WORLD CUP QUEEN MARTINA MORAVCOVA WORLD CUP ...

COMMENTARY
Nick J. Thierry
The 2001-2002 FINA World Cup was a huge success.
After nine competitions (three in the Americas,
one in Asia, one in Australia, and the final four in
Europe) over a period of two-and-half months, the
end result was 22 world records in 12 events. With top
prize money awarded for fast swimming, all of the six
winners (three men and three women) had to be at
their best ever to remain in contention.
The star performer was Ed Moses (USA), who
rewrote the record book in the men’s breaststroke
with five record swims in the 50, 100, and 200
breaststrokes. It was his 2:03.17 in the 200 that earned
him the top prize for the top performance of the series,
worth 1049 points.
All three prize winners in the men’s category were
breaststrokers. It was the intense head-to-head
competition over the series that resulted in the amazing
results.
Martina Moravcova (SVK) has made the World
Cup her own special project. Last year she competed
in 6 out of 10 competitions, winning 8 categories and
$32,000 in prize money. This year she easily topped
that. With emphasis on fast swimming, she was up to
the challenge, winning 24 events in six competitions,
adding 4 seconds, and 2 thirds. At the final meet in
Berlin, she bettered the world record in the 100 fly
with 56.55, worth 1028 points and giving her the top
women’s performance over the series.
The single best women’s performance was by
Natalie Coughlin (USA), who shattered world records
in the 100 and 200 backstrokes in November 2001.
Her 57.08 was worth 1039 points, but she only
competed in one meet, so was not eligible for the final
prize.
The series will be similar next year; changes that
will be in effect for 2004 include a reduction to no
more than five to seven competitions and increased
prize money in order to encourage the best swimmers
in the world to participate.
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10000
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The chart shows how each competition rated
comparing top ten performances. Each competition
resulted in faster results (with one exception).
Showing up was definitely not enough anymore.
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SWIMNEWS / JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2002
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2001-2002 FINA WORLD CUP
ED MOSES AND MARTINA MORAVCOVA TOP PERFORMERS
22 WORLD RECORDS, US $824,000 IN PRIZE MONEY
WORLD CUP 1 RIO DE JANEIRO— The only
outdoor competition of the World Cup series was held
over three days with finals in the morning. Globo TV,
broadcasting live in Brazil, had 12 million viewers
during the Sunday-morning finals session from 9 to
11:15 am.
The quality of the competition was much superior
to previous years.
Host Brazil had the most medals with 33 (4-10-
19) and bettered six national and five South American
records.
The Americans won the most golds with 6 and
had 11 medals in total. Lindsay Benko was the top
American performer with wins in the 200 free and 200
back, and a 400 free win with 4:07.84, beating Yana
Klochkova by five seconds. Backstroker Diana
MacManus added wins in the 50 and 100.
Yana Klochkova (UKR) won all the IMs,
swimming a 1:02.55 in the 100 on the first day. She
also finished second in the 400 free. Klochkova easily
won the 400 IM; Georgina Bardach (ARG), in second
with her 4:41.09, bettered the former South American
record of 4:46.16 from 1999.
The five-member Canadian team was solid with
9 medals (5-2-2), with Morgan Knabe winning the
200 breast in 2:09.50, his best ever, and placing third
in the 100 breast with 1:00.52. Rhiannon Leier (CAN)
won the 100 breast in 1:09.09 and added seconds in
the 50 and 200 breast. Rick Say (CAN) had strong
performances, winning the 200 free in 1:45.84, the
400 free in 3:45.55, and the 1500 free in 15:11.54. His
200 free was a personal best.
Rating Summary of top performances World Cup 1
1) 1000 58.76 100 breast M Roman Sloudnov,80,RUS
2) 985 27.22 50 breast M Oleg Lisogor,79,UKR
3) 984 58.29 100 fly W Johanna Sjoberg,78,SWE
Fast start for Sloudnov in Rio
Flyer Geoff Huegill (AUS)
WORLD CUP 2 EDMONTON—Two World Cup
records during the second night of finals were the
highlights.
First up was Xuejuan Luo (CHN), winner of the
50 breast in 30.71, bettering the old Cup record of
30.77 by Xue Han (CHN) from 1977. It is the thirdfastest
all-time performance, just 1/10th of a second
off the world record. Luo won the 100 breast in
1:06.37. The 50 breast was the top women’s
performance of the competition, worth 1003 points.
Geoff Huegill (AUS) already had the top men’s
performance from the first day’s 50 fly win of 23.05,
worth 1008 points. He added the 100 fly with a 51.04
(1005 points), which bettered the World Cup record of
51.07 by Michael Klim (AUS) in 1997. Huegill also
placed second in the 100 backstroke.
Rick Say (CAN) continued in his national recordsetting
mode and overall domination of freestyle
events, winning the 200 free with 1:45.59 and the
1500 with 15:05.72. On the first day he won the 400
free with 3:42.42, a Canadian mark, and was second
in the 100 free. He won six events in the first two World
Cups.
Morgan Knabe (CAN) won the 100 breaststroke
in 59.94, holding off a fast-charging Eduardo Fischer
(BRA) in second with 1:00.19, a national and South
American record.
“I’m still in the 200 mode,” Knabe said. “It’s not
there yet for the sprints. I was having a hard time
getting under the minute. I have to work on my speed.
It will come the more I race. As soon as I get to
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