2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series – Incheon Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – INCHEON

Day 3 Finals Start List

It’s the final session of the Incheon stop of the 2024 World Cup Series, and the race to the top of the overall rankings is on.

Kate Douglass won the Shanghai stop and seemed to be on track to claim the crown again here, but no-showed the 200 IM prelims this morning. That was her last individual event of the stop, which means she’s locked in at 59.2 points. That gives fellow American Regan Smith a chance to sneak by and upgrade her overall silver from Shanghai. The newly minted 100 backstroke SCM world record holder is entered in the 200 backstroke. (See a more in-depth breakdown of the scoring system here.)

On the men’s side, Pieter Coetze currently leads the standings. He won both the 50 and 200 backstroke and has the chance at making it a sweep in the 100 tonight. He’ll have to get through some stiff competition, including top seed Kacper Stokowski and LCM world record holder Thomas Ceccon. Regardless of who claims the overall crown, there will definitely be a shuffle amongst the top five after the 200 breast has settled. Caspar Corbeau, Qin Haiyang, and Ilya Shymanovich are only 2.4 points apart from one another so the finish order will matter.

We’ll see Leon Marchand in action to kick off the session. After dropping both the 200 breast and 200 free this morning, he is all-in on the 400 IM. A win there could push him back atop the ranking after he won the overall crown in Shanghai. He topped the field last time, but world record holder Daiya Seto has entered the mix.

Another exciting race to watch out for will be the men’s 50 fly, where Noe Ponti is the top seed. He broke the world record at the last stop and was the only swimmer to break 22-seconds this morning.

The men’s 800 free and 200 free will also be contested tonight alongside the women’s 100 fly, 50 breast, 100 free, and 200 IM.

Men’s 400 Individual Medley – Final

• World Record: 3:54.81 – Daiya Seto (JPN), 2019
• World Cup Record: 3:57.25 – Daiya Seto (JPN), 2018
• World Junior Record: 3:56.47 – Ilya Borodin (RUS), 2021

Top 8:

1. Leon Marchand (FRA) – 3:58.30 French Record
2. Daiya Seto (JPN) – 3:59.43
3. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 4:02.37
4. Lewis Clareburt (NZL) – 4:06.03
5. Mark Szaranek (GBR) – 4:07.05
6. Trenton Julian (USA) – 4:10.68
7. Reagan Cheng (SGP) – 4:19.44
8. Wang Yi Shun (HKG) – 4:23.85

Leon Marchand completed a sweep of the men’s IM races, lowering his French record from last week in the process (3:58.30). He was out over two seconds slower than his Shanghai performance, but had a much improved back-half to break 4:00 for the first time. He also cracks the top 10 all-time list for the first time, jumping up from #18 to #10.

It was world record Daiya Seto who set the pace, holding a lead over Marchand and the rest of the field from the start through the 350. He and Marchand separated themselves from the rest of the field early. Seto took the race out aggressively (54.19/1:00.66) to lead by over

Alberto Razzetti was in bronze position for the entirety of the race, though he was slightly off his Shanghai performance.

After the race, Marchand commented on his improved pacing while Seto declared his intent to chase his own world record at Worlds in December.

Men’s 800 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 7:20.46 – Daniel Wiffen (IRL), 2023
• World Cup Record: 7:35.58 – Gabriele Detti (ITA), 2017
• World Junior Record: 7:36.00 – Sven Schwarz (GER), 2019

Top 8:

1. Pan Zhanle (CHN) – 7:35.30 World Cup Record, Chinese Record
   
2. Kim Junwoo (KOR) – 7:39.15
3. Kazushi Imafuku (JPN) – 7:40.77
4. Charlie Clark (USA) – 7:42.42
5. Kaito Tsujimori (JPN) – 7:43.99
6. Kregor Zirk (EST) – 7:44.19
7. Benjamin Goedemans (AUS) – 7:45.70
8. Won June (CLB) – 7:55.53

Pan Zhanle, best known to the world as a sprinter, completed the distance sweep in Incheon with a World Cup record in the 800 free. The Chinese star held strong from lane 8, splitting consistent 14-mids for the majority of the race. His stroke looked incredibly smooth as well, before he dropped a 25.80 closing split to clinch the race. That also represents a new Chinese record, surpassing Fei Liwei‘s time from 2022 (7:37.74).

