World Cup Tashkent, Day 3 Finals: Marrit Steenbergen Blisters European Record in 100 Free; Pieter Coetze Just Misses WR in 100 Back
A world record from South African star Pieter Coetze was the highlight of the second day of the World Cup stop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Can the 22-year-old maintain his momentum as the tour closes out its second leg? Coming off a global mark of 22.09 in the 50-meter backstroke, Coetze will be in the water for the 100 backstroke on Saturday, taking aim at Hubert Kos’ world record of 48.16.
Following a tie with Aussie Cam McEvoy in the 100 freestyle on Night Two, Russia’s Egor Kornev is the top seed in the 50 butterfly, an event in which he became the No. 3 performer in history during last week’s World Cup action in Baku, Azerbaijan. Kornev clocked 21.64 last weekend, good for a national record. Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen will be the favorite in the 100 freestyle, an event in which she holds the long-course world record.
Here’s an event-by-event recap of Night Three competition from Tashkent:
Women’s 1500 Freestyle
Singapore’s Gan Ching Hwee delivered a stellar performance in the 1500 freestyle, setting a national record with a winning time of 15:45.23. That performance enabled Gan to prevail by nearly four seconds over China’s Chang Mohan, who touched the wall in 15:49.20. The silver medal went to New Zealand’s Caitlin Deans in 15:55.24. At the opening stop of the World Cup circuit, Gan was the titlist in the 800 freestyle.
Men’s 400 Individual Medley
The front-end power of Carson Foster led to a sizable lead for the American at the halfway point, and Foster never yielded that advantage on the way to victory in 3:58.82. While Russia’s Ilia Borodin pulled closer to Foster over the back half of the race, Borodin finished in second, going 3:59.42 for the only other sub-4:00 effort in the field. The bronze medal was earned by Italian veteran Alberto Razzetti, who checked in at 4:01.53.
Foster was also the winner of the 400 IM at the opening stop of the World Cup.
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk put together a wire-to-wire triumph in the 100 butterfly, as her time of 55.20 was a half-second quicker than the 55.70 of China’s Wang Yichun. Vanotterdijk backed up her win from Baku and the entire podium was a repeat from last week, with third place going to Russia’s Daria Klepikova in 55.72.
Men’s 50 Butterfly
For the second time in as many World Cup stops, Russia’s Egor Kornev set a world record. One week after tying the global standard in the 100 freestyle, Kornev broke the world mark in the 50 butterfly, clocking 21.28 to slice .04 off Noe Ponti’s 21.32 outing from 2024 in Budapest. The time was a major improvement from last week, when Kornev set a Russian record of 21.64 to become the No. 3 performer in history.
More on Egor Kornev’s World Record
Women’s 200 Backstroke
In a reversal of last week’s World Cup finish, Canadian Taylor Ruck clipped American Anna Peplowski for the title in the 200 backstroke. Ruck led the entire way, but held off a late charge by Peplowski to win in 2:02.41. Peplowski closed strong and touched in a time of 2:02.71. Ruck and Peplowski were easily the class of the field, as there was a four-second dropoff to third place, which went to Japan’s Waka Kobori in 2:06.99.
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Fresh off a world record in the 50 backstroke on Friday night, South Africa’s Pieter Coetze just missed making it consecutive days with a global standard. Coetze dominated the field in the 100 backstroke, registering an African record of 48.21 to defeat Russia’s Pavel Samusenko (49.17) by nearly a second. Coetze’s time was just off the world record of 48.16, set last year by Hungarian star Hubert Kos.
Coetze was under world-record pace at the 25-meter mark and at the midway point of the race and will have another crack at Kos’ record when the World Cup wraps up next week in Kazakhstan. Coetze is now the No. 2 all-time performer in the event, having jumped ahead of the United States’ Coleman Stewart (48.33).
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
A superb race unfolded in the women’s 50 breaststroke, where Russia’s Ralina Giliazova emerged victorious. The runnerup in the event last week, Giliazova finished at the front of the field behind a time of 29.75, which was a tenth quicker than Ireland’s Mona McSharry (29.85). Just a hundredth back in third place was Belgium’s Florine Gaspard (29.86), who won the 50 breaststroke in Baku.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
For the second straight week, American Luke Barr eked out a narrow victory over world-record holder Caspar Corbeau. Fourth through the opening 50 meters and second through 125 meters, Barr took the lead at the 150-meter turn and picked up the win in 2:02.40, with Corbeau following in 2:02.58. Last week, Barr prevailed by .07 and a third clash is expected at the World Cup finale next week. Also in the mix was Russia’s Kirill Prigoda, who was third in 2:02.81.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
The Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen notched the latest accomplishment in her sensational 2026 campaign by setting a European record in the 100 freestyle. Steenbergen blistered a time of 50.32 to take .10 off her previous record, which she set at last year’s European Championships in Poland. Steenbergen crushed the field in Tashkent, finishing more than a second ahead of Russia’s Daria Klepikova, who was the runnerup in 52.04. Poland’s Kasia Wasick was third in 52.50.
Steenbergen set a world record earlier this year in the long-course version of the 100 freestyle and logged several sub-52 performances in the event. Now, she is starring in the short-course pool and could make a run at Kate Douglass‘ world record in the 100 free, which sits at 49.93.
Men’s 200 Freestyle
Belgium’s Lucas Henveaux scared his national record in the 200 freestyle, going 1:41.44 for a decisive win. Henveaux finished just shy of his Belgian record, the 1:41.13 he set in 2024, and his time on Saturday was comfortably ahead of the 1:42.81 by Russia’s Ivan Grinev for second place. Henveaux was in second at the midway point of the race, but pulled away over the closing four laps. Third place went to American Shaine Casas in 1:43.04.
Women’s 200 Individual Medley
China’s Yu Yiting, who set an Asian record in the 200 IM last week, recorded her second straight World Cup win in the event. Yu covered her eight laps in 2:03.34, which was more than three seconds faster than the 2:06.53 of Great Britain’s Abbie Wood for second place. Yu went 2:02.80 last week and was just a half-second off that time in the final event of the Tashkent stop. Third place was secured by South Africa’s Rebecca Meder in 2:06.86.