Stacked Males’s Fly Subject Forces Quick First Swims

2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Stacked. Loaded. Chock-full. Deep. No matter descriptor you select is legitimate to explain the depth of the boys’s fly area. Regardless of the evident absences of Nicholas Santos, Caeleb Dressel, and Kristof Milak, to call just a few, the fly area in Budapest goes to trigger some swimmers to be left by the wayside.

The 50 fly, which holds the crown as probably the most just lately damaged males’s world document, sees seven of the eight finalists from 2022 return to the sector, a listing that doesn’t embody some of the talked-about swimmers within the NCAA. The 100 fly sees each the gold and silver medalists return, main 4 different finalists as properly, and the 200 fly returns six, with the champion and runner-up trying to repeat atop the rostrum. With so many returners, the stress to make sure development goes to be paramount, and a few quick prelims and semifinals instances ought to be anticipated.

Males’s 50 Fly PREVIEW

21.75. The time that Nicholas Santos swam in 2018 (and later equaled by Sebastian Szabo in 2021) took down the super-suited document of 21.80 from 2009. It took 9 years to take action, and it took Swiss star Noe Ponti lower than two weeks to go from 21.67 to 21.50.

Ponti, a fly specialist, is not any stranger to swimming quick. A 2020 Olympic bronze medalist within the 100, the Swiss swimmer can also be a three-time SC Worlds medalist, most just lately claiming the silver on this occasion in 2022, swimming a time of 21.96.

But within the intervening two years, the 23-year-old has discovered a brand new gear. Taking part within the first leg of the World Cup Collection in Shanghai, Ponti recorded a time of 21.67, a brand new WR and was simply off it an evening including .01. Two weeks later, after two sub 21.9 performances within the intervening weekend, Ponti was again at it once more swimming 21.50 in prelims to decrease his personal World Report. Once more at night time, he was slightly off, swimming 21.64, however over the course of the three-meet span, the Swiss star swam the 50 4 instances sooner than the earlier World document, a feat that may make him the clear favourite to win the 50 in Budapest.

Besides it’s not clear, as a result of Ilya Kharun has thrown down the gauntlet and is able to take that World Report.

Talking to CBC earlier than the beginning of Worlds, Kharun is recorded to have stated.

“I’m coming for Ponti’s world document and I’m going to beat it,” “Gold medals are one factor. I wish to win each occasion. And Ponti’s document. These are the objectives for this meet. I’m undoubtedly inside attain for Ponti’s document.”

And it isn’t all bluster, because the ASU-trained Canadian has been on fireplace this 12 months. Profitable bronze in each the 100 and 200 flies in Paris, Kharun only in the near past break up 18.89 on the 200 Medley relay at his mid-season meet and posted a PB of 19.94 from a flat begin in October of this 12 months. Kharun has a private greatest of twenty-two.28, from his semifinal on the 2022 Worlds, the place he tied for eighth with Daniel Zaitsev, in the end dropping the swim-off.

Whereas the hole between 21.50 and 22.28 is huge, Kharun isn’t the one swimmer with their sights set on taking down Ponti. Nyls Korstanje, who completed runner-up to Ponti at every of the three World Cup stops, broke by within the finals of Singapore, because the Dutchman recorded a brand new mark of 21.74, to turn out to be the second quickest performer of all time.

Whereas Korstanje’s PB isn’t as far eliminated as Kharun’s is, every shall be buoyed by the truth that in two of the three World Cup stops, Ponti added time from prelims to finals.

The listing of returning finalists is Szebasztian Szabo (Bronze), Teong Tzen Wei (4th), Chad le Clos (fifth), Dylan Carter (sixth), Marius Kusch (seventh), and Daniel Zaitsev (eighth), all have an opportunity to closing once more, however iw it won’t be clean crusing.

Kusch claimed bronze on the first two stops of the World Cup, however his quickest swim of twenty-two.23 was solely good for 4th as Tzen Wei Teong’s 22.11 bumped him off the rostrum.  Isaac Cooper who didn’t closing in 2022 had three swims beneath 22.5, which ought to be worrying for le Clos, and Carter as every weren’t as quick.

Neither was dwelling crowd favourite Szebasztian Szabo. The third seed together with his time of 21.86 from the 2023 European Quick Course champs is one 4 entered beneath 22.00, didn’t take part within the World Cup collection however was 22.65 in earlier November on the Hungarian Nationals.

