Psych Sheets Released for Opening Stop of World Cup Circuit
The first stop of this year’s World Aquartics World Cup, known as the Silk Road Tour, will take place from Thursday through Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. The series will feature a strong field of international athletes, many of whom will race at the World Short Course Championships in Beijing in early December. After Baku, the World Cup will move to Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Oct. 8-10) and Astana, Kazakhstan (Oct. 15-17).
The men’s 100-meter breaststroke will match two of the fastest performers in history when Russia’s Kirill Prigoda and the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau duel. Prigoda is the top seed at 55.51, with Corbeau right behind at 55.54. The world record in the event stands at 55.28, posted by Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich at 55.28 during the 2021 season.
Australian Cam McEvoy, the world-record holder in the long-course version of the 50 freestyle, will go to work over two laps in the short-course pool as the No. 3 seed. The top seed is Russia’s Egor Kornev, who was crowned European long-course champ in the discipline last month. Meanwhile, American Shaine Casas is the top seed in the 100 individual medley, thanks to an entry time of 50.28.
Dutch star Marrit Steenbergen is the No. 1 seed in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 individual medley and 200 IM, and is riding the momentum of a sensational summer. In the long-course pool, Steenbergen clocked several 51-second performances in the 100 freestyle, including a world record of 51.68. She’ll be joined as a headliner in Baku by Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk, who is the top seed in the 50 butterfly.
The United States’ Carson Foster is also entered in several events, including the 200 IM and 400 IM.