He is 41 years old, he turns 42 in February, but he is still subscribed to international podiums, smashing longevity records. Brazilian Nicholas Santos has become world champion of 50 butterfly with a mark of 21.93, making him the oldest short pool gold medalist thanks to his performance in this Abi Dabi World Cup that consumes its penultimate day. When Santos began to compete, at the 2001 World Cup in Fukuoka, his rivals were born but could not swim.
The Brazilian has dominated this test, with the best records in history, and led the race from start to finish, followed by Dylan Carter (21.98), the intrepid swimmer from Trinidad and Tobago who trains in the United States, and the Italian Matteo Rivolta, who continues to add medals (22.08). A final that opened the mouth to an exciting day, perhaps the most daring of these swimming World Cups, with world and European records and great participations, like those that were produced in the 400 men’s styles.
Although the honors go to the Japanese Daiya Seto, who for the fifth time has registered his name as the winner of the test, identical to that in the 200 styles, 18-year-old Russian Ilia Borodin ran as his worthy successor with a swift, animal ending, which put Seto’s victory in check. Better in the butterfly and in the back, the Japanese decided to give everything and trust his victory to the advantage in the last style, the freestyle. But the Russian came close to Seto’s 3: 56.26.
It took him more than two seconds in 100 meters, more than swimming by jumping in the water, with an arm length that made him a real shark. It fell just two tenths behind gold (3: 56.48). He was so angry, he saw him so close, that he lamented with goals in the water when on the scoreboard he indicated that the young Russian had pulverized the junior world record and the European absolute that was held by the legendary and Laszlo Cseh since 2009. American Carsoon Foster completed the podium (3: 57.99).
Regardless of those two symbolic finals, Canada continued to show its growth. The releves, in which Spain has not presented teams, are the cotton test to know the swimming of the countries. And Canada prevailed in the women’s free 4×200, without two of their best swimmers, just one tenth behind the world record (7: 32.96), ahead of the United States and China.
Previously, in the 50 backstroke, Margaret McNeil broke the world record (25.27). He was accompanied on the podium by his compatriot Kilye Masse (25.62) and the Swedish Louisse Hansson (25.86). The Canadian anthem also sounded in the 200 styles with the victory of Sydney Pickrem (2: 04.29). 16-year-old Chinese Yiting Yu broke the junior world record and took silver (2: 04.48) while American Kate Douglas was third (2: 04.68).
Again a Chinese swimmer, Qianting Tang, won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1: 03.47, an Asian record, ahead of the Swedish Sophie Hansson (1: 03.50) and the Irish Mona Mc Sharry (1: 03.92). In the men’s 4×50 styles relays, the triumph was for Russia, with a record of the Championships included (1: 30.51), and for the United States, who made the same chronometer. There was no silver but bronze, which was taken by Italy (1: 30.78).