The People within the area, Dare Rose and Michael Andrew, may simply have an excessive amount of in opposition to them to make the rostrum as Andrew has just lately relocated his coaching base to Tempe and each Rose and Andrew are entered in LCM instances.  The Brits had two entrants, however with the withdrawal of Ben Proud, Jacob Peters shall be their solely hope. Peters, who missed out on making the Olympic roster for Staff GB is the fifth seed with an entry time of twenty-two.10.

SwimSwam’s Picks – High 4

Males’s 100 Fly PREVIEW

• World Report: 47.78 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
• World Championship Report: 48.08 – Chad le Clos, RSA (2016)
• 2022 SC World Champion: Chad le Clos, RSA – 48.59
• Returning 2022 SC World Finalists: Chad le Clos (Gold), Ilya Kharun (Silver), Noe Ponti (4th), Simon Bucher (sixth), Matthew Temple (seventh), Youssef Ramadan (eighth)
• 2024 Olympic Finalists: Ilya Kharun (Bronze), Noe Ponti (4th), Maxime Grousset (fifth), Nyls Korstanje (sixth), Matthew Temple (seventh)

Whereas the hunt for the 50 fly document is actually on, the 100 fly document could also be slightly additional out of attain, however not not possible. Ponti’s success within the fly was not restricted to simply the 50, because the Swiss star recorded a brand new private better of 48.40 to turn out to be the third quickest performer ever.

Like within the 50, Korstanje was ever Ponti’s shadow, taking the silver at every of the stops to Ponti’s golds and like Ponti, the Dutchman recorded a brand new mark of 48.99 to affix the sub 49.00 membership.

Throwing down some robust performances and reminding folks why he’s the second sooner performer and former WR holder within the occasion was South Africa’s Chad le Clos. le Clos, who gained gold in 2022 in a time of 48.59, was lower than a second off that in Singapore, a superb signal for his potential in Budapest. Nevertheless, what’s worrying is that he was simply fifth as each Teong and Matthew Temple have been sooner, 49.37 and 49.49, respectively.

As within the 50, Ponti is the highest seed, however some new faces make appearances amongst the highest 8 entrants. France’s Maxime Grousset, who claimed gold on the 2023 Worlds is entered with a time of 48.94 from his semifinals on the 2023 European. He would go on to assert the silver behind Ponti, albeit again by over half a second. Grousset struggled slightly in Paris, ending simply fifth in entrance of his dwelling nation.

Two Russian athletes take up the seventh and eighth seeds, with Andrei Minakov‘s 49.71 inserting him forward of compatriot Roman Shevliakov‘s 49.81. The pair will each compete beneath the Impartial-Athlete “B’ designation.  Minakov, who’s competing with Stanford this season, participated on the Incehon cease of the World Cup, the place he posted a time of 49.71, which, whereas good for third, was .9 off Ponti’s successful time.

Like within the 50s, there are a number of harmful low-seeded entrants, Kharun once more foremost amongst them.  The 2022 runner-up and a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, the Canadian is the sixteenth seed together with his 50.45 from the Olympics. In yards, the ASU swimmer just lately set a brand new PB of 43.85 and will simply reset his SCM PB of 49.03 from 2022, however the query is by how a lot? 43.85 converts to 48.67, however conversions should not excellent, and no matter the way it in the end performs out, the winner probably must be beneath 48.5 to win.

Kharun isn’t the one one, nonetheless, whose LCM entries ought to give some pause to concern to the opposite athletes. Simply .01 again of Kharun is the USA’s Dare Rose. Rose had a troublesome summer time, failing to qualify for the Olympic crew after successful bronze on the 2023 Worlds with a PB of fifty.46. The Cal Bear, like Kharun and Minakov, continues to be competing within the NCAA, and the trio raced one another, with Kharun taking the win in 44.01 forward of Minakov’s 45.47 and Rose’s 45.73.

Ponti vs. Kharun is shut, very shut, however we’re giving Ponti the sting as Kharun simply has just a few extra questions lingering round him; chief amongst them, what number of relays is Kharun going to be requested to swim? After these two it appears prone to go along with the recent fingers of Korstanje for the bronze, however Grousset or le Clos could possibly be in for a return to kind.