The race for gold was conducted across the pool, as Kim Junwoo took it out hard in front of a home crowd in lane 2. The 17-year-old led through the halfway mark, but was passed by Pan at 575 meters. Still, he had built up enough of a lead to hang onto silver.

The middle of the pool looked even for most of the race, but Shanghai 1500 champion Charlie Clark started to pull away towards the middle of the race. He looked to have bronze secured until another 17-year-old, Kazushi Imafuku, scorched 26.17 on the final 50 to make it a full Asian podium.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 54.05 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2022
• World Cup Record: 54.78 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2022
• World Junior Record: 55.39 – Claire Curzan (USA), 2021

Top 8:

1. Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 55.76
2. Lily Price (AUS) – 56.15
3. Yu Yiting (CHN) – 56.22
4. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 56.24
5. Brittany Castelluzzo (AUS) – 56.45
6. Anastasiya Kuliashova (NIA) – 56.74
7. Kim Seoyeong (KOR) – 56.87 South Korean Record
8. Sara Junevik (SWE) – 57.29

While she didn’t match her Finnish record from last week, Laura Lahtinen once again took home the win in the 100 fly. Like her Shanghai performance, she used a strong back-half to claim the win. Lahtinen was the only athlete to crack the 56-second barrier.

Lily Price improved by just over a tenth of a second for silver, also using a strong 50 to move up from 5th. That adds to her silver from the 50 butterfly last night.

Yu Yiting earned bronze, about 0.3-seconds slower than her silver outing in Shanghai. She just out-touched Louise Hansson, who faded on the final 25 meters.

Men’s 50 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 21.67 – Noe Ponti (SUI), 2024
• World Cup Record: 21.67 – Noe Ponti (SUI), 2024
• World Junior Record: 22.28 – Ilya Kharun (CAN), 2022

Top 8:

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 21.76
2. Nyls Korstanje (NED) – 21.99
3. Marius Kusch (GER)/Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 22.30
4. —
5. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 22.35
6. Grigori Pekarski (NIA) – 22.53
7. Ji Yuchan (KOR) – 22.60

DQ: Teong Tzen Wei (SGP)

Noe Ponti once again won gold in the 50 fly, but it was Nyls Korstanje who was out first at the 25 (9.9 to 10.08). Ponti roared home with the only sub-12 split of the field to miss his world record by under a tenth.

Korstanje held strong for silver, just missing his Dutch record of 21.96 from last week.

There was a tie for bronze between Marius Kusch and Isaac Cooper, who split the race nearly identically (10.15/12.15 vs. 10.16/12.14).

Women’s 200 Backstroke – Final

Top 8:

1. Regan Smith (USA) – 1:59.60 American Record
2. Anastasiya Shkurdai (NIA) – 2:01.51
3. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 2:03.23
4. Beata Nelson (USA) – 2:03.25
5. Bella Grant (AUS) – 2:04.55
6. Hannah Fredericks (AUS) – 2:06.41
7. Lee Yunjung (CLB) – 2:08.51 South Korean Record
8. Song Jaeyun (CLB) – 2:08.79

According to the broadcast, Regan Smith needed a 2:00.50 in this event to win the overall stop. She blew past that entirely, clocking 1:59.60 to overtake Missy Franklin‘s American record from 2011. That improves on the time she put up in Shanghai by nearly a second. Smith was strong throughout her race, descending her second, third, and fourth 50s.

Anastasiya Shkurdai took silver once again, adding just 0.2-seconds from last week. It looked like it would be a repeat of the Shanghai podium until the final 25, as Ingrid Wilm stormed past Beata Nelson down the stretch. Wilm split 14.97 coming home, though both athletes were a little off their series best.

With that, Smith moves into the overall meet lead.

