Day 2 Finals - 21 October 2023

Women’s 400m IM 

Boglarka Kapas - HUN

It’s a bit strange to do this event after a while but I’m really happy for today’s swim, especially in front of such a great crowd. I’ve done the 400 IM at all three stages and I’ve managed to improve my time by a second at each stop, though today I wanted to get closer to 4:40.

The Olympic qualifying time is 4:38. I want to achieve that this year – for that, I need to improve my backstroke which doesn't work now. I have the technique in the breaststroke, if I can put everything together, I’ll clock the time needed to qualify for the Olympics.

Men’s 1500m Freestyle

David Betlehem - HUN

You know it’s tough that with this time I would have made the final at the Worlds in Fukuoka. Still, I’m pretty happy with this new PB, not that bad in October, especially a day after a 3:51 in the 400m which I didn’t expect at all. Also, I have a bit of cold, so this is awesome all in all.

I’m grateful for everyone who’s contributed to this win, including my family on the stands and of course for the lads (Rasovszky and Sarkany) with whom we swim this distance at every single practice session, sometimes six times. Special thanks to our fourth teammate Akos Kalmar who wasn’t here today, he advised me to swim my own pace, don’t go after Raso (Rasovszky) or Zalan (Sarkany) if they swim away over the first half of the race – and this worked.

Perhaps they were surprised that I didn’t start that strong, but at least I had enough steam for the finish so I’m overjoyed right now.

 

Men’s 50m Backstroke

Michael Andrew - USA

It's been insane, going back and forth with Isaac Cooper (AUS) and with all the guys in the field, it just shows you can’t take a day off.  You have to be on all the time. It's an incredible group racing in the World Cup series.

About the reset - It's tough, it's the first time this has ever happened to me in backstroke.   A reset for an athlete on the blocks is different.  I was definitely feeling that my arms were heavy in the second round.  I am glad that I let go.

It’s something you think about, holding so long, wondering are we going to go. You start to think about things you really shouldn’t think about. 

That was very fun.  It's always fun to win.  I wanted to be under 24.4.  Maybe I could have been if we didn't have to drop down and reset the start. We will never know.

It felt like a good race. It was clean. I had to shut my brain off and try as fast I could knowing that.

 

Women’s 200m Freestyle

Siobhan Haughey - HKG

I am really happy with the time. Obviously, a best time would be great because I have done a best time in all of the other races that I have swum.  The 200 free is the event that I train for but that’s OK,  I am sure my best time will come soon.  I am really happy with all of the performances on the World Cup.

 

Men’s 200m IM

Matthew Sates - RSA 

See Sates's 200 butterfly post-race interview below.

 

Women’s 100m Backstroke

Kaylee McKeown - AUS  | WORLD RECORD 

No, I honestly didn't think about swimming a World Record. I was really relaxed coming into tonight. I tend to swim better when I go out a bit faster. I am trying to learn to swim a bit sharper.  I am happy that some of the things we are trying are working. This is a good stepping stone for the future. 

Don't get in your own way, is advice that my coach Michael Bohl gave me before the race.  It's a matter of trusting the process, and apply

I am not expecting anything in the 200 back, that’s a whole different ball game. I’m really excited with my performances.

 

Men’s 50m Breaststroke 

Qin Haiyang - CHN

I feel some regrets that I was so close to the World Cup Record.  But I am now thinking about and looking forward to the next race.  Each race has helped to make me stronger.  We all want to break the World Records.

 

Women’s 50m Butterfly 

Sarah Sjostrom - SWE

It was good. It was not my best race in this tour but I managed to finish ahead of them, so I am happy with that. 

It doesn't matter which pool, I was racing these women and for the crown.  Other races, other pools, it doesn't matter.

I have done the 50 fly a million times now, and I know that a lot of things can go wrong.  But I know that even when I have a pretty bad race, I know that I can still swim fast.  I try to have that in my mind when swimming the 50 fly the same as the 50 free. 

My lowest level is still pretty high.  I have swum this race so many times and I know how to win the race.  I had a very very very bad start so I was trying to relax. I was trying to catch her and I was just seeing what I could do, and catch her at the end.  I knew that Zhang was a fast back-end swimmer but I caught her this time.

I have some time when I go home to work on a few details that I know didn’t really do well in the World Cup events.

 

Men’s 100m Freestyle

Thomas Ceccon - ITA

That was the worst one I think. I swam well this morning.  Three for three, so it’s not bad. Not good, but not bad because I won. But nothing exciting. Racing Allesandro and Dylan and these top guys pushed me.  I saw that Dylan was ahead at the 50 and I said, ‘Man this guy is fast’, and I made sure that finished hard in the final 10m for the Crown.

 

Women’s 100m Breaststroke

Benedetta Pilato - ITA   World Cup Record (in Morning Session)

This is my first race of the season and I think this is a great way to start the season.  I am very happy.  I changed coaches this year and it's very difficult for me now. 

It was a really competitive race with some very talented swimmers.  I still need to swim the Olympic qualifying time to make the Italian team for the Paris Olympics.  There are four very fast swimmers in my country in the 100 event but these performances give me extra confidence.

 

Men’s 200m Butterfly  

Matthew Sates - RSA - Winner

200IM - It was a PB, it was sheer determination

200 FLY - I was so tired after the 200 IM.  I really tried to focus on the first 150, my freestyle has been a little bit off. I knew I had to get out fast.

DOUBLE - I don’t know how I did it, both races tonight with about 30 minutes rest between the events.  I am in the top three in World Cup points.

It’s only October and it’s been a good one. 

I am excited about racing here, but I am excited to go back home.  We still have our next training block.

 

Richard Marton - HUN - Second Place

I was a bit afraid before the session as it comes with responsibility to swim the 200m fly here in Budapest, and in 12 minutes the 4x200m relay… But as time went by I’ve eased up and I really enjoyed the evening. It was really uplifting to walk into lane four before the 200m fly final in the packed Duna Arena.

The swim was fine too, though the last three strokes weren’t that good, I think. At the same time, it’s true that the following relay was in my mind while swimming the fly and even though my coach asked me to push myself to make my nose bleed, still, my subconscious worked a bit against that. All in all, the result is fine at this stage of the season.