Wang Jianjiahe, Alia Atkinson and Nicholas Santos all set new short course world records as Cluster 2 of the 2018 FINA Swimming World Cup concluded in Budapest at the weekend.

China’s Wang (pictured) took 400m freestyle gold in a new world’s best time of 3:53.97, smashing Mireia Belmonte’s time of 3:54.52 that had stood since the 2013 World Cup.

Brazil’s Santos swam the fastest ever 50m butterfly in 21.75, ending an even longer world record of 21.80 which was set by Steffen Deibler nearly nine years ago.

Jamaica’s Atkinson completed the trio of world records with 28.56 in the 50m breaststroke, bettering her own time of 28.64 set in the World Cup at Japan two years ago.

For Wang, there were even more reasons to celebrate. She also won gold in the 800m freestyle and set a new world junior record of 7:59.44 in the process.

This earned her the overall women’s win in Cluster 2, which included the two 25m pool meets in Budapest and Eindhoven the previous weekend.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström (pictured being interviewed) still leads the overall standings, but she was restricted to just one gold medal in Hungary which came in the 200m freestyle.

Instead, it was Holland’s Ranomi Kromowidjojo who excelled to get the better of Sjöström and win triple gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle as well as the 50m butterfly.

Home swimmer Katinka Hosszu went one better, winning four gold medals in the 200m butterlfy along with a clean sweep of the medley races with wins in the 100m, 200m and 400m IM.

Hosszu remains second in the overall standings behind Sjöström, with Russia’s Yuliya Efimova – winner in the 200m breaststroke – in third.

Emily Seebohm claimed a clean sweep of the three backstroke events, while USA’s Kelsi Dahlia set a new World Cup record of 54.84 in the 100m butterfly.

Russia’s Vladimir Morozov topped the men’s rankings for Cluster 2, and held on to his lead in the overall standings.

Morozov won Budapest gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle, setting a new World Cup record of 20.51 over 50m, as well as the 100m IM.

Australia’s Mitch Larkin was the weekendt’s big men’s winner, taking impressive golds in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and the 200m IM.

Brazil’s Felipe Lima, Australia’s Mack Horton and South African Chad le Clos were also double winners in Hungary.

The third and final cluster of three meetings will all take place next month. The 25m pool format will continue as the World Cup concludes in Beijing (November 2-4), Tokyo (November 9-11) and Singapore (November 15-17).

2018 FINA Swimming World Cup #4 Results

MEN
1. Nicholas Santos (Brazil) 1006 pts
2. Vladimir Morozov (Russia) 998 pts
3. Kirill Progoda (Russia) 972 pts

WOMEN
1. Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) 1008 pts
2. Wang Jianjiahe (China) 1007 pts
3. Kelsi Dhalia (USA) 987 pts

EVENT WINNERS
50m free: Men – Vladimir Morozov (RUS) 20.51 (WCR); Women – Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) 23.23
100m free: Men – Vladimir Morozov (RUS) 45.30; Women – Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) 51.01
200m free: Men – Blake Pieroni (USA) 1:42.00; Women – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 1:51.60
400m free: Men – Mack Horton (AUS) 3:41.78; Women – Wang Jianjiahe (CHN) 3:53.97 (WR)
800m free: Women – Wang Jianjiahe (CHN) 7:59.44 (WJR)
1500m free: Men – Mack Horton (AUS) 14:39.84
50m back: Men – Michael Andrew (USA) 23.19; Women – Emily Seebohm (AUS) 26.05
100m back: Men – Mitch Larkin (AUS) 49.96; Women – Emily Seebohm (AUS) 55.81
200m back: Men – Mitch Larkin (AUS) 1:49.52; Women – Emily Seebohm (AUS) 1:59.94
50m breast: Men – Felipe Lima (BRA) 25.88; Women – Alia Atkinson (JAM) 28.56 (WR)
100m breast: Men – Felipe Lima (BRA) 56.69; Women – Alia Atkinson (JAM) 1:02.80
200m breast: Men – Kirill Prigoda (RUS) 2:01.58; Women – Yuliya Efimova (RUS) 2:17.88
50m fly: Men – Nicholas Santos (BRA) 21.75 (WR); Women – Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) 24.65
100m fly: Men – Chad Le Clos (RSA) 49.22; Women – Kelsi Dahlia (USA) 54.84 (WCR)
200m fly: Men – Chad Le Clos (RSA) 1:50.29; Women – Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2:03.14
100m IM: Men – Vladimir Morozov (RUS) 50.32; Women – Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 57.64
200m IM: Men – Mitch Larkin (AUS) 1:52.96; Women – Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2:04.13
400m IM: Men – Daiya Seto (JPN) 4:01.16; Women – Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 4:23.55
4x50m free mixed: Netherlands 1:30.01
4x50m medley mixed: Netherlands 1:38.68

2018 FINA World Cup Cluster #2 Overall Standings

MEN
1. Vladimir Morozov (Russia) 134 pts
2. Nicolas Santos (Brazil) 83 pts
3. Daiya Seto (Japan) 72 pts

WOMEN
1. Jianjiahe Wang (China) 122 pts
2. Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) 89 pts
3. Sarah Sjöström (Sweden) 84 pts

2018 FINA World Cup Standings (after Budapest)

MEN
1. Vladimir Morozov (Russia) 218 pts
2. Mitch Larkin (Australia) 144 pts
3. Anton Chupkov (Russia) 126 pts

WOMEN
1. Sarah Sjöström (Sweden) 204 pts
2. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 162 pts
3. Yulia Efimova (Russia) 153 pts

2018 FINA Swimming World Cup Calendar

Cluster 1 (50m pool)
1. Kazan (RUS) – September 7-9
2. Doha (QAT) – September 13-15

Cluster 2 (25m pool)
3. Eindhoven (NED) – September 28-30
4. Budapest (HUN) – October 4-6

Cluster 3 (25m pool)
5. Beijing (CHN) – November 2-4
6. Tokyo (JPN) – November 9-11
7. Singapore (SGP) – November 15-17

All photos courtesy of FINA press release