With 160 points, Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) – three World Records in this World Cup – appears to be in a privileged position to take home the US$ 100,000 reserved for the leader of the overall classification. Behind him, Robert Hurley (AUS, one WR in the 50m backstroke in Sydney in a time of 23.24) has 83 points and still has mathematical chances to get the victory, but he would need to score the best performance in Berlin (50 points, as the points double in the last meet of the series), and also establish two World Records (40 points). Moreover, Burgh would have to finish with the seventh (or worse) best performance of the meet.


Cameron van der Burgh

If the first place seems difficult to get for Burgh’s opponents, the second place in the ranking (offering US$ 50,000 in prize money) is much more undecided, with three athletes maintaining the best possibilities: Hurley (83 points), followed by Peter Marshall (USA) – who was outside this fight until Stockholm, but altered his status with the two WR in the Swedish capital -, with 73, and Nicholas Sprenger (AUS), with 70. Considering the double points scenario in Berlin, everything is still possible. The third placed of the overall ranking will get US$ 30,000 in prize money.

Among women, things are even more interesting, as the first place is still open. Before Berlin, the ranking was clearly led by Marieke Guehrer (AUS, 129 points) – the best performer in the first four legs of the series – but who lost some ‘speed’ in Moscow and Stockholm. In second place is Therese Alshammar (SWE), the 2007 winner of the World Cup, with 105 points. The Swedish champion, who skipped the Sydney leg, is, contrary to Guehrer, now winning some ‘ground’ in the final stages of the circuit, having established one World Record at home in Stockholm in the 50m butterfly (25.31).


Therese Alshammar

Let’s then review some possibilities for both Guehrer and Alshammar for the first place and the US$ 100,000 prize money:

-    Alshmmar gets the best performance with a WR (70 points), Guehrer does not beat a World Record – Alshammar wins;
-    None of the swimmers establish a WR, but Guehrer has a better performance – Guehrer wins;
-    None of the swimmers establish a WR, Alshammar is the best performer (50 points) and Guehrer is fourth (26 points) – Guehrer and Alshammar will have the same points (155), but Alshammar wins with a best performance so far (1029 points in Stockholm);
-    Guehrer is the best performer (without World Record), Alshammar is the second best performer (with WR) – Guehrer wins.

For the third place of the overall ranking, Katheryn Meaklim (RSA, 58 points), seems the best placed to get the US$ 30,000.

After seven legs of the 2008 World Cup, and before the last rendezvous in Berlin, eight WR were established as follows:
-    Robert Hurley (AUS) – Men’s 50m backstroke in 23.24 (Sydney)
-    Matt Jaukovic (AUS) – Men’s 50m butterfly in 22.50 (Sydney)
-    Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) – Men’s 50m breaststroke in 26.08 (Moscow)
-    Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) – Men’s 100m breaststroke in 56.88 (Moscow)
-    Peter Marshall (USA) – Men’s 50m backstroke in 23.05 (Stockholm)
-    Peter Marshall (USA) – Men’s 100m backstroke in 49.94 (Stockholm)
-    Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) – Men’s 50m breaststroke in 25.94 (Stockholm)
-    Therese Alshammar (SWE) – Women’s 50m butterfly in 25.31 (Stockholm)