Day 2 of the last leg of the 2023 Swimming World Cup is up and running. Every event showcases historic swimming performances, with new heroes rising to fame each time. Many swimmers are trying to make their mark in the event, while several others have been absolutely dominant throughout the tournament. With the event reaching its pinnacle, the adrenaline rush has become real for both the fans and the athletes. In a similar vein, Matthew Sates of South Africa has achieved yet another podium finish in the men’s 200-meter butterfly and men’s 200 meter individual medley.
He displayed remarkable consistency throughout the competition, maintaining it in the finals and securing another victory. Not only did Sates win the race, but he etched his name in that rarest league of the swimmers who won double crowns during the World Cup, and it also came with a bonus cash reward of $20,000.
Another swimming phenom rises
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According to the live coverage provided by FINA on their YouTube channel, earlier in the finals, the Olympian competed in the men’s 200-meter individual medley, where he reigned supreme with almost a one-sided victory. Racing in Lane 4, Sates had a decent start with a 0.68 reaction time. He looked composed, kept going without hassle, and clocked an incredible time of 1:57.72 to finish the race. Kieran Smith of the United States was placed second with 1:58.98 seconds, while Danas Rapsys of Lithuania finished third with 1:59.38 seconds. The 20-year-old swimmer prodigy again returned for the men’s 200-meter butterfly, where he started from lane 1 and jetted off to a great start with a 0.67 reaction time.
He struggled in the initial two laps and was falling behind his opponents, but during the third lap, he cut down the gap and took the lead in the final lap. At the end, he maintained his winning streak after finishing the race in 1:55.25. Richard Marton of Hungary, who was leading the race initially, had to settle for second place after he finished the race in 1:56.21, and Trenton Julian of the United States took the third spot with 1:56.74. He also accomplished the rare swimming double, earning two crowns and a $10,000 cash prize for each category.
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His extraordinary wins in the previous two events
During the Berlin leg, Sates started the competition on a positive note when he grabbed the podium finish in the men’s 200-meter individual medley. On October 7th, he secured victory in the Berlin finals with a leaderboard-topping time of 1:58.01 seconds. This achievement added another 901 points to the swimmer’s total, and he continued to maintain his lead in the following second leg.
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As the Swimming World Cup entered Greek waters, the South African swimmer maintained his dominance, leaving no room for his competitors to mount a comeback and securing another victory. The finals of the men’s 200-meter individual medley were scheduled for October 14, where the swimmer secured the top spot with a 1:58.86 second finish while securing 882 points.
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