Men’s 100 Backstroke – Finals

• World Record: 48.33 – Coleman Stewart (USA), 2021
• World Cup Record: 48.84 – Shaine Casas (USA), 2022
• World Junior Record: 48.90 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017

Top 8:

1. Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 49.93
2. Kacper Stokowski (POL) – 50.17
3. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 50.41
4. Enoch Robb (AUS) – 51.10
5. Song Imgyu (CLB) – 51.14 South Korean Record
6. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 51.15
7. Ralf Tribuntsov (EST) – 51.20
8. Thierry Bollin (SUI) – 51.37

Pieter Coezte completed the backstroke sweep in Incheon, recording the only sub-50 time of the field for the win. He was off his African record from last week, but it was enough to grab the win over Kacper Stokowski. Coetze had the best closing speed (25.55).

The top three were the same as Shanghai, with Stokowski and Thomas Ceccon trading places. Ceccon didn’t show the same opening speed as he did last week, and moved through the field from 5th to 3rd in the second 50.

Women’s 50 Breaststroke – Finals

• World Record: 28.37 – Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2022
• World Cup Record: 28.56 – Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2018
• World Junior Record: 28.81 – Benedetta Pilato (ITA), 2020

Top 8:

1. Tang Qianting (CHN) – 29.03
2. Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 29.48
3. Alina Zmushka (NIA) – 29.80
4. Sophie Hansson (SWE) – 29.98
5. Park Sieun (KOR) – 30.35 South Korean Record
6. Kim Hyejin (CLB) – 30.56
7. Sophie Angus (CAN) – 30.64
8. Kim Sewon (CLB) – 30.84

Tang Qianting repeated as winner of the 50 breast, leading wire-to-wire to win by almost half-a-second. Tang split 13.28/15.75 to clock 29.03, off her Asian record from Shanghai but plenty for the win.

World junior record holder Benedetta Pilato repeated for silver, dropping 0.25-seconds from last week. She improved on both laps of the race to clearly separate herself from the rest of the field.

Alina Zmushka, who tied for 4th last week, made it onto the podium with a 29.80. That drops just over a tenth from her outing there. The top four finishers held their positions for the entire race.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Finals

• World Record: 2:00.16 – Kirill Prigoda (RUS), 2018
• World Cup Record: 2:00.48 – Daniel Gyurta (HUN), 2014
• World Junior Record: 2:03.23 – Akihiro Yamaguchi (JPN), 2012

Top 8:

1. Qin Haiyang (CHN) – 2:02.57
2. Joshua Yong (AUS) – 2:02.73
3. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 2:03.44
4. Joshua Collett (AUS) – 2:04.19
5. Cho Sung Jae (KOR) – 2:04.95 South Korean Record
6. Adam Chillingworth (HKG) – 2:06.32
7. Josh Gilbert (NZL) – 2:06.84
8. Ilya Shymanovich (NIA) – 2:07.46

Up until this point, every Shanghai champion claimed a second win (with the exception of the men’s 800 freestyle, which was first contested in the series this week). That streak came to an end in the 200 breast, as long course WR holder Qin Haiyang held off a late charge from Joshua Yong.

Swimming out of lane 8, Qin grabbed an early lead. Yong narrowly took over in the last 75, but Qin’s final 25 of 15.44 (to Yong’s 15.99) closed the door on another win for the Australian. Both swimmers hit 2:01s last week.

Caspar Corbeau picked up another bronze, just over a second off the 2:02.42 he put up last week.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Finals

• World Record: 50.25 – Cate Campbell (AUS), 2017
• World Cup Record: 50.58 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017 & Emma McKeon (AUS), 2021
• World Junior Record: 51.45 – Kayla Sanchez (CAN), 2018

Top 8:

1. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 51.73
2. Kasia Wasick (POL) – 52.19
3. Milla Jansen (AUS) – 52.26
4. Yang Junxuan (CHN) – 52.29
5. Brittany Castelluzzo (AUS) – 52.57
6. Sara Junevik (SWE) – 53.16
7. Li Sum Yiu (HKG) – 53.22
8. Mizuki Hirai (JPN) – 54.21

Siobhan Haughey repeated as 100 free champion, improving her time by 0.15-seconds. All of that drop came from her back-half, as she split 25.08/26.65 compared to 24.99/26.90 last week.

Kasia Wasick had a redemptive swim from last week, where she was in medal position until the final lap. Here, she earned silver with 52.19 for a 0.37-second improvement.

