TOKYO, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The 2019 FINA Swimming World Cup season began on Friday in the 2020 Olympic host city of Tokyo, with 10 final events held on the tournament's first day.
The three-day competition will last through the weekend, marking the first stop of the 2019 FINA season.
In the men's and women's 400m freestyle finals, Danas Rapsys from Lithuania and Kiah Melverton from Australia won gold medals respectively. Rapsys, who swam 3:45.57, broke the FINA World Cup record of 3:46.76. He was followed by Zac Reid of New Zealand and Canada's Jeremy Bagshaw.
Melverton finished her final in 4:06.71, followed by Spain's Mireia Belmonte just 0.1s behind, with Miyu Namba from Japan in third.
There was fierce competition in both men's and women's 50m freestyle finals. Vladimir Morozov of Russia topped the men's competition with 21.56, while the women's final was won by Michelle Coleman of Sweden in 24.66.
Morozov was followed by Japan's Shinri Shioura in 21.92, and the United States' Michael Andrew in 21.94. Cate Campbell of Australia took second place in the women's 50m freestyle with 24.81, followed by Ting Wen Quah of Singapore in 24.92.
The finals for male athletes on the first day also included the 100m breaststroke, 100m butterfly and 200m backstroke. Australia's Mitchell Larkin won the men's 200m backstroke, finishing in 1:55.97.
Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus was victorious in the men's 100m breaststroke in 58.73, breaking the World Cup record of 58.97, while the men's 100m butterfly title was taken by the United States' Andrew Seliskar in 51.34.
In the women's category, finals of the 50m backstroke, 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke also took place on the first day. With 28.03, Emily Seehohm of Australia scooped the 50m backstroke, