Budapest 2024, Day 2 Prelims: Jordan Crooks Rattles 100 Free World Record
Jordan Crooks rattled the 100 free world record in day two prelims at the World Short-Course Championships in Budapest.
The Cayman Islands swimmer went joint-third all-time alongside Vlad Morozov in 44.95, a championship and Americas standard.
Ruta Meilutyte raced in the same waters as Yulia Efimova and Evgeniia Chikunova in the 100m breaststroke while Kirill Prigoda moved within striking distance of the men’s CR.
There were no further world records at the Duna Arena on day two after seven on the opening day although that may well change in the finals session in Budapest.
Women’s 100m Freestyle
Gretchen Walsh returned from setting two individual WRs in the 50 fly to lead the 100 free prelims by some way.
The USA swimmer – also part of the women’s 4×1 free that set a global standard on the opening day – was the only woman to break 52 in 51.64.
Siobhan Haughey, silver medallist at Melbourne 2022, was second through in 52.12 with Freya Anderson and Kate Douglass both clocking 52.27 into Wednesday evening’s semis.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
In the absence of Kyle Chalmers, a new champion will be crowned in Budapest.
Jack Alexy posted 45.05 for championship and American records on the lead-off as the USA men’s 4×1 free clinched the title in a world-record time.
It took Jordan Crooks less than 45 seconds to consign that mark to history as the Cayman Islands swimmer posted 44.95 in the ninth of 11 prelims.
That moved Crooks to within 0.11 of Chalmers’ WR of 44.84 set in Kazan, Russia, in October 2021.
Only Chalmers and Amaury Leaveaux have gone faster with the Frenchman posting 44.94 at the European short-course championships in 2008 as the super-suit era started to get into full swing.
Crooks moved level with Vlad Morozov as third in the all-time rankings.
It was the first time Crooks has competed over short-course metres since Melbourne 2022 when he won the 50 free title. The 22-year-old didn’t pay too much heed to his time in the Budapest prelims but instead preferred to focus on improving through the rounds.
Speaking to Swimming World, he said: “I’m just trying to stay in the process and focus on what’s next. I didn’t really have a specific time I was going for, just trying to be better – better than the last time I swam short-course metres. So happy with it but just going to stay in the process and focus on what’s next.
“I’m just trying to go from prelim to semis and hopefully make it from semis to finals, Be able to step up in each one put forward the best performance I’ve got.
“It’s definitely inspiring to see performances like last night (WRs) and it helps push you to try and be better.”
Chris Giuliano of the USA was next swiftest, almost a second adrift in 45.94 with Maxime Grousset of France third in 46.01.
Leonardo Deplano was 17th, locked out by one place in 46.98 with Nandor Nemeth, fourth at Paris 2024, second reserve here in Budapest in 47.00.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke
The event marked the return to international competition of Chikunova and Efimova with the pair competing as neutral athletes.
Angharad Evans who topped the prelims in a British record of 1:03.45 ahead of Lilly King (1:03.50), Tang Qianting (1:03.52), Meilutyte (1:04.27) and Eneli Jefimova (1:04.34).
Chikunova was ninth in 1:04.61 with Efimova, whose past includes a doping ban, 12th in 1:04.77.
Sophie Hansson claimed the 16th and final spot while Benedetta Pilato failed to progress in 20th in 1:05.30.
It has been some 2024 for Evans who became the first British woman to break through the 1:06 barrier in the long-course pool, something she subsequently did three times topped by her national record of 1:05.54 at the AP Race London event.
The 21-year-old was sixth at the Olympics, just 0.26 off the podium, and she credits Brad Hay, her coach at the University of Stirling, for her consistent quality this year.
She told Swimming World: “We finished last season at the Olympics on quite a high, we just want to carry it on for the next four years, hopefully going to LA. So we hit this season pretty strong, training hard and this is my first time I’ve got to race short-course this season so I wasn’t really sure where I was going to be so happy with that.”
Paris 2024 was Evans’ international debut with Budapest representing just her second meet in international waters. She has her sights set on the podium following Paris where she was so close.
“I shouldn’t have been disappointed with my results at the Olympic but being so close to medalling, that’s enough motivation for me to hit the ground running, come back and see if I can medal at this meet or the meet in summer so I’m hungry for a medal.”
Men’s 100m Breaststroke
Kirill Prigoda left no-one in any doubt as to his intentions as he blasted to within 0.12 of Ilya Shymanovich’s championships record.
Prigoda, competing as a neutral athlete, stopped the clock at 55.82, 0.54 of Shymanovich’s WR of 55.28 and 55.70 CR set in Abu Dhabi in December 2021.
Qin Haiyang, fourth at Melbourne 2022, was next through into tonight’s semis in Budapest in 56.39 with Taku Taniguchi posting 56.59 and Shymanovich and Denis Petrashov both navigating safe passage in 56.65.
Emre Sakci and Melvin Imoudu, fourth in Paris, are reserves while Michael Andrew of the USA missed out in 19th (57.57).
Women’s 1500 Free Slowest Heats
There were three prelims this Budapest morning featuring the likes of Hungarian duo Ajna Kesely – the reigning European l/c champion – and Vivien Jackl, continental junior silver medallist.
Kesely topped the field in 8:18.04 followed by Singapore’s Gan Ching Hwee (8:18.85) and neutral athlete Sofia Diakova (8:18.93).
Tonight’s fastest heat in Budapest features Olympic and world medallists including Anastasiya Kirpichnikova of France, reigning champion and 400 silver medallist Lani Pallister, Paige Madden and Simona Quadarella.
Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay
Six prelims came and went with Canada booking lane four for the final. The quartet of Kylie Masse (26.06), Finlay Knox (26.26), Ilya Kharun (21.06) and Ingrid Wilm (23.88) combined to come home in 1:37.26.
Sweden followed them in 1:37.28 to take lane five with the USA next through in 1:37.50 while Australia set an Oceania record of 1:37.77 in fourth.
The Netherlands claimed the eighth and final spot in 1:38.47 with Great Britain missing out by one place in 1:39.04.
