2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
As with most of the occasions on the 2024 Brief Course World Championships, the boys’s breaststroke occasions should not with out notable absences. Just one Paris Olympic breaststroke medalist—200 breast bronze medalist Caspar Corbeau—is on this discipline.
50 Breast Preview
World file holder Emre Sakci will take to the block in Budapest, however the particular person to begin with right here is Qin Haiyang. He didn’t match his unimaginable 2023 long-course World Cup efficiency —the place he went 12-for-12 within the breaststroke occasions—at this 12 months’s short-course meters World Cup circuit, however he was nonetheless in a position to declare the 50 breaststroke Triple Crown in a fairly aggressive discipline. The majority of that discipline might be in Budapest as nicely—the boys’s breaststroke races might grow to be a few of the best occasions of the championships.
Qin’s quickest 50 breaststroke of the season got here on the first World Cup cease in Shanghai, the place he swam an Asian file of 25.38. His swims fluctuated after that—he gained with a 25.76 in Incheon and a 25.47 in Singapore. Nonetheless, he’s one in all solely a handful of swimmers below 26 seconds already this season, and his Triple Crown offers him arguably essentially the most momentum heading into the meet. He had a disappointing Olympics after a sensational 2023, so we’ll see if he can finish 2024 on a excessive word.
Ilya Shymanovich was one in all Qin’s fundamental challengers on the World Cup circuit. Like Qin, he swam his quickest 50 breaststroke of the season in Shanghai (25.51) however has been as quick as 25.25. His swim in Shanghai is his quickest since 2021, which is a robust signal for him heading into these championships as he appears to snap the successful streak Qin is constructing.
2022 bronze medalist Simone Cerasuolo has additionally damaged 26 seconds this season. He nonetheless owns the world junior file on this occasion (25.85), however his lifetime greatest is now a 25.66 from his bronze medal effort in Melbourne. He’s gotten near that customary already this season, clocking a 25.79.
Kirill Prigoda holds the short-course meter 200 breaststroke world file, however he needs to be an element within the 50 breaststroke as nicely, as he returns to worldwide competitors as a impartial athlete. Prigoda’s season-best is 25.65, making him one of many quickest males within the discipline this season as he’s one in all 5 sub-26 second swimmers. His lifetime greatest is a 25.49, and he’ll be a medal contender in all three distance races. Ludovico Viberti joined the sub-26 membership for the primary time this season. Final month, he swam a lifetime-best 25.88, vaulting himself into the medal dialog after solely swimming 26.58 heading into the meet. In 2022, Italian teammates Nicolo Martinenghi and Cerasuolo gained silver and bronze, and Viberti’s current breakthrough helped make defending two steps on the rostrum doable.
Caspar Corbeau, Joshua Yong, and Taku Taniguchi have all swum lifetime bests this season as nicely. The 23-year-old Taniguchi now has the quickest private better of the three after swimming 26.02 at Japan’s Nationwide Championships in October. Primarily based on the in-season swims on the market already, it is going to take extra than simply breaking 26 seconds to become involved within the medal dialog, however he’s acquired a robust shot on the remaining. Corbeau and Yong do as nicely after swimming lifetime bests of 26.15 and 26.34 throughout the World Cup. Each discover their groove extra within the longer breaststroke races, however you shouldn’t overlook them.
Germany’s breaststroke duo of Lucas Matzerath and Melvin Imoudu each have 26.50 as their lifetime greatest. Matzerath’s comes from 2021, whereas Imoudou swam his time on Dec. 1. The pair made the 100 breaststroke Olympic remaining in Paris, and that’s the occasion the place they could be extra of an element, however in a self-discipline that’s lacking so a lot of it’s largest stars, it’s names like theirs that it’s best to control to benefit from the chance on the desk in Budapest.
And let’s not overlook about Michael Andrew. His lifetime greatest sits at 25.81, and he’s already clocked 26.22 this season. Andrew pulled out of the World Cup early resulting from sickness and has additionally made a coaching change this fall, buying and selling California for Arizona as he’s joined Herbie Behm and the Solar Devils. This might be an vital knowledge level for Andrew and his new coaches as he units up for the following Olympic quad.
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100 Breast Preview
On paper, the boys’s 100 breaststroke attracts up equally to the 50 breaststroke. Qin leads the sphere this season with an Asian file of 55.61 he swam to win the Singapore cease of the World Cup. Per USA Swimming, that point ties him for the fourth all-time performer within the occasion.
Solely one of many three males listed forward of him is on this discipline—world file holder Shymanovich. Shymanovich set the world file again throughout the 2021 ISL season at 55.28, breaking Adam Peaty’s customary of 55.41 by .13 seconds. In his head-to-heads with Qin throughout the World Cup, he acquired the higher of him in Incheon. Nevertheless, his season greatest comes from Singapore, the place he swam 55.72. Just like the World Cup races, this guarantees to be one other thrilling matchup between these two swimmers—although different swimmers are hoping to make this greater than only a two-man race.
