By Retta Race on SwimSwam
2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – INCHEON
- Thursday, October 24th – Saturday, October 26th
- Prelims at 9:30am local (8:30pm previous night ET)/Finals at 7:30m local (6:30am ET)
- Munhak Park Tae-Hwan Swimming Pool, Incheon, South Korea
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- Event Schedule
- Entered Athletes
- Results
Stop #2 of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup is upon us, with prelims action in Incheon, South Korea kicking off this evening at 8:30pm Eastern. Based on the entries, we’re expecting some exciting match-ups to carry the momentum from last weekend in Shanghai, with many of the fields remaining intact.
That means we’re set to see Frenchman Leon Marchand try to improve upon his gold medal-winning performances in the 100m/200m/400m IM events, although he’ll now see Japan’s world champion Daiya Seto in the lineup this time around.
Seto most recently put up a time of 3:59.79 in the 400m IM at a domestic meet, a time which would have beaten Marchand’s 4:00.03 from Shanghai.
30-year-old Seto has publicly stated that a record 7th consecutive Short Course World Championships 400m IM title is in his sights, so potentially beating the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the event this week could be a big confidence push in that direction.
Marchand is the current points leader out of stop one, but the top men’s money earner was Switzerland’s Noe Ponti.
23-year-old Ponti fired off a new World Record in the men’s 50m fly (21.67) to grab a smooth $10,000 bonus and earn the most cash out of the pack. He’ll seek to improve upon that historic performance this time around.
Additional men’s participants include Olympic medalist Kim Woomin, the Michael Palfrey-trained Korean star who took 400m free bronze in Paris. Although we’re waiting on the entries book to be published, it’s likely Kim will contest the 200m/400m/800m free events over the next 3 days.
Palfrey made noise in Paris by saying ‘Go Korea’ despite also on staff for Swimming Australia at the Olympic Games. He was later excused from his post at Swimming Australia although his individual coaching credentials remain intact.
Kim’s teammate and fellow freestyle ace Hwang Sunwoo is also among the Korean entrants, as are national record holders Kim Seoyeong, Lee Eunji and Lee Ho-Joon.
Hwang is coming off a solid outing of 1:45.03 LCM 200m freestyle at the 105th Korean National Sports Festival so the 21-year-old Olympian appears in form.
China’s arsenal will include several heavy hitters from Shanghai including World Record holder Pan Zhanle, 6-time medalist from Paris Zhang Yufei and Asian Record holders Tang Qianting and Yu Yiting.
The European continent will also have strong representation to the tune of Brits Duncan Scott and James Guy, two-time Finnish national record setter from last week Laura Lahtinen as well as Italian Olympic champions Thomas Ceccon and Nicolo Martinenghi.
Oceania also has athletes ready to rumble with Lewis Clareburt, who broke 2 New Zealand records in Shanghai, Aussie Isaac Cooper and last week’s 200m breast champion Joshua Yong also of Australia.
Women’s points and money leader Kate Douglass heads up the American squad and she’ll be joined by Trenton Julian and Beata Nelson among others. Douglass won a quartet of events including the 200m breast, 100m IM, 50m fly and 200m IM.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup – Incheon: Meet Preview