World Aquatics World Cup #3 – Astana
Welcome to the first day of the final stop of the 2026 World Swimming Cup in Astana, where today’s final session will feature a slightly different Day 1 lineup.
Tonight’s finals session will feature the women’s 400 IM, men’s 100 free, women’s 50 fly, men’s 50 breast, women’s 200 free, men’s 200 fly, women’s 100 breast, men’s 100 back, women’s 50 back, and the men’s 200 IM.
We open with the women’s 400 IM, led by top seeds Ellen Walshe and Yu Yiting; Yu will chase a potential triple crown, having won this race at the first two stops.
Egor Kornev will chase a triple crown in the men’s 100 free, after tying the World Record earlier in the World Cup. Cam McEvoy and Sean Niewold will push him as he fights for a third consecutive 100 free win.
Another potential triple crown will come in the women’s 50 fly, with Roos Vanotterdijk looking to pick up a 3rd win after posting the fastest prelim time in 25.24. The men’s 50 breast will feature a loaded final after Michael Houlie (26.04) and Caspar Corbeau (26.32) posted the top two times in the heats; the top six performers this morning were all separated by less than half a second.
Anna Peplowski led the 200 free this morning, touching in 1:55.07. Chen Juner will also look to cap off a perfect run in the 200 fly, touching in 1:53.59 in the prelims.
Mona McSharry will have another potential crowning moment as she takes on the women’s 100 breast, though Evgeniia Chikunova and Tes Schouten will put pressure on her. Pavel Samusenko topped the men’s 100 back prelims in 50.14, though Pieter Coetze will be fueled by the chance at a triple crown, finishing 2nd this morning in 50.27.
Marrit Steenbergen leads the 50 back field by nearly half a second, hoping for a third straight finals win in 26.12. Our final event of the night will see Luke Barr lead the 200 IM after posting the fastest prelims time at 1:55.27.
Women’s 400 IM
- World Record: 4:15.48, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
- World Cup Record: 4:18.94, Mireia Belmonte Garcia (ESP), 2017
Gold – Yu Yiting (CHN) – 4:22.74 *Triple Crown Winner
Silver – Waka Kobori (JPN) – 4:26.99
Bronze – Abbie Wood (GBR) – 4:27.38
The first race of the final already had the triple crown on the line, as Yu Yiting needed another big swim to add $10,000 to her Silk Road earnings.
Yu went out fast, as usual, leading by more than four seconds at the fly turn in 57.37.
That momentum carried through the backstroke leg, widening her lead; she turned at the halfway point in 2:02.67, with a near six-and-a-half-second lead.
The rest of the field was battling to ill ht rest of the podium, with Abbie Wood narrowing the gap ever so slightly, still turning four seconds behind Yu, who hit the 300 mark in 3:19.71.
Yu was not contested for the rest of the race, ultimately claiming the triple crown win in 4:22.74, setting a new national record, and touching only one one-hundredth off of the Asian Record.
Japan’s Waka Kobori snuck past Wood to claim the silver in 4:26.99. Wood would settle for bronze in 4:27.38.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
- World Record: 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 2021 / Egor Kornev (2026)
- World Cup Record: 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 2021 / Egor Kornev (2026)
Gold – Cam McEvoy (AUS) – 45.11 *Crown Busted
Silver – Egor Kornev (RUS) – 45.23
Bronze – Sean Niewold (NED) – 46.72
This was one of the most anticipated races of the entire stop, and with it, a potential triple crown for Kornev.
McEvoy previously said he’d take this race out as hard as he could and hold on… and that’s exactly what he did, opening up in 9.83 at the 25 and turning halfway in 21.15, a quarter of a second under World Record Pace.
Kornev would try as hard as he could to mount a comeback on the final 25 meters, splitting a swift 11.73, though the lead that McEvoy had established through the early stages of the race would be too much to overcome, as McEvoy would bust the crown opportunity for Kornev and take the win in 45.11, just .12 ahead of Kornev in 45.23.
Niewold would finish just two hundredths ahead of Dylan Carter for the bronze in 46.72.
Women’s 50 Butterfly
- World Record: 23.72, Gretchen Walsh (USA), 2025
- World Cup Record: 23.72, Gretchen Walsh (USA), 2025
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Men’s 50 Breaststroke
- World Record: 24.95, Emre Sakci (TUR), 2021
- World Cup Record: 25.25, Cameron van der Burgh (RSA), 2009
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Women’s 200 Freestyle
- World Record: 1:49.36, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 2025
- World Cup Record: 1:49.36, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 2025
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Men’s 200 Butterfly
- World Record: 1:46.85, Tomoru Honda (JPN), 2022
- World Cup Record: 1:48.46, Ilya Kharun (CAN), 2025
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Women’s 100 Breaststroke
- World Record: 1:02.36, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
- World Cup Record: 1:02.36, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
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Men’s 100 Backstroke
- World Record: 48.16, Hubert Kos (HUN), 2025
- World Cup Record: 48.16, Hubert Kos (HUN), 2025
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Women’s 50 Backstroke
- World Record: 25.23, Regan Smith (USA), 2024
- World Cup Record: 25.35, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2025
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Men’s 200 IM
- World Record: 1:48.88, Leon Marchand (FRA), 2024
- World Cup Record: 1:48.88, Leon Marchand (FRA), 2024
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