Shi, Wang, Seto Join World Cup Tour For Beijing Stop

2016 FINA World Cup – Beijing

• Beijing, China – National Aquatics Center
• Friday, September 30 – Saturday, October 1, 2016
• Prelims 10AM / Finals 7 PM (Local Time)
• Point Standings After Cluster 1
• Money Lists After Cluster 1
• Live stream – FINAtv
• Live results

The second cluster of the 2016 FINA World Cup tour will bring in some new faces, including Chinese Olympic medalists Shi Jinglin and Wang Shun and Japan’s medal-winner Daiya Seto.

All three were bronze medalists in Rio: Shi in the women’s 200 breast, Wang in the men’s 200 IM and Seto in the men’s 200 IM.

They’ll join a huge list of Olympic medalists who have already been competing on the World Cup tour this year. Series points leaders Katinka Hosszu and Vladimir Morozov return, as do their closest pursuers Jeanette Ottesen and Chad le Clos.

Morozov Emulating the Iron Lady

As usual, the Iron Lady Hosszu will take on a huge event lineup. She’s entered in 15 of 17 events on the women’s side – all but the 50 free and 100 breast. There’s a reason she’s leading the points and has won the series five years running, and it has everything to do with her willingness to race every event in which she can scrape out prize money or points.

This time, men’s point leader Morozov will look to make a similar jump. He’s been swimming somewhat lighter lineups so far, but entered 6 events in Beijing: the 50 and 100 frees, 50 and 100 breasts, the 100 IM (where he set two world records early in the tour) and the 50 back.

Seto Set To Make Waves

Joining the tour is Seto, who will contest his own brutal meet lineup. He’s entered into 8 events: the 100, 200 and 400 IMs, the 100 and 200 flys, the 100 and 200 breaststrokes and the 200 back.

A big start to this cluster could put Seto into the hunt for a high finish in the series – especially if he continues to swim the next few meets away from his stomping grounds, because after the tour moves away from his stomping grounds into the Middle East (Dubai and Doha), it returns to his home turf, with the last cluster going through Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Fireworks in Women’s Breaststrokes

Maybe the races to watch continue to be the women’s breaststrokes, which have been an unpredictable ride so far. Alia Atkinson tied a world record in a huge showing at the season opener in Paris-Chartes, then dropped off a little in Berlin as Katie Meili and Yulia Efimova rose. Then with Atkinson sitting out the Moscow stop, Efimova took over for a breaststroke sweep.

Add Shi into that mix and all three breaststroking distances should be outstanding races in Beijing.

Current Points Leaders

Women:

Men:

Full Standings

Full Money Lists

Prize Money System

Event Prizes

Prize money is given to the top 3 in each individual event:

• Gold: $1500
• Silver: $1000
• Bronze: $500

NEW IN 2016: Prize money is also given to the top 3 mixed relay teams (though no series points are earned).

• Gold: $3000
• Silver: $2000
• Bronze: $1000

In our money lists, we’ve given each relay member one quarter of that money, which amounts to $750 for a win, $500 for second and $250 for third.

World Record Bonuses

Each world record is worth a $10,000 bonus.

Cluster Bonuses

The 9-meet series is broken into 3 clusters of 3 meets each. Each cluster awards bonuses for the top 6 athletes in points over those three meets. An athlete must swim all 3 meets in the cluster to earn a cluster bonus:

• 1st: $50,000
• 2nd: $35,000
• 3rd: $30,000
• 4th: $20,000
• 5th: $10,000
• 6th: $5,000

Points System

Medal Points

Each individual event yields points for the top 3 finishers.

• Gold: 12 points
• Silver: 9 points
• Bronze: 6 points

World Record Bonuses

Each world record yields 20 points. Tying a world record is worth 10 points.

Performance Bonuses

The top 3 male and top 3 female swims of the meet earn bonus points. Top swims are determined based on FINA points. Only the top-scoring swim from each athlete is counted.

• First: 24 points
• Second: 18 points
• Third: 12 points

Order of Events

Countries where live streaming may be restricted or not available, according to FINA: