Doha (QAT), 21.10.2021: Matthew Sates (RSA) and Sunwoo Hwang (KOR) are set for an exciting men's 100m individual medley contest after the duo reached the final of the event on the opening day of the FINA Swimming World Cup Doha 2021 at the Hamad Aquatic Center on Thursday.
Overall ranking leader in the ongoing FINA World Cup series, Sates topped the 100m IM heat with a time of 53.22 while Hwang (53.35) finished third behind Daiya Seto (JPN), who clocked 53.29 for a second place.
American Blake Pieroni (USA) also qualified for the final with a time of 54.61 while Qatar’s Yousef Al Khulaifi bowed out after finishing the heat in 1:02.79.
Sates will also compete in the men's 100m butterfly final this evening after he clocked 52.44 in the event’s heat, won by Fernando Souza da Silva (POR), with a time of 51.27. Korea’s Seungwoo Moon (51.95) and Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo (52.08) finished second and third respectively.
Tom Shields (USA) was one place ahead of Sates, completing the heat in 52.44 while his team-mate Blake Pieroni (52.76) also entered the final. Qatar’s Aziz Ismail (1:01.80), Mohammed Al Khanji (1:02.50) and Abdulla Hussain (1:08.79) did not qualify for the title race.
Also on the opening day in Doha, Dutchman Jesse Puts won the men’s 50m freestyle heat completing the race in 21.15, with Aussie star Kyle Chalmers (21.26) and Russian ace Vladimir Morozov (21.87) securing the second and third positions respectively.
Aziz Ismail was the best performing Qatari athlete in the men’s 50m freestyle heat, finishing the race in 25.87.
Arno Kamminga (NED) set the pace for evening’s men's 100m breaststroke final, completing the heat first with a time of 57.04. German Fabian Schwingenschlogl was runner-up after clocking 57.82 while Anton Chupkov (RUS) – coming back from retirement – finished third in 57.83.
Qatar’s Abdulrahman Al Khanji clocked an impressive 1:14.44 and was put in the reserve list for the final.
Meanwhile, stage is also set for a thrilling women's 50m freestyle final after Dutchwoman Ranomi Kromowidjojo (23.86) edged over ranking leader Emma Mckeon in the heat. The Australian star was second with a time of 24.09 while Swede Michelle Coleman (24.20) came in third position.
Australia’s Madison Wilson (24.22) and Barratt Holly (24.74) will also compete in the evening’s women's 50m freestyle finals.
A total of 12 titles will be decided on the opening day of the three-day meet. The finals will start at 6pm.