Kira Toussaint failed to win a World Cup medal in the 100m backstroke in Budapest on Monday. The Dutchman finished in sixth place with a time of 59.99 seconds.
The 28-year-old Toussaint was not one of the top favorites. Halfway through, the Noord-Hollandse was in fifth place. With her time, Toussaint was more than eight tenths slower than the time with which she finished fourth in the semi-final on Sunday.
American Regan Smith took gold with 58.22. The silver went to Canada’s Kylie Masse (58.40) and Claire Curzan (58.67) from the United States completed the podium.
Toussaint won gold in the 50, 100 and 200 meters backstroke at the European Championship short course in Kazan in November last year. She also made it to the 100 back final at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing seventh. At the previous World Championship long track, three years ago in South Korea, she was missing in the final of the 100 meters. Toussaint then swam the final of the 50 meter backstroke.
Toussaint has been training in the United States for the past few months. She actually focused on the European Championship in Rome in August, but surprised herself a bit on Sunday with the fourth fastest time in the semi-finals of the World Cup in the Hungarian capital (59.16). She was unable to approach that time in the final.
Caspar Corbeau failed to secure a final spot in the 50m breaststroke.
Caspar Corbeau failed to secure a final spot in the 50m breaststroke. Photo: Getty Images
No final places Corbeau and Steenbergen
Earlier in the evening, Caspar Corbeau failed to reach the final of the 50 meter breaststroke. He finished twelfth in the semi-final with a time of 27.44.
Nicolò Martinenghi was the fastest in the semifinals (26.57). The Italian already won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke on Sunday. Arno Kamminga took silver in the 100m breaststroke. He does not compete in the 50 meters and concentrates completely on the 200 meters breaststroke.
Marrit Steenbergen did not make the final of the 200 meter freestyle. She swam fifteenth time in the semifinals (1.58.93). Britain’s Freya Anderson qualified with the fastest time for the final (1.56.05). Kamminga’s silver medal is the only medal that the Netherlands has won so far.
Italian Thomas Ceccon won gold in the 100m backstroke in a world record.
Italian Thomas Ceccon won gold in the 100m backstroke in a world record. Photo: Reuters
Italian Ceccon wins 100m backstroke in world record
Thomas Ceccon swam in style to the world title in the 100-meter backstroke. The Italian triumphed in a world record (51.60). He referred Americans Ryan Murphy (51.97) and Hunter Armstrong (51.98) to the silver and bronze.
Murphy held the world record until Monday. He reached the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro six years ago after 51.85 seconds. Ceccon took his second medal at this World Cup, after a bronze medal with his country team in the 4×100 meter freestyle.
Katie Ledecky captured the world title in the 1,500-meter freestyle (15.30.15) with a great display of power. The American was more than fourteen seconds faster than her compatriot Katie Grimes (15.44.89). Australia’s Lani Pallister finished third (15.48.96).
David Popovici is the new world champion in the 200 meter freestyle. The seventeen-year-old Romanian touched after 1.43.21. Hwang Sun-woo from South Korea took silver (1.44.47) and Briton Tom Dean swam to bronze (1.44.98).