Milla Jansen earned another World Cup bronze with a new personal best. That caps off a trio of freestyle medals for the Australian teenager at this meet. She eked past Yang Junxuan in the final lap.

Men’s 200 Freestyle – Finals

• World Record: 1:39.37 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• World Cup Record: 1:39.37 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• World Junior Record: 1:40.65 – Matt Sates (RSA), 2021

Top 8:

1. Duncan Scott (GBR) – 1:40.29
2. Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:42.00
3. Kieran Smith (USA) – 1:42.36
4. Hwang Sunwoo (KOR)  -1:42.92
5. Rafael Miroslaw (GER) – 1:43.32
6. Lee Hojoon (KOR) – 1:43.45
7. Jack Dahlgreen (USA) – 1:45.52
8. Lewis Clareburt (NZL) – 1:46.89

Duncan Scott just missed his own British record as he repeated as champion in the men’s 200 free.

Scott was actually leading Paul Biedermann‘s world record by nearly half a second at the 150, but as we’ve seen many times before Biedermann’s closing 50 sped away from him. (Biedermann closed in 24.65; Scott was 26.06 today.) Still, it was a dominant performance from Scott, whose nearest competitor was 1.71-seconds behind.

Danas Rapsys upgraded to silver here, improving from his 1:42.35 effort in Shanghai. He was followed by Kieran Smith, who also dropped time from last week. Hwang Sunwoo, seemingly powered by the home crowd, was in 2nd for most of the race but couldn’t hold off Rapsys and Smith on the final 50.

Women’s 200 Individual Medley – Prelims

• World Record: 2:01.86 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2014
• World Cup Record: 2:02.13 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2014
• World Junior Record: 2:04.48 – Yu Yiting (CHN), 2021

Top 8:

1. Yu Yiting (CHN) – 2:04.73
2. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 2:05.23
3. Tara Kinder (AUS) – 2:06.56
4. Waka Kobori (JPN) – 2:08.73
5. Isabella Boyd (AUS) – 2:10.43
6. Lee Hee Eun (KOR) – 2:11.52
7. Nikoleta Trnikova (SVK) – 2:15.02
8. Hwang Nahee (CLB) – 2:17.48

A new 200 IM champion for the series was crowned in Kate Douglass‘ absence. (The commentator noted that she did not pull out of prelims due to illness.)

In her second swim of the night, Yu Yiting topped the podium after picking up bronze in the 100 fly. Yu led from start to finish, clocking a final time of 2:04.73. That’s within striking distance of her Chinese record from 2021 (2:04.48).

Mary-Sophie Harvey was right on her best time, also from 2021 (2:05.15), for silver. That gives her a full set of IM medals in Incheon alongside her 400 free gold.

Tara Kinder rounded out the podium, hitting a new PB of 2:06.56.

Overall Meet Standings

Regan Smith took home the meet win on the women’s side by just 0.2 points. In Shanghai, Douglass was 0.1 points ahead of Smith. Siobhan Haughey repeated for 3rd.

On the men’s side, Noe Ponti just got past Leon Marchand for the win by 0.1 points. They swapped positions from Shanghai where Marchand had over a point lead. Pieter Coetze was 3rd by a comparably comfortable margin.

Women (Top 10)

1. Regan Smith (USA) – 59.4
2. Kate Douglass (USA) – 59.2
3. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 56.0
4. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN)  -53.6
5. Yu Yiting (CHN) – 53.6
6. Tang Qianting (CHN) – 51.8
7. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 49.2
8. Kasia Wasick (POL) – 48.4
9. Lily Price (AUS) – 47.1
10. Tara Kinder (AUS) – 46.8

Men (Top 10)

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 58.2
2. Leon Marchand (FRA) – 58.1
3. Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 56.9
4. Qin Haiyang (CHN) – 55.9
5. Duncan Scott (GBR) – 54.5
6. Pan Zhanle (CHN) – 52.3
7. Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 48.6
8. Kacper Stokowski (POL) – 46.8
9. Ilya Shymanovich (NIA) _ 45.8
10. Nyls Korstanje (NED) – 45.3