Day 3 of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup has been nothing short of thrilling. The first leg of the competition took place in Shanghai, and it set the bar for what to expect from the next leg higher than ever. With impressive performances from Léon Marchand and Kate Douglass, one name was as prominent as ever: Noe Ponti. Having locked heads with the Frenchman twice now, the swimmer had to settle for second place not once but twice. However, that changed on October 20, when he returned to the pool for the 50m butterfly. The Swiss had already set a world record with his blistering 21.67 seconds earlier this morning.

Similarly, in the finals, he didn’t disappoint fans. Keeping the lead throughout the swim, Ponti touched the wall in 21.68 seconds. This has been the second-fastest time ever in the finals and just .01 seconds short of a new world record. He cleared the former world record of 21.75 seconds held by Nicholas Santos and Szebastian Szabo set in 2018 and 2021. But as they head to Incheon next, the swimmer currently sits in the #2 position with 56.8 points, trailing behind a triumphant Léon Marchand, who racked up 58.3 points after a successful first leg.

Léon Marchand, Kate Douglass, and Noe Ponti set the pace for the next stops

Ponti first locked horns with Léon Marchand during the 100m M on day 1 of the World Cup. It happened to be one of the most nail-biting races, with the former taking in an early lead and holding on to it until the breaststroke leg before the Frenchman took over. The 4x Olympic gold medalist touched the wall in 50.65 seconds. Ponti was 0.1 seconds slower, shattering a Swiss record in the process. On day 2, the 22-year-old crushed the World Cup, European, and French records with 1:50:30 on the clock in the 200m M. But this time, Ponti settled for a third-place finish with 1:51.78.

Léon Marchand kept that momentum going by setting another French record tonight with his blistering 4:00.03. He shattered the previous record set by Jérémy Stravius in 2012. However, things didn’t go his way when the Frenchman missed out on the podium in the 200m breaststroke with 2:02.99 on the clock. On the other hand, Noe Ponti turned heads with his staggering performance in the 50m butterfly event, showcasing why he’s the one to watch out for. 

Kate Douglass had an incredible Day 3. Contesting in the 200m M, she clinched the final gold with her blistering 2:04.09. Not only did the swimmer claim the top spot in the event, but Douglass beat the entire field by over a second. While she didn’t better her personal best of 2:02.12 from 2012, she is now the #2 performer in the event. On day 1, the 22-year-old shocked the swimming community by equaling the American record of 57.72 seconds in the prelims. But she finally shattered the record by claiming a win in the 100m M with 56.99 seconds, entering the sub-57 category.

The swimmer returned for the 200m breaststroke with a sub-2:20 time in the prelims and clinched another gold with 2:15.96 on the clock. In the 50m butterfly, she shattered another American record with a blistering 24.54. With this, she shaved off .01 seconds from Claire Curzan’s 24.55 recorded in 2021. The swimmer is now #4 in the top women’s SCM 50 butterfly performers.

With the conclusion of the first leg of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, here are the final standings in the men’s category: 

How did the women do? After 3 days of incredible events, here are the final standings in the women’s category:

The World Cup in Shanghai has given us several exciting events and races. But the competition will now move on to Incheon. With all the performances we have witnessed so far, can Léon Marchand and Kate Douglass hold on to their spot? Or will they be surpassed by Noe Ponti and Regan Smith? We will just have to wait and watch.