Budapest
The 2023 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Budapest made a sensational start as Kaylee McKeown, the 22-year-old Australian swimmer, broke the world record in the women’s 50m backstroke. McKeown’s remarkable time of 26.86 seconds not only secured her first place in the event but also propelled her to the top of the women’s rankings in the tournament. This achievement also made McKeown the new world record holder in all women’s backstroke events, including the 50m, 100m, and 200m distances. The women’s 200m butterfly event witnessed China’s Zhang Yufei taking first place with a time of two minutes and 05.65 seconds, establishing a new World Cup record. In the men’s 100m breaststroke, Zhang’s compatriot, Qin Haiyang, showcased his dominance with a winning time of 57.82 seconds, securing his position at the top of the men’s rankings. A thrilling men’s 200m backstroke final concluded with Roman Mityukov from Switzerland narrowly emerging as the winner with a time of 1:56.96, edging out Italy’s Thomas Ceccon by just one-hundredth of a second. Other standout performances on the opening day of the competition included Tes Schouten from the Netherlands, setting a new World Cup record in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:21.52, and Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem clinching the top spot in the women’s 50m freestyle in 23.97 seconds. On the men’s side, Noe Ponti of Switzerland emerged as the champion in the 100m butterfly with a time of 51.38 seconds, while Britain’s Benjamin Proud secured first place in the men’s 50m freestyle with a time of 21.77 seconds. The relay events added an extra layer of excitement to the competition. Australia claimed first place in the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay with a time of 3:14.54, followed by Italy and the host country, Hungary.