On paper, it appears like Prigoda is the third man on this race’s equation. He’s the one different swimmer apart from Qin and Shymanovich to interrupt 56 seconds this season, posting a lifetime better of 55.95 in November. It was his first time breaking that point barrier; his earlier greatest stood at 56.02 from 2017. Sakci’s damaged that barrier earlier than as nicely (55.74) and can presumably be quicker in Budapest than his 59.53 season-best.
Different medal and remaining contenders from the 50 breaststroke carry over to the 100 breaststroke as nicely. Cerasuolo and Matzerath had been each a part of this remaining in Melbourne. Cerasuolo completed sixth two years in the past and not too long ago swam a lifetime greatest 56.28. Matzerath completed simply behind Cerasuolo in seventh. His lifetime greatest is 57.04 from the semifinal. Like Sakci, we all know he’s able to greater than his present season greatest, which stands at 58.52.
Alongside along with his 50-breaststroke swim, Taniguchi hit a 100-breaststroke lifetime greatest on the Japan Nationwide Championships. He clocked 56.27, which places him instantly in the course of the dialog for the ultimate.
Once more, Corbeau and Yong have additionally swum lifetime bests this season. Corbeau clocked 56.59 in Incheon, whereas Yong’s 56.66 from Shanghai marked a brand new Oceanian file. After making the 200 breaststroke remaining on the Olympics, Yong has hit the bottom working this season and will proceed to make noise in Budapest. Each swimmers made the semifinals in 2022, as did 2024 entrants Caio Pumputis, Sakci, and Bernhard Reitshammer.
Aleksandr Zhigalov has additionally popped a 56-point lifetime greatest this season, swimming 56.58 on the Russian Nationwide SC Championships, which places him proper in there with Corbeau and Yong.
Andrew is seeded additional down the psych sheet with a long-course time, although his short-course meters lifetime greatest stands at 57.24. Different athletes lurking down the psych sheet with long-course instances are Denis Petrashov and Finlay Knox. Knox is way more recognized for his 1M abilities however is taking over some secondary occasions at these championships.
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200 Breast Preview
Arguably, the struggle for a spot within the 200 breaststroke remaining is much less intense than within the 50 or 100 breaststroke. Nevertheless, there needs to be a serious addition—Daiya Seto. On the 2022 Brief Course World Championships, Seto put a critical scare into Prigoda’s world file, blazing a 2:00.35 for gold. In accordance with USA Swimming, that makes Seto the second-fastest performer in occasion historical past, .19 seconds behind Prigoda’s 2:00.16 from the 2018 Brief Course World Championships.
Sadly, the thrill of the head-to-head between the #1 and #2 swimmer in occasion historical past has been dulled by Seto’s damage. He cracked a rib shortly earlier than the meet, and whereas he’s in Budapest and there’s video of him doing dryland on social media, it’s exhausting to know precisely what he’s going to be able to this week. Will he have the ability to swim, and if he does, will he be wholesome sufficient to contend for a remaining lane or a medal? Solely time will inform, although with the 200 breaststroke falling on Friday, Dec. 13, we should always have a good suggestion of what Seto’s in a position to do by this level within the meet.
With Seto’s standing doubtful, Prigoda is the clear favourite. He’s the world file holder and has already proven stable type this season with a 2:01.85 (his quickest swim since 2020) in November, which places him second on the psych sheet behind newly minted Oceanian file holder Yong. The 23-year-old Australian has continued to rise on the worldwide breaststroke scene since making the 200-breast Olympic remaining, highlighted by successful the occasion on the Shanghai World Cup cease. He’s made himself a robust podium contender this season and will have extra in retailer for Budapest.
Corbeau is the opposite Paris Olympic finalist on this discipline. He gained bronze on the Video games for the primary Olympic medal of his profession. He’s had a busy 12 months; he competed on the 2024 Doha World Championships (and gained silver within the long-course 200 breaststroke) earlier than the Olympics, so this might be his second Worlds of the 12 months. He’s excelled with such a busy calendar and ended his World Cup tour by successful the 200 breast in Singapore with a lifetime greatest 2:02.33.
Corbeau will possible want one other lifetime greatest to climb onto the rostrum in Budapest, as there are a number of extra swimmers with profession bests within the 2:01 vary. Qin owns a lifetime greatest of two:01.15 from 2018 and has swum 2:01.92 from the Shanghai World Cup. Zhigalov’s been a hundredth quicker this season, hitting a lifetime greatest of two:01.91 on the Russian Nationwide Championships. Shymanovich’s been as quick as 2:01.73, although he’s sitting additional again within the season-best rankings with a 2:03.19.
After swimming a lifetime greatest 2:02.97 this season, Yamato Fukasawa is one other swimmer to control, as is returning Brief Course Worlds finalist Erik Persson. His lifetime greatest is 2:02.18.
Lastly, Canadian teenager Oliver Dawson had a breakout in long-course this season and not too long ago dedicated to Indiana. The 200 breaststroke specialist broke onto the Canadian nationwide scene on the Canadian Olympic Trials, taking enormous chunks out of his lifetime greatest, then ended his summer time with a medal at Junior Pan Pacs. If he could make comparable drops in short-course meters, he’s a robust darkish horse decide for the ultimate, no less than.
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