Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu registered a hat-trick of world records in Doha. Picture: Naushad
Katinka Hosszu is well on her way to defending her crown after a scintillating show that included three world-record performances in two days at the opening leg of the FINA Mastbank Swimming World Cup 2014 at the Hamad Aquatic Centre.
The 25-year-old Magyar swimmer finished the leg winning seven gold, one silver and two bronze medals, breaking three world records and collecting 165 points to finish on top.
Hosszu, who broke the 200m individual medley (IM) world mark on day one, smashed two more IM world records yesterday to complete a hat-trick of IM records. She also earned three $10,000 world record bonuses for her record-breaking spree.
Going to Dubai, the second stop of the series, Hosszu already has three world records and 10 podiums and she comfortably leads the overall ranking with 189 points.
The woman of the hour is hoping the gold rush will continue this year and that more records will crumble in her wake. “The World Cup is a great opportunity for swimmers to make money and compete at the same time. Athletes are forgotten between the Olympics and the World Cup is a great opportunity to keep competing”, said Hosszu.
“I’ve had a great start in Doha. I feel unstoppable, it’s given me a confidence rush,” she added.
Hosszu made it a double world record day yesterday. After setting the record in in the shortest IM distance (200m) this morning, she then went on to break the longest IM distance (400m) in the night. Hosszu registered 4:20.83, sneaking just .02 under her own world record, set in Berlin last year in the short course 400m IM and winning easily.
The split was very similar to her old record; she was slightly quicker in the butterfly and freestyle legs this time around, but was a touch slower in the breaststroke to counter that.
Unlike in the 100m IM (five out of the six fastest times ever), and 200m IM (seven out of the eight fastest times ever), Hosszu’s dominance of the 400m IM all-time rankings isn’t quite as substantial. She now has just two of the fastest swims in history, with the No 2 rankings belonging to Julia Smit, who was a 4:21.04 in 2010.
Spain’s Mireia Belmonte Garcia came second at 4:25.85 yesterday. What makes Hosszu’s swim so impressive is that Belmonte is an outstanding swimmer herself, probably one of the four or five best female swimmers at this meet, and Hosszu still swam to a blowout win. Behind those two was American Caitlin Leverenz, who claimed bronze (4:29.59) after taking silver in the 200m IM.
In the morning session, the prelims, Katinka clocked 57.25 in the 100m IM, which broke her own world record of 57.45 created at the Berlin Grand Prix last year on August 11.
Speaking after her prelim session Hosszu said, “It was my goal to try and break the world record in qualifying this morning. Yesterday I felt so amazing in qualifying. In the 200 freestyle I was surprised how fast I went when I was kind of going for it, kind of not. So I felt like I should try [to break the world record] in the morning.”
Netherland’s Inge Dekker has earned $6000 with four wins and 60 points. Wednesday night’s winner in the 50m freestyle Dekker also stayed hot with two wins in the 100m freestyle and 50m Butterfly. Dekker lost her biggest competitor when Hosszu scratched the race (she didn’t have the 400m IM right before it in prelims, and went 53.05), but the Dutch sprinter was still clearly the fastest woman here, going 52.61 for the win.
Australia’s Marieke D’Cruz (53.18) was just a tick off what Hosszu was in prelims, and bronze went to Lena Kreundl of Austria.
“It gives me a little confidence, but I’m tired too – that race was really hard. It’s always nice to pick up a gold medal,” Dekker said.
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson defended her 100m breast title from a day ago, going 29.12 to win the women’s 50m breaststroke. Atkinson, a former Olympian and World Cup staple, was a good seven tenths better than her nearest challenger, American Breeja Larson. Larson was back at 29.87, and that pair were the only two swimmers under 30. Iceland’s Hrafnhildur Luthersdottir took bronze in 30.67, building on her third-place finish in the 100m last night.
Results (Women)
400m Individual Medley
Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 4:20.83 (WR)
Garcia Belmonte (Spain) 4:25.85
Caitlin Leverenze (USA) 4:29.59
100m Freestyle
Inge Dekker (Netherlands) 52.61
Marieke D’Cruz (Australia) 43.18
Lena Kreundl (Austria) 53.93
50m Breaststroke
Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) 29.12
Breeja Larson (USA) 29.87
Hrfnhidur Luthersdottir (Iceland) 30.67
100m Backstroke
Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 56.02
Daryna Zevina (Ukrain) 57.80
Carolina Henao Colorado (Colombia) 58.60
200m Butterfly
Mireia Garcia Belmonte (Spain) 2:03.39
Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 2:04.48
Franziska Hentke (Germany) 2:04.55
400m freestyle
Mireia Garcia Belmonte (Spain) 4:00.91
Julia Hassler (Liechtenstein) 4:06.04
Daryna Zevina (Ukrain) 4:1.04
200m Breaststroke
Breeja Larson (USA) 2:20.71
Hrfnhidur Luthersdottir (Iceland) 2:23.70
Laura Sogar (USA) 2:25.90
100m Individual Medley
Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 57.34
Alesandra Urbanczyk (Poland) 59.48
Caltina Leverenz (USA) 59.75
50m Butterfly
Inge Dekker (Netherlands) 25.27
Marieke D’Cruz (Australia) 25.84
Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 25.38
