400M World Champion Sam Short Destroys Danas Rap?ys to Steal Event Crown at Swimming World Cup 2023

The world champion does it again on Hungarian soil. The reigning world champion, Samuel Short, showcased his supremacy at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2023 in Duna Arena and secured the numero uno spot in the 400-meter freestyle. The Australian swimming prodigy, in a heated race against Lithuanian rival Danas Rap?ys, left no room for a comeback, securing a dominant victory in the heat.

The duo were declared the winners of their respective qualification heats this morning, with fans watching them closely. The 400-meter freestyle final generated significant anticipation as it featured some of the world’s top performers competing against each other in the World Cup event once again.

It was a hell of a final

According to the live coverage provided by FINA on YouTube, Short was lined up in lane 4, and he took an early lead and maintained it until the end. The swimming sensation clocked an impressive time of 2:44.51 to clinch the podium finish. Kieran Smith of the United States was following the winner closely as he placed second after 3:46.80 on the clock, and with this, Smith also redeemed himself against Rap?ys, who finished third with a 3:47.00 finish. Short not only won the final but also came close to breaking the world record.

However, in the end, he fell just short of achieving that feat. It was a day filled with eventful swimming races, as Short was also declared the winner of heat 4 of the qualification rounds during the day when he clocked 3:49.83. Whereas Rap?ys finished first in heat 3 of the qualification rounds that witnessed the close finish from Smith as well. The trio was poised to make it a final to remember amid the redemption of Kieran Smith from his Lithuanian rival.

A new swimming rivalry is brewing

In the daytime, Rap?ys outclassed his rivals in heat 3/4 of the qualification round, securing victory with an impressive time of 3:50.4. Smith, who was in lane 4, was also looking set for a win prior to the big finals, but he fell behind with a mere time difference and placed second after clocking 3:51.53. But the American prodigy had different plans for the finals, and he did not give his Lithuanian counterpart a chance to come back in spite of not winning the final.

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However, none of the swimmers were crowned, as neither of them met the criteria for being crowned the king of the pools. Now, with a much-needed boost in confidence, the swimmers are undoubtedly looking forward to the 2024 Paris Olympics and the upcoming world championships. These events will see swimmers giving their all to secure a coveted spot on the podium.

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