The World Aquatics Swimming World Cup concluded in thrilling fashion, with China’s Qin Haiyang and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown crowned the men’s and women’s overall series champions, respectively.
In the men’s division, Qin claimed the top spot, closely pursued by Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon and South Africa’s Matthew Sates, as reported by Xinhua.
Qin achieved an impressive triple crown by establishing a new World Cup record in the men’s 200m breaststroke, showcasing exceptional consistency. Ceccon excelled in the 100m backstroke, while Sates clinched gold in the 400m medley.
Qin expressed satisfaction post-race, noting his motivation to set a winning time that would also be a World Cup record. On Saturday, he narrowly missed breaking his own record in the men’s 50m breaststroke, securing first place with a time of 26.30 seconds.
Having gained valuable experience from numerous international events, Qin set his sights on the Paris Olympics as his next goal.
In the women’s category, McKeown emerged victorious, with Siobhan Bernadette Haughey from Hong Kong, China, and Zhang Yufei of China completing the podium.
McKeown, delighted with her performance, highlighted the importance of consistency in training. She made history by setting a new World Cup Record in the women’s 200m breaststroke, becoming the first “Triple-Triple” Crown holder.
Her triumph followed new world records in women’s 100m backstroke and 50m backstroke. Haughey excelled in the women’s 100m freestyle, while Zhang won the women’s 100m butterfly.
The competition marked the end of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2023 journey, which started in Berlin and continued in Athens.
