Budapest, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The three-day 2023 FINA Swimming World Cup Budapest Station 22 came to an end, China's Qin Haiyang and Australia's MacKeon topped the men's and women's overall standings respectively, winning the annual championship, and Zhang Yufei ranked third in the women's overall standings.
Qin Haiyang after the men's 50m breaststroke final on October 21. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Verdi Otillo)
This year's Swimming World Cup will feature three stops, starting from October 6 in Berlin, Germany, Athens, Greece and Budapest, Hungary. The player with the highest overall points ranking in the three races won the overall championship of the year. The Chinese team sent Zhang Yufei, Qin Haiyang and young player Dong Zhihao to compete.
On his last day in Budapest, Qin Haiyang continued to be in good form, setting a new World Cup record in the men's 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:07.32, cutting his new event record set in Berlin by 0.13 seconds. So far, Qin Haiyang has achieved three consecutive championships in the breaststroke events of the World Cup.
Qin Haiyang said after the match: "I am very encouraged to not only win the game today, but also break the World Cup record. This gives me a lot of confidence. I am very happy with the results. ”
The outstanding performance of the day also brought Qin Haiyang to a successful end to this year's international competition journey. Since July, Qin Haiyang has participated in the Fukuoka World Championships, Chengdu Universiade, Hangzhou Asian Games and three World Cup competitions.
On September 29, China's Qin Haiyang won the men's 50m breaststroke final of the swimming event at the Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 26.35 seconds. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi
Qin Haiyang said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency after the game that such a high-intensity intensive continuous battle made him feel very rewarding. "So many games require me to adjust in time and plan accordingly. I now have good control over the entire fix, including the pace and physical arrangement. "The continuous competitions have also enhanced the friendship between Qin Haiyang and the top international experts." This is a big improvement, and now I am familiar with the international masters, like very good friends. He said.
In the men's overall standings, second and third place are Italy's Checon of the backstroke and South Africa's Satz.
Zhang Yufei, who also started spinning continuously from the World Championships, won the gold medal in the women's 100m butterfly in 56.13 seconds, achieving her third consecutive World Cup title. Together with three consecutive titles in the 200m butterfly and three silver medals in the 50m butterfly, Zhang Yufei ended up in third place in the women's overall standings.
On October 21, Zhang Yufei was in the women's 200m butterfly final. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Verdi Otillo)
Wearing the crown issued by the organizing committee, Zhang Yufei told Xinhua News Agency after the game: "This crown is a recognition of my competition during this period. I've played 59 shots in just over three months and still being able to maintain a very high level, which gives me a lot of confidence. ”
"Since September 2020, I haven't swam 55.62 seconds in the 100m butterfly, and after these consecutive competitions, I gradually found the feeling and knew how to swim in the 100m butterfly. I hope to break through my best next time I have enough physical strength. Zhang Yufei said.
McKeon set a new World Cup record in the women's 200m backstroke with a time of 2:04.81 to seal the overall women's championship. In three races, MacKeon won nine gold medals in the women's backstroke, broke two world records and set six new event records.
Hong Kong's Ho Shibei won the women's 100m freestyle with a time of 52.24 seconds, achieving her third consecutive title and finishing second in the women's overall standings.
With the end of the Swimming World Cup in Budapest, FINA has all ended this year's indoor swimming competitions.