Australian swimmer McKeown made history at the Swimming World Cup in Budapest, breaking the women’s 50-meter backstroke world record. The event, which took place on October 20th, saw several impressive performances from both Australian and Chinese swimmers.
With a time of 26.86 seconds, McKeown claimed the gold medal and secured her position as the record-holder in the women’s 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter backstroke events.
Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei also had a remarkable performance, winning the women’s 200-meter butterfly and setting a new World Cup record with a time of 2:05.65. Zhang Yufei has been on a winning streak, having previously excelled at the Fukuoka World Championships, Chengdu Universiade, Hangzhou Asian Games, and two other swimming World Cup events.
Qin Haiyang, another Chinese swimmer, maintained his dominance in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke, securing the gold medal with a winning time of 57.82 seconds. Qin Haiyang has consistently performed well in breaststroke events, proving his strength and skill.
In addition to these impressive performances, Dutch swimmer Schouten set a new women’s 200-meter breaststroke record, Swedish swimmer Sjöström won the women’s 50-meter freestyle, Swiss swimmer Mityukov narrowly defeated Italian Chikone in the men’s 200-meter backstroke, Swiss swimmer Ponti won the men’s 100-meter butterfly, and British swimmer Proud claimed victory in the men’s 50-meter freestyle.
Australia emerged victorious in the men’s 4X100 meter freestyle relay, finishing with a time of 3 minutes, 14 seconds, and 54 seconds. The Italian and Hungarian teams secured second and third place, respectively.
The Swimming World Cup consists of three stops, with Berlin, Germany, and Athens, Greece hosting the first and second legs. The third leg took place in Budapest, Hungary, from October 20th to 22nd. The swimmer with the highest total points across the three races will be crowned the annual champion.
Currently, in the men’s total standings, Qin Haiyang, Chi Kong, and South Africa’s Satz hold the top three positions. In the women’s total standings, McKeown, Zhang Yufei, and Sjöström are temporarily leading the pack.
The competition showcases the incredible talent of swimmers from around the world, solidifying their positions as record-breakers and champions in their respective events.