2021 FINA Short Course World Championships Day 1 Prelims: Siobhan Haughey, Rebecca Smith Lead Two Top-Seed Ties

by Dan D'Addona — Swimming World Managing Editor

15 December 2021, 10:24pm

The 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships began on Thursday from Abu Dhabi with many of the top swimmers in the world vying for world championship titles in the short-course format.

The prelims session of the first day begin with the men’s 400 freestyle, then the women’s 200 freestyle, men’s 200 butterfly, women’s 50 breaststroke, men’s 100 backstroke, women’s 400 IM, men’s 100 breaststroke, women’s 100 backstroke, men’s 200 IM and the 400 freestyle relays, both men and women.

It is an action-packed first session with a lot of events and a lot of the sport’s biggest stars ready to shine on the world’s stage.

• Results

FINA Short Course World Championships: Men’s 400 Free

Austria Olympian Felix Aubock took the top seed in the men’s 400 freestyle to open the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships first session.

Aubock used a 26.76 final 50 to hold of to the top seed heading into finals at 3:37.91. Aubock finished seven tenths ahead of the field and three seconds off the meet record.

U.S. Olympian Kieran Smith took the second seed at 3:38.61, followed by Switzerland’s Antonio Djakovic (3:39.06).

Luc Kroon of the Netherlands finished fourth (3:39.17), ahead of Great Britain’s Max Litchfield (3:39.34) and Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys (3:39.38).

FINA Short Course World Championships: Women’s 200 Freestyle

Fresh off of her short-course domination in the International Swimming League (ISL), Hong Kong Olympic silver medalist Siobhan Haughey took the top seed in the 200 freestyle.

But she wasn’t alone.

Haughey and Canada’s Rebecca Smith tied for the top seed in the 200 freestyle, both touching the wall in 1:52.86, two seconds off the meet record. Haughey led at the final turn just ahead of Smith, who was three hundredths of a second faster in the final 25 to earn the tie.

U.S. Olympian Paige Madden took the third seed in 1:53.30, the only other swimmer to break 1:54 in the heats.

France’s Charlotte Bonnet took the fourth seed (1:54.43), ahead of Joanna Evans of the Bahamas (1:54.51) and Slovenia’s Katja Fain (1:54.61), closing in 28.49 to hold of Canada’s Summer McIntosh (1:54.63).

FINA Short Course World Championships: Men’s 200 Butterfly

U.S. swimmer Trenton Julian used a strong first half of the race to take the top seed in the 200 butterfly. He touched the wall in 1:50.32, three tenths ahead of the field and two seconds behind the world and championship record of 1:48.24 set by Daiya Seto.

South Africa’s Chad le Clos took the second seed in 1:50.63 after closing in 29.53.

Switzerland’s Noe Ponti took the third seed in 1:50.82, followed by Estonia’s Kregor Zirk (1:50.92), Italy’s Alberto Razzetti (1:51.33), Bulgaria’s Antani Ivanov (1:51.49), Mexico’s Jose Martinez (1:51.58) and Norway’s Tomoe Hvas (1:51.83).

FINA Short Course World Championships: Women’s 50 Breaststroke

World-record holder Alia Atkinson of Jamaica took the top seed in her best event. She touched the wall in 29.55 to earn the top spot heading into semifinals, a second behind her world record (28.56).

Sweden’s Sophie Hansson was two hundredths of a second behind, touching the wall in 29.57.

There was a tie for the third seed with Italy’s Benedetta Pilato and Finland’s Ida Hulkko, both finishing in 29.73, ahead of

Ireland’s Mona McSharry (29.90) as five swimmers broke 30 seconds.

U.S. Olympian Lydia Jacoby tied for the ninth seed at 30.16.

The 16th seed was also a tie between Belgium’s Florine Gaspard and Great Britain’s Molly Renshaw. Gaspard won the swim-off in 30.11.

FINA Short Course World Championships: Men’s 100 Backstroke

A slew of identical touch outs led to several intriguing ties in the men’s 100 backstroke heats.

