Have you been missing all the action in the pool since the Paris Olympics? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered! The first leg of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup is currently underway, and the competition is as thrilling as ever! Taking place in Shanghai, we will watch our favorites dominate the short course meters. Stars like 4x Olympic gold medalist Léon Marchand, Kaylee McKeown, Regan Smith, Qin Haiyang and more looked forward to making a splash yet again. 

The 2x Paris Olympics gold medalist McKeown recently broke the 100m backstroke world record in the Australian Short Course Championships and will participate at all three tour stops like fellow Olympic Champion Marchand. While the former contested in the 100m IM and the 50m backstroke, the latter only competed in the 100m IM today. Additionally, Regan Smith gave McKeown a tough fight in the 50m back. Are you excited to see how your favorites fared? 

The 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup have been thrilling for Léon Marchand and Co.

We know what you’re here for. The hype around France’s Golden Boy was immeasurable at the París La Défense Arena. But could he possibly continue that momentum in Shanghai? The swimmer took a much-needed break from the pool, but he couldn’t wait to get back to competitions, and the time is finally here! All eyes were on the Olympic champion, and he didn’t disappoint. His split of 10.23 seconds in the butterfly leg wasn’t quick enough to catch Noe Ponti, who recorded 10.16. He held on to that lead in the backstroke leg with 12.53 seconds, and things looked grim for the Frenchman as Thomas Ceccon slipped past him in second place. 

Things changed when Léon Marchand took over during the breaststroke leg with a blistering split of 14.96 seconds, with Ponti hot on his heels. The two went head to head in the final leg, battling for the prize. But Marchand was just 0.1 seconds quicker, touching the wall in 50.65 seconds. However, Ponti’s time broke a Swiss record, making this his second in the session. Duncan Scott pushed himself from the fourth to third place, finishing in 51.14 seconds. With this, he shattered the British record of 51.78 seconds set in 2021. How did Kaylee McKeown do?

After a stellar Paris Olympics, the 23-year-old’s major confession about this being her last was nothing short of shocking. However, the Aussie has an incredible world record-breaking streak, and she made sure she left an indelible mark in Shanghai. Shrugging off the pressure of performing, the swimmer sped past her rival, Regan Smith. The reigning World Cup Champion touched the wall in 25.36 seconds in the 50m backstroke finals.

Not only did she shatter the former record by Kira Toussaint of 25.81 seconds set in 2021, but she shaved off four-hundredths off her own Oceanian record. Could it get any better for her? While Regan Smith wasn’t quick enough to beat the Aussie, she stayed on her heels throughout the race, snagging a second-place finish. With a lifetime best of 25.70 seconds, the American joined the sub-26 seconds with her McKeown. Ingrid Wilm completed the podium with 26.08 seconds on the clock. However, this the Aussie returned to the pool for the 100m IM finals.

Next up, Qin Haiyang in the men’s 100m breaststroke! The 25-year-old walked away with a shiny gold from the Paris Olympics, but his world crashed when he found himself surrounded by controversies shortly after. However, the swimmer hoped to keep all of that at bay today. Up against world record holder Ilya Shyamanovich, it wasn’t going to be easy. But Haiyang was up for the challenge. The former kept his lead in the first 75 meters. In fact, his time of 25.93 at the halfway point was the only split sub-26. 

But the Olympian wasn’t going to give up as easily. In the final 25 meters, Qin pushed through with a blistering split of 14.97 seconds, surging past Shyamanovich. Touching the wall in 55.73 seconds, he shattered the Chinese and Asian record in front of a home crowd. The world record holder may have missed out on the prize, but he snagged a second-place finish with 56.07 seconds on the clock. Sun Jiajun completed the podium in 56.16 seconds and recorded the fastest closing split with 14.89 seconds on the clock. Time to check in on the 100m IM finals!

Kaylee McKeown locked horns with Kate Douglass in the pool this time. The latter had already turned heads by equaling an American record of 57.72 seconds in the prelims on October 17. Even though this would be her first 100m IM final, many hoped to see a repeat of her stellar performance today. This might as well be touted as one of the most intense events on Day 1, considering the back and forth between the American and Yu Yiting. The former touched the wall in 11.53 seconds in the butterfly leg, staying ahead of the latter. However, the roles were reversed in the backstroke leg.

Yiting had the lead, while Douglass trailed behind in 5th place. By the breaststroke leg, the American was only .05 seconds behind Yiting. But her split of 13.71 helped her take the lead and clinch an impressive win for herself. Not only did she record the only sub-14 freestyle split, but she also set a new American record with her blistering 56.99 seconds. This brought it down to sub-57. Isn’t that something? Yitting trailed in second place with 57.51, setting a new Asian Record. On the other hand, Kaylee McKeown snagged a third-place finish, just like in the Paris Olympics, with 57.76 seconds on the clock.

But Douglass returned to the pool again for her final event of the day – 200m breaststroke! She might have snagged the top spot in the 100m IM, but her sub-2:20 swim in the prelims had her touted as the favorite for this event. Could she replicate another stellar win? The answer is a resounding yes! The Olympic champion had already proved her mettle. But many just wanted to see how quick she would be in Shanghai, and the swimmer didn’t disappoint.

Quick off the blocks, the American held on to her lead throughout. She had recorded 1:05:04 in the 100m mark and clinched another win in 2:15.96. The swimmer was slightly off her lifetime best set in the 2022 World Championships, but a win’s a win, right? Alina Zmushka snuck into the second place at the 50m wall and ensured no one moved past her. She touched the wall in 2:19:98, joining the sub-2:20 club with Douglass. Trailing behind them was Rebecca Meder, who snagged a third-place finish in 2:20:35.

After Day 1 in Shanghai, here is a glimpse of the top 6 athletes in the women’s category:

Here is a list of the top 6 athletes in the men’s category:

There you have it! The international swimming circuit has been as thrilling as ever with an exciting Day 1 of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup. But we’re nowhere done yet. Are you excited about how your favorites fare in the next stops? Who knows, one of them might as well snag the Triple Crown title too.