Day One Finals - 13 October 2023

WOMEN’S 400M FREESTYLE

Erika Fairweather - NZL

I'm super excited to race in Athens.  I could not be more happy.  I think we always come here looking for a race and Lani provides that every time. Giving her a run for her money is what I try to do.  

To be honest we had a smaller amount of time to prepare for this event.  We had three days of racing in Berlin, travel and a bit of rest and now we are back into racing again. It is something that I haven’t done before so I am trying to adapt to that environment.

MEN’S 400M FREESTYLE

Danas Rapsys - LTU

It was a little bit rougher than Berlin but I’m pretty happy with the time.   

I feel a bit tired from Berlin. We are trying to make a strategy for the 400 and I think we will be better in Budapest. I was waiting for the guys to make a move and I was ready for them. I knew that I was going to win. 

WOMEN’S 50M BACKSTROKE

Kaylee McKeown - AUS  

World Cup Record

I wasn’t expecting that time, but I am always pleased to swim a personal best. It was really nice to come in and swim in such a great pool. It's my first time racing in Athens. I can’t predict future results, and I can only control what I can control.  This is the last real racing before the Olympic trials.

MEN’S 200M BACKSTROKE

Pieter Coetze - RSA 

It was a great finish. There’s been a lot of training over the past year, we have been grinding away. There has not been a lot of racing.  Last year I raced Thomas Ceccon (ITA) and I know he is one of the best backstrokers in the world.  Every time I race him I learn something from him, even when he beats me. It’s good for me. I love the fact that I won tonight in only my second World Cup.  These are some great guys in the pool swimming backstroke.  

WOMEN’S 200M BUTTERFLY

Zhang Yufei - CHN

This morning I felt really tired and I wasn’t sure how I would perform tonight. But when I got into the pool tonight, I felt better, and I knew that I would swim faster than this morning.  I’m pleased with my result.

MEN’S 100M BUTTERFLY

Matthew Sates - RSA 

I knew these guys would take it out fast. I am really happy with it. I scratched the 400 free in order to swim the 100 fly.  It was a little bit of a risk for me but I am really happy that I did that.  I knew it was going to come down to the last  10m.  I just tried to get my hand on the way really fast. Thanks for the support in the stands and also for the family back home.  

WOMEN’S 200M BREASTSTROKE

Tes Schouten - NED

The racing doesn't feel as good as in Berlin so I just want to touch first.  I did it, so I am happy with that.  It always feels like a real battle. This was great.  It was a bit harder. My goal was to finish first and I am really happy with that.  We just keep training in between events with no rest.  In the end, it's not about time, but often what place we finish it.  

MEN’S 100M BREASTSTROKE

Qin Haiyang - CHN

I am really happy because I won.  I am really tired but happy to have swum well and won.  So for me my goals here are first to keep winning, and second to get more rest.  

WOMEN’S 50M FREESTYLE

Sarah Sjostrom - SWE

I am going to try to keep doing what I am doing.  I am happy with this race today and hopefully it will be even better next week.  It was a good race tonight.  I was hoping to go a little faster than in Berlin, but i can’t force anything. It was the race of the day. I felt very strong after my morning swim. I expected to swim a little bit faster but sometimes it's the smallest things that can make a big difference. 

MEN’S 50M FREESTYLE

Michael Andrew - USA

A tough double for the evening.  I'm really happy to win tonight and to pick up some points.  The crowd is incredible and the history of Athens is amazing.  I think it was nice to get a tie in the fly, it could have gone much worse.  I knew with a tight turnaround that I had to put that out of my mind, focus on the free and what I could control.  I have gotten better at focusing on what's in front of me.  

I knew that Isaac Cooper (AUS) in the outside lane was going to be fast. I just had to bury my head and know he was going to be there.  I am happy to get a first and to maintain the points after a more difficult first day.

It gets harder now that we are watching everyone's swims, calculating points, and who’s changing events.  I know that Matt Sates has a bunch of events that he can swim. So for Matt to jump in here and take a win in the 100fly is a really brilliant strategy.  Kudos to him for good execution. 

It adds an element to the game. Swimmers have to maximize their events to earn World Cup points.  I am a student of this game, 100 percent. 

Contributing: Gregory Eggert, World Aquatics Correspondent