World Cup Toronto – Day Two Finals: Kaylee McKeown Pops Aussie Record in 100 Backstroke; Hubert Kos Stays Unbeaten in Backstroke Action
With each stop of the World Cup circuit, performances improved and athletes took aim at various records. Now, with the series conducting its final leg in Toronto, we’re seeing the best of what swimmers have to offer in the short-course pool.
The second night in Canada will feature finals in 12 events and try to match the excitement of Night One, when Canadian Josh Liendo (100 butterfly) and Hungarian Hubert Kos (200 backstroke) produced world-record efforts. Their marks made it seven world records during this year’s World Cup, as one global standard was set in Carmel (Ind.) and four were recorded in Westmont (Ill.).
On Friday night, Liendo will be in action in the 100 freestyle while Kos will look for his third straight circuit victory in the 50 backstroke. On the women’s side, American Regan Smith and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown will meet in the 100 backstroke, an event in which Smith tied her world record last week.
Here is what unfolded during the second evening of finals in Toronto:
Women’s 400 Individual Medley
For the second time in three stops, Ireland’s Ellen Walshe emerged victorious in the 400 individual medley. Walshe checked in with a time of 4:22.97, which was more than a second ahead of the 4:24.25 of Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey. Walshe set an Irish record with her swim, as she cut more than two seconds from the 4:25.33 that she managed in Westmont.
Men’s 1500 Freestyle
Australian Sam Short captured first place in the 1500 freestyle, which was conducted as a timed final. Short registered a time of 14:35.33 to claim a decisive triumph over American Carson Foster, who went 14:44.53 for second place. Foster was a little more than a second back of Short through 400 meters, but the Aussie pulled away.
Men’s 50 Backstroke
Coming off a world record in the 200 backstroke on Thursday night, Hungary’s Hubert Kos stayed undefeated in backstroke competition during the World Cup with a win in the 50 distance. Extending his success to 8-for-8, Kos won the 50 backstroke in 22.67, with Italian Thomas Ceccon going 22.93 for runnerup honors.
Kos’ second Triple Crown of the series was good for a $10,000 windfall and a win in the 100 backstroke on Saturday is the only obstacle separating Kos from a perfect World Cup campaign in the backstroke races.
Women’s 200 Freestyle
For the second straight week, Mollie O’Callaghan shredded the world record in the 200 freestyle, this time with a mark of 1:49.36. The Australian cut .41 of her world record of 1:49.77 from the Westmont stop and was under world-record pace throughout the race. Countrywoman Lani Pallister was the runnerup, as she touched in a time of 1:51.75, which was ahead of the 1:52.71 of New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather.
More on O’Callaghan’s World Record
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
The United States’ Shaine Casas completed his sweep of the 200 individual medley with another sub-1:50 performance, which was plenty fast enough to fend off Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita. Casas backed up triumphs in Carmel and Westmont with a wire-to-wire victory in Toronto, a time of 1:49.79 getting the job done. Matsushita, the Olympic silver medalist in the 400 medley, posted a mark of 1:51.43.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
A huge finish from Kaylee McKeown carried the Australian Olympic champion to a first-place finish in the 100 backstroke and national record of 54.49. McKeown came into the final after a pair of second-place efforts behind American Regan Smith in the 100 backstroke during World Cup action, but this meeting went the way of McKeown.
Smith grabbed second place in 54.57, with Katharine Berkoff going 55.10 for third place. Down the final length, the Aussie split a 13.89 to a 14.27 of Smith, which allowed her to rally. McKeown broke her own Australian record, which formerly sat at 54.56. Smith is the world-record holder in the event, having gone 54.02 on a pair of occasions, including last week in Westmont.
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
The Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau kept his World Cup roll going as he raced to a victory over Great Britain’s Adam Peaty. Corbeau has been superb across all breaststroke distances during the series, and his latest outing produced a 25.77 performance, which was .10 ahead of the 25.87 of Peaty. Finn Brooks came through for third place in 25.94, marking three athletes under the 26-second barrier.
Women’s 50 Butterfly
Make it the 11-fastest times in history in the 50 butterfly for American Gretchen Walsh. The only woman to go sub-24 in the event, Walsh sped through her two laps in 23.91 for another dominant win. Australian Alexandria Perkins was second in 24.63, which was good for an Australian record. Walsh has now been under 24 seconds on four occasions and her time from Friday night is the third-fastest of her career.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
On Thursday night, Canadian Josh Liendo treated his home-nation crowd to a show, as he broke the world record in the 100 buttetrfly and recorded a World Cup mark in the 50 freestyle. On Friday evening, he rode that momentum to an impressive win in the 100 freestyle, where he set a national record of 45.30. That time broke the 2009 record of Brent Hayden, who held the mark at 45.56.
Liendo was in front of the field at the 25- and 50-meter turns, but fell to second place to American Chris Guiliano at the 75-meter mark. But Liendo was too powerful over the last length, splitting 11.76 to the 12.20 of Guiliano, who ended up in third in 45.71. Getting in for second was the United States’ Jack Alexy, on the strength of a 45.55 marker.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
In the chase for the overall World Cup title, American Kate Douglass helped herself in that pursuit as she cracked the 1:03 barrier and cruised to victory in the 100 breaststroke. Douglass notched a time of 1:02.93, which was nearly a second clear of the 1:03.84 posted by Ireland’s Mona McSharry for runnerup honors. Douglass’ victory handed her a Triple Crown in the event, as was the case in the 200 breaststroke on Thursday night.
Men’s 200 Butterfly
The Canadian crowd enjoyed the finish to the second night of the Toronto leg as Ilya Kharun wrapped up a Triple Crown in the 200 butterfly. Kharun delivered a performance of 1:49.71 to claim first place by almost two seconds over Italian Alberto Razzetti, who touched in 1:51.63. Kharun has been a standout during the World Cup in the butterfly races and will aim for another Triple Crown on Saturday in the 50 fly.
