Cameron McEvoy (Photo by Volmetro)
A World Cup record and two Asian records fell at the Aquatic Palace on the opening night of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 in Baku, the first stop of the Silk Road Tour.
Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, the long-course world record holder in the 50m freestyle, produced the swim of the night. Competing in his first short course race for several years, the reigning Olympic champion won a thrilling race in 20.22, lowering the World Cup record of 20.31 set by Josh Liendo of Canada last year.
“It was good. 11 years since my personal best, so I think I’m due for one,” McEvoy said.
“20.2 – I’m relatively close to that sub-20 which would be really nice, so it’s a good start to the Tour.”
McEvoy was pushed hard throughout the race by Russia’s Egor Kornev, who had to settle for silver in 20.26.
The Netherlands’ Sean Niewold took bronze in 20.82.
“Racing Cam, racing Egor, it’s an honour to be honest, so getting on the podium with them is great,” Niewold said.
In the Women’s 50m Freestyle, Poland’s Katarzyna Wasick, the Triple Crown winner in the event at last year’s World Cup, stormed to gold in 23.40.
She held off Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who clocked 23.48 for an Asian record. Canada’s Taylor Ruck took bronze in 23.75.
“I am really happy. I wanted to win, so to start the World Cup like that I can’t complain,” Wasick said. “I’m really happy and I hope I can improve from there.”
Haughey admitted she was not sure what to expect coming off the back of the Asian Games.
“I just had Asian Games a few days ago, so I’m actually quite tired with that, but so far it’s going well,” she said. “I also haven’t swam short course in nearly two years, so we’re off to a good start.”
Another Asian record on day one came courtesy of China’s Yu Yiting, who won bronze in the Women’s 100m Individual Medley in 56.99.
The race produced one of the tightest finishes of the night, with Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands triumphing in 56.83 and Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk 0.01 behind in 56.84.
“Really happy. It was so close, but happy to get out with the win,” Steenbergen said.
“I think I still need to get better, but really happy with the time – it’s only a couple of tenths above my PB.”
Yu said: “I’m very happy to come to Baku and swim a new Asian record, I’m very excited.”
Steenbergen had already won the Women’s 50m Backstroke in 25.75, finishing clear of Russia’s Mariia Osetrova (26.59) and Vanotterdijk (26.60).
“A bit messy, but I think it’s a good starting point for the 50 Back, so I think if I can improve on that I can go a little faster, and curious to see where I can go!” she said.
The Men’s 100m Individual Medley (IM) produced an exciting finish, as Luke Barr snatched the win in 51.57, just ahead of fellow American Shaine Casas (51.58). South Africa’s Pieter Coetze placed third in 51.60.
Barr had also swum the 100m Breaststroke earlier in the session, narrowly missing out on a medal.
“I just wanted to survive that after the 100 Breast. I had a good swim, finished fourth, got out-touched a little bit so I just wanted a little bit more. Maybe the luck turned my way a little bit more on the 100m IM,” he said.
Reflecting on a difficult few months leading into the competition, Casas said, “I told myself in this year’s World Cup to not really bring in any expectation compared to the past. I’ve got to start somewhere. I think tonight was solid,” he said.
Coetze, racing his second final of the night, said: “I haven’t done IM forever, so just wanted to see what I could do. As most people do, I do a little bit of breaststroke here and there in training, and a little bit of Fly and Free, but had no idea what to expect and that’s a very solid time, so I’ll take that.”
He had already won the Men’s 200m Backstroke in 1:49.84, after a quieter heats swim, with Canada’s Blake Tierney (1:50.74) and Russia’s Dmitrii Savenko (1:51.10) taking silver and bronze respectively.
“I took a long time off after the Commonwealths, and the last time I raced short course was about two years ago. I’m glad I could start off with a win,” Coetze said.
Great Britain’s Freya Colbert won her first Swimming World Cup gold, claiming the Women’s 400m Freestyle in 3:59.91, with Anna Peplowski taking silver in 4:00.47 and China’s Yan Tiaoshan third in 4:00.70.
Colbert said she had been thinking of Australia’s Lani Pallister, the Triple Crown winner in this event on last year’s Swimming World Cup, midway through the race.
“I got to about 100m or 150m and was like if I can actually do it I’ll feel like Lani. They did chase me down at the end, I was expecting it,” she said.
Peplowski said: “I feel like I paced it really well. I don’t do short-course much, so any chance I get to race it is always a new learning curve.”
Elsewhere in the Men’s 400m Freestyle, American Carson Foster claimed a dominant victory in 3:36.07, with Belgium’s Lucas Henveaux taking silver in 3:37.44, and He Yubo bronze in 3:40.99.
“It was a hard race to start with, first time I’ve even put a technical suit on since mid-August, so overall really happy with it. Hopefully they’re going to get a lot easier!” Foster said.
Russia’s Kirill Prigoda won a gripping Men’s 100m Breaststroke final in 56.08, holding off Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands, who took silver in 56.33. China’s reigning world champion Qin Haiyang was third in 56.37.
“It is a first step. We have two more hard weeks,” Prigoda said. “It’s not going to be easy but I am ready to train. Thank you to the boys. It was a great time, a great final. I don’t think we made a sensation, but the race was good.”
In the Women’s 200m Breaststroke, Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova won in 2:17.20, ahead of Ireland’s Mona McSharry (2:18.45) and Vitalina Simonova (2:21.21).
“Because it’s the first stop of the World Cup, right now, 200 on the first day it’s a little bit hard for me, but I think I am doing well and this is a good sign,” Chikunova said.
China’s Chang Mohan won the Women’s 200m Butterfly in 2:04.15, with the 15-year-old beating Ireland’s Ellen Walshe who placed second in 2:05.58, and China’s Zhou Xinyang who was third in 2:05.65.
“It was a little worrying not doing the heats this morning just because especially for the 200 it’s nice to have a ‘feeler’ with a bit less pressure. But to rise to the occasion, I’m really happy with that as a season-opening swim. It’s close to my PB, so I’m happy with it,” Walshe said.
In the Men’s 100m butterfly, China’s Chen Juner took gold in 49.70, ahead of Japan’s So Ogata (49.79), with Trinidad and Tobago’s Dylan Carter earning bronze in 50.74.
“I’m happy with a medal. It’s not a race that I typically do, and I wanted to approach this Swimming World Cup doing some new things and trying to rediscover the childish love, so happy for bronze in the Fly!” Carter said.
