a new world record at the 2021 World Short Course Championships when she notched a 1:50.31 200 freestyle. She was recently seen in Ann Arbor training with her former college coach Mike Bottom, though Bottom says she was just there for a short time for a “retouch.”
Thomas Ceccon, who is also on the list for the 2022 World Cup broke a long course record earlier in 2022 when he swam a 51.60 100 backstroke at World Championships.
Former world record holder Kylie Masse, multi-Olympic medalist Nic Fink, and multi-medallists at the 2021 World Cup Anastasia Gorbenko and Louise Hansson will round out this first group of entrants. Stay tuned for more information on who you can expect to see in Berlin, Toronto, and Indianapolis this fall, and return back for full coverage of the meets.
Think we’ll get to see Ledecky at Indy (or Toronto)? The answer at Stanford was a staunch no, but she seems like a she’s a good team player at Florida and will go if the pro group goes. Would be fun to watch her get another SCM American record in the distance events, if offered.
Great! incredible eight athletes