SwimSwam’s Picks – High 4

Males’s 200 Fly PREVIEW

• World Report: 1:46.85 – Tomoru Honda, JPN (2022)
• World Championship Report: 1:48.24 – Daiya Seto, JPN (2018)
• 2022 SC World Champion: Chad le Clos, RSA – 1:48.27
• Returning 2022 SC World Finalists: Chad le Clos (Gold), Daiya Seto (Silver), Alberto Razzetti  (4th), Kregor Zirk (fifth), Trenton Julian (seventh), Ilya Kharun (eighth)
• 2024 Olympic Finalists: Ilya Kharun (Bronze), Krzysztof Chimelewski (4th), Kregor Zirk (seventh)  Alberto Razzetti (eighth)

Whereas simply as robust of a area because the 50 and 100, the 200 exchanges among the extra sprint-orientated butterfliers for the extra distance-orientated ones. Nevertheless, that isn’t to say that there are not any swimmers who can vary from 50 to 200, as Chad le Clos and Ilya Kharun‘s presence attests to this occasion.

Le Clos, a former World Report holder within the occasion, gained the occasion final go-around, taking down Daiya Seto, who was additionally a earlier WR holder.  The South African, who has gained the occasion 4 instances since 2010, is without doubt one of the dominant 200 fliers in historical past; claimed gold in 2022 in 1:48.27, a brand new PB and African document. Seto gained in 2018 and was near a second again, ending in 1:49.22.  Of the 2, le Clos seems to have a neater path to creating the ultimate once more, as Seto didn’t contest the 200 fly in his one World Cup look and has just lately been revealed to be battling a cracked rib.

For le Clos, the trail to back-to-back gold is not any straightforward matter, although. Over the three World Cup stops le Clos improved every swim, taking silver on the first two stops in 1:51.46 and 1:51.07, and gained gold within the final cease, passing the USA’s Trenton Julian en path to a season-best time of 1:50.42, a end result that makes him the #2 seed simply forward of Julian.

The American’s quickest efficiency got here on the second of the World Cup stops, as he recorded a results of 1:51.00. Julian, who fell wanting making the US Olympic roster, has a good quantity of short-course racing, having competed at each the 2021 and 2022 Quick Course Worlds. In Melbourne, he swam 1:49.93 to take the highest seed into finals however couldn’t replicate the end result and needed to accept seventh in a time of 1:50.94, one spot forward of Kharun.

Kharun, like Julian, swam properly in prelims, hitting the wall in a Canadian document of 1:50.86, however was unable to duplicate the end result as he completed eighth in 1:52.21. Two years later, Kharun returns to Quick Course Worlds as potential favourite and because the reigning Olympic Bronze medalist. His lead to Paris was 1:52.80 and stands as new Canadian document, giving the ASU star each the LCM and SCM nationwide data.

When transformed to SCM, the time turns into 1:50.00, however his greatest in-season 200-yard fly time converts to 1:49.60, which was from a duel meet with NC State, which means that Kharun’s nice partitions and underwater ought to be greater than sufficient to get him a sub 1:50 time. It’s a crucial benchmark as every of the previous two World Champs has had all three medalists sub-1:50.

Trying to get again beneath that mark is Italy’s Alberto Razzetti. The Italian is the highest seed together with his 1:50.10 from his silver medal-winning efficiency from the 2023 European championships. Razzetti is not any stranger to the 200 fly closing, having topped the sector in Abu Dhabi again in 2021, as his 1:49.06 beat out Ponti’s 1:49.81 and le Clos’s 1:49.84. In that closing additionally have been Julian and Estonia’s Kregor Zirk, which reveals the longevity and stranglehold that swimmers have on this occasion.

Whereas le Clos and Julian have been swapping gold medals within the World Cup Collection, Razzetti and Zirk have been to not far behind, because the Italian positioned third at every cease and the Estonia was sixth in Shanghai and 4th within the remaining stops. Razzetti peaked on the first cease recording a season greatest time of 1:51.88, whereas Zirk improved every meet, culminating in a season better of 1:52.43.

Ending one spot behind Kharun in Paris was Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski. The Pole, who was 1:53.90 on the Olympics, like Kharun, has not recorded a scm time this season, as he has been competing as a member of USC. On the Texas Corridor of Fame Invitational, Chmielewski was first out of prelims (1:41.52) however faltered to sixth in finals (1:42.88).

SwimSwam’s Picks – High 4