Matthew Sates, Emma McKeon Crowned 2021 FINA World Cup Champs
South Africa’s Matthew Sates and Australian Emma McKeon were crowed the top point-getters at the 2021 FINA World Cup.
The duo were the high scorers in each gender over the World Cup stops this fall, in Berlin, Budapest, Doha and Kazan. Over the four legs of the event, FINA awarded $1.452 million. A total of 1,021 athletes (590 men, 431 women) competed, representing 57 national federations and five continents.
Sates and McKeon take home $100,000 each. McKeon was the overall top point-scorer at 228.3 points. The Australian, who won seven medals at the Tokyo Olympics, narrowly outdistance Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands, who tallied 227.4. Third place went to McKeon’s countrywoman Madison Wilson (209.1). McKeon ($144,000) and Toussaint ($107,500) were the top prize winners.
On the men’s side, Sates took the top spot with 227 points. He was followed by Tom Shields, who picked up 224.4 points. Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands accumulated 224.1 points for third. Those three were the tops on the money list, led by $140,000 for Sates and $103,500 for Shields.
Sates also did the most damage on the record boards. He set three world junior records, taking down the 200 individual medley (1:51.45) and 200 freestyle (1:40.65) in Berlin, then the men’s 400 free (3:37.92) in Budapest. The highlight, of course, was Kyle Chalmers’ world record in the men’s 100 freestyle, the Australian clocking in at 44.84 seconds in Kazan.
The United States also set a world junior record in Berlin in the 200 mixed medley relay with the team of Quintin McCarty, Zhier Fan, Charlotte Hook and Kristina Peagle at 1:41.21.
With Chalmers’ world mark, a total of four FINA World Cup records fell. Toussaint set the standard in the women’s 50 backstroke (25.81 seconds), McKeon in the 100 free (50.58) and Daiya Seto of Japan rewrote the 200 IM standard (1:50.66).
