Dubai: Australia’s Mitch Larkin and Emily Seebohm stole the show in round six of the eight stage Fina/Airweave Swimming World Cup in Tokyo, Japan, last weekend.
After taking the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke double at the World Championships in Kazan in August, Larkin continued his winning ways in Tokyo, taking the double again and recording the best time in the world this year in the 200-metre backstroke (1:53.34).
The time was faster than his gold medal swim in Kazan and was also a new Australian and Commonwealth record. Larkin also holds the Australian and Commonwealth records in the 100-metre backstroke.
Seebohm, who also took the 100-metre and 200-metre back stroke double in Kazan, again proved too good for series leader Katinka Hosszu, claiming gold in the 50-metre and 100-metre before putting in a stunning performance coming from behind to take the 200-metre and the treble with the fifth fastest time this year.
World Cup title holder since 2012, Hosszu struck gold in the 200-metre and 400-metre free, as well as the 200-metre and 400-metre individual medley, and has yet to be beaten in the 400-metre individual medley in this year’s series.
Men’s series leader Cameron van der Burgh made it two golds from two finals, in the 50-metre and 100-metre breaststroke. In one of the most hotly anticipated showdowns in Dubai, Van der Burgh will face the man who beat him to gold in the 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke in the World Championships, Great Britain’s Adam Peaty.
The next stop in the series is in Doha on November 2-3, before this weekend’s finale at the Hamdan Sports Complex on November 6-7. Heats will run from 10am to 12.30pm on both days, with the finals commencing at 6pm. Tickets are Dh50 and are available at the door.
Winners of both men’s and women’s divisions at the end of the series receive $100,000 (Dh367,000) in prize money. The series is being held over a 50-metre distance for the first time this year as the event doubles up as Olympic qualification. For more information see the Facebook page: FINA/Airweave Swimming World Cup - Dubai UAE.
