World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2024 Shanghai: Leon Marchand sets World Cup and European record in 200m medley

Leon Marchand set a new World Cup and European record as he stormed to victory in the men’s 200m medley at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2024 Shanghai on Saturday, 19 October.

The Frenchman claimed the win in the People’s Republic of China for his second World Cup victory in two days, and in stunning fashion, breaking the competition record with a time of 1:50.30.

Marchand was close to breaking the world record as well as the World Cup one, finishing just 0.67 seconds off Ryan Lochte’s 25m-pool mark set in 2012.

Duncan Scott of Great Britain took second place in a strong and consistent race with a time of 1:51.08. Bronze went to Switzerland’s Noe Ponti, who had led at the end of the first leg but was pipped to second by the Brit.

Four-time Olympic champion Marchand was part of the leading pack which eventually finished on the podium, and once he got into his groove there was no stopping him.

The 22-year-old will be in action again on Sunday (20 October) in the 200m breaststroke.

• Leon Marchand makes golden return post-Paris 2024

Regan Smith wins with a World Cup record

The USA’s Regan Smith produced an outstanding performance in the women’s 100m backstroke by setting a new World Cup record.

Smith set a time of 54.89 and won by over a second, giving her a third medal of the competition and her second gold medal in two days.

She led from American teammate Beata Nelson, who claimed silver with a time of 56.26, rounded off by Ingrid Wilm of Canada in 56.64 seconds.

Smith adds to her eight Olympic medals, which included two golds and three silvers at Paris 2024.

Ceccon edges out Pan by 0.03 seconds

The tightest race of the evening came in the men’s 100m freestyle, with Chinese home hero Pan Zhanle going neck-and-neck with the Italian Thomas Ceccon.

Pan emerged as favourite in lane 3 and roared on by the Shanghai crowd, but Ceccon stormed through on the outside line and was pushing Pan to the line.

With nothing separating the pair, Ceccon gave everything he had, found an extra bit of speed and took the title by just 0.03 seconds, winning in a time of 46.32 seconds, with Pan finishing in 46.35 seconds.

South Africa’s Pieter Coetze won bronze, 0.27 seconds off the winning team; It was in fact a tight race across the board, just over half a second separating the top five and under a second among the eight finalists.

Results from the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2024 in Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China:

Women’s 400m medley

1. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 4:28.03
2. Nikoleta Trnikova (SVK) +16.78
3. Rouxin Tan (MAS) +27.24

Men’s 1500m freestyle

1. Charlie Clark (USA) – 14:40.57
2. Benjamin Goedemans (AUS) +07.89
3. Kregor Zirk (EST) +13.90

Men’s 50m backstroke

1. Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 22.75
2. Pieter Coetze (RSA) +00.20
3. Xu Jiayu (CHN) +00.23

Women’s 200m freestyle

1. Siobhan Bernadette Haughey (HKG) – 1:51.46
2. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) +01.90
3. Kong Yaqi (CHN) +03.75

Men’s 200m medley

1. Leon Marchand (FRA) – 1:50.30
2. Duncan Scott (GBR) +00.78
3. Noe Ponti (SUI) +01.48

Women’s 100m backstroke

1. Regan Smith (USA) – 54.89
2. Beata Nelson (USA) +01.37
3. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) +01.75

Men’s 50m breaststroke

1. Qin Haiyang (CHN) – 25.38
2. Ilya Shymanovich (NIA) +00.13
3. Sun Jiajun (CHN) +00.41

Women’s 50m butterfly

1. Kate Douglass (USA) – 24.54
2. Zhang Yufei (CHN) +00.40
3. Yu Yiting (CHN) +00.53

Men’s 100m freestyle

1. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 46.32
2. Pan Zhanle (CHN) +00.03
3. Pieter Coetze (RSA) +00.27

Women’s 100m breaststroke

1. Tang Qianting (CHN) – 1:02.53
2. Alina Zmushka (NIA) +01.95
3. Rebecca Meder (RSA) +02.72

Men’s 200m butterfly

1. Trenton Julian (USA) – 1:51.24
2. Chad le Clos (RSA) +00.22
3. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) +00.64