World Cup Astana, Day 3 Finals: Marrit Steenbergen Doubles; Yu Yiting Drops Asian Record in 200 IM
Following three weeks of competition, highlighted by several world-record performances, the 2026 edition of the World Aquatics World Cup wraps up on Saturday in Astana, Kazakhstan. This year’s tour was conducted along the Silk Road, with initial stops in Baku, Azerbaijan and Tashkent, Uzbekistan helping to promote the sport to a wider geographic locale and new audiences.
During the final session of World Cup action, multiple Crown attempts will be leading storylines. Athletes who win the same event at all three legs are rewarded with a $10,000 bonus. Through the first two days in Astana, 15 Crowns have been secured, with eight more within reach on Night Three. Leading the charge will be the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen, who is positioned to sweep both the 100-meter freestyle and 100 backstroke.
On the men’s side, Russia’s Egor Kornev (50 butterfly) and South Africa’s Pieter Coetze (50 backstroke) will try to complete their crowns after setting world records in their respective events in Tashkent.
Here is a recap of the Day Three finals from Astana:
Men’s 400 Individual Medley
The first event of the session featured a Crown-busting performance from Russia’s Ilia Borodin, who denied American Carson Foster from sweeping the 400 IM. Borodin trailed Foster by more than a second at the midway point of the race, but surged over the back half to prevail in 3:58.95, with Foster placing third in 4:00.85. In between was Italian veteran Alberto Razzetti, who touched the wall in 4:00.72.
Borodin was the runnerup in the 400 medley during the first two stops, where Foster earned victories. As for Razzetti, he bumped up from back-to-back bronze medals to earn silver.
Women’s 800 Freestyle
Gan Ching Hwee of Singapore continued her stellar distance run through the World Cup by lowering her national record to 8:13.18. By cutting more than two seconds off her previous mark of 8:15.73, Gan claimed the win and a Crown for her World Cup work. The former Indiana University swimmer banked $10,000 for the swim and finished comfortably ahead of China’s Chang Mohan, who was the runnerup in 8:15.38. New Zealand’s Caitlin Deans was third in 8:15.75.
Men’s 800 Freestyle
It’s been an eventful weekend for Belgian star Lucas Henveaux. Already a Crown winner in the 1500 freestyle, Henveaux easily won the 800 freestyle for another distance sweep. Henveaux covered the race in 7:30.76, which was good for an almost five-second edge on runnerup Oliver Papai (7:35.58) of Hungary. Henveaux also denied a Crown during the meet, as he won the 400 freestyle to end Carson Foster’s two-meet winning streak in that event.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Although not as sharp as during her European record last week in Tashkent, the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen stormed to victory in the 100 freestyle with a mark of 50.52. That showing was nearly a half-second clear of Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who took second place in 50.97. Third place went to Russia’s Daria Klepikova in 52.22.
The win in the 100 freestyle secured Steenbergen her latest Crown, with another opportunity ahead later in the session in the 100 backstroke. During the second stop of the tour, the Dutch standout established a European record of 50.32.
Men’s 50 Butterfly
Russian Egor Kornev finished off his three-meet tear in the 50 butterfly by speeding through his two laps in 21.82, with Singapore’s Teong Tzen Wei earning the silver medal in 22.03. Kornev, who is battling a back injury, was well off the world record (21.28) he set last week, but still secured a Triple Crown and the accompanying $10k bonus. The third-place finish was Belarus’ Grigori Pekarski, who was timed in 22.16.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Russia’s Ralina Giliazova registered a start-to-finish triumph in the 50 breaststroke, stopping the clock in 29.54 for a .17 margin over runnerup Florine Gaspard of Belgium. Rounding out the podium was Ireland’s Mona McSharry, who also dipped under the 30-second barrier behind a swim of 29.89. Giliazova was the winner of the breaststroke last week in Tashkent, and took second place during the opening stop in Baku.
Men’s 200 Freestyle
China’s He Yubo relied on a strong back half to his race to claim top honors in the 200 freestyle. He was fourth after the opening 50 meters and second at the halfway mark, but surged over the final four laps to win the race in 1:42.48. He pulled away down the stretch and got to the wall ahead of American Shaine Casas, who recorded a time of 1:43.14. The bronze medal went to Russia’s Ivan Girev in 1:43.44.
Women’s 200 Butterfly
Ireland’s Ellen Walshe emerged at the front of the field in the 200 butterfly, never trailing from the halfway point to the finish. Walshe collected the win behind a time of 2:04.05, which was more than two seconds faster than the 2:06.12 of China’s Zhou Xinyang. China’s Chang Mohan garnered her second podium finish of the night by placing third in 2:06.28.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Russia’s Kirill Prigoda notched a Triple Crown with a decisive triumph over Caspar Corbeau in the 100 breaststroke. Prigoda sat in second place at the 50-meter turn, behind South Africa’s Michael Houlie, but the Russian was too much for the field over the closing two laps and won in 56.03. That time was quicker than the 56.86 of Corbeau, who finished in second place ahead of American Luke Barr (57.11).
Women’s 100 Backstroke
The most dominant athlete on the World Cup circuit, the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen picked up another Crown in the 100 backstroke, complementing the sweep she completed earlier in the session in the 100 freestyle. In the 100 backstroke, Steenbergen posted a time of 55.43 to reach the wall more than a second ahead of Canada’s Taylor Ruck, who checked in with a swim of 56.69. In third was the United States’ Anna Peplowski, who clocked a 57.47.
Men’s 50 Backstroke
Coming off a world record in the 50 backstroke at the second leg of the series, South African Pieter Coetze rode the momentum to a Triple Crown in the sprint backstroke. This time around, Coetze went 22.36, which was slower than the 22.09 world mark he managed last week. Nonetheless, Coetze topped Russia’s Pavel Samusenko, who touched in 22.49. Third place was taken by Russia’s Egor Kornev in 22.81.
Women’s 200 Individual Medley
The final event of the World Cup featured a Triple Crown and Asian record as China’s Yu Yiting blistered a time of 2:02.63 in the 200 IM. Yu broke her own record of 2:02.80, which was set at the first stop of the World Cup. Yu dominated the field, as second place went to Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk in 2:05.07, with Great Britain’s Abbie Wood following in third place in 2:05.31.