Poland’s Kacper Stokowski and Brazil’s Guilherme Guido tied for the top seed at 50.38.

Meanwhile, Shaine Casas of the U.S. and Italy’s Lorenzo Mora tied for the third spot in 50.40, both just two hundredths behind the co-leaders.

Pavel Samusenko was fifth at 50.52, followed by Kliment Kolesnikov (50.55), Greece’s Apostolos Christou (50.80) and Romania’s Robert Glinta (50.83).

And for the second event in a row, there was a tie for the 16th spot as Markus Lie of Norway and France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard both touched in 51.46. Ndoye-Brouard finished first in the swim-off, 51.09 to 51.21.

There was even a tie for the 18th spot that is second alternate.

FINA Short Course World Championships: Women’s 400 IM

There wasn’t a tie in this race, but the 400 IM was extremely close in the heats.

Italy’s Ilaria Cucinato used a final split of 30.71 to hold off the field and touch the wall in 4:30.27 just 35 hundredths ahead of Canada’s Tessa Cieplucha (4:30.62).

U.S. swimmer Melanie Margalis took the third spot at 4:30.75, less than a half second off the lead, while Ireland’s Ellen Walshe (4:30.78) and Canada’s Bailey Andison (4:31.08) were within striking distance.

U.S. swimmer Emma Weyant had the fastest final split at 30.62 of the field and took the eighth seed in 4:32.97.

FINA Short Course World Championships: Men’s 100 Breaststroke

Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands was less than two tenths of a second away from the world championship meet record in the 100 breaststroke. He touched the wall in 56.19 to take the top seed for the semifinals and could make an assault on the meet record of 56.01 set by South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh in 2018.

Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich is the world record holder at 55.28 and he took the second seed in 56.20.

U.S. swimmer Nic Fink, fresh off of his impressive ISL final performance, took the third seed in 57.02.

Germany’s Fabian Schwingenschlogl took the fourth seed in 57.07, just ahead of world junior record holder Nicolo Martenenghi of Italy (57.43).

U.S. Olympian Michael Andrew took the eighth seed in 57.54 to round out the top eight.

FINA Short Course World Championships: Women’s 100 Backstroke

U.S. backstroker Katharine Berkoff used a 28.81 final spot to hang on to the top seed in the 100 backstroke. Berkhoff touched the wall in 55.92, just three seconds ahead of Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands (55.95).

Canada’s Kylie Masse was just behind in 56.12, ahead of Sweden’s Louise Hansson (56.41) and USA’s Rhyan White (56.76).

Canada’s Maggie MacNeil took the 10th seed into semis at 57.42.

FINA Short Course World Championships: Men’s 200 IM

Japan’s Daiya Seto took the top seed in the 200 IM, touching the wall in 1:53.38 to hold off a packed field of the world’s elite.

USA’s Carson Foster was just two tenths behind at 1:52.59, followed by Italy’s Alberto Razzetti (1:53.19), Greece’s Andreas Vazaios (1:53.38), Great Britain’s Duncan Scott (1:53.74) and China’s Wang Shun (1:53.95).

FINA Short Course World Championships: Women’s 400 Free Relay

Even without the recently retired Femke Heemskerk, the Netherlands cruised to the top spot in the 400 free relay.

Kim Busch, Marrit Steenbergen, Tessa Giele and Ranomi Kromowidjojo took the top spot in 3:31.39.

The U.S. was second with Kate Douglass, Claire Curzan, Katharine Berkoff and Torri Huske touching the wall in 3:31.91.

China took the third seed in 3:31.95, ahead of Sweden (3:32.06).

Men’s 400 Free Relay

Russian Swimming Federation took the top seed in the men’s 400 free relay.

Vladimir Morozov, Aleksandr Shchegolev, Andrei Minakov and Daniil Markov touched the wall in 3:06.02.

The U.S. took the second seed with Shaine Casas, Tom Shields, Hunter Tapp and Ryan Held finishing in 3:06.78.

Italy was third in 3:07.00, ahead of the Netherlands (3:07.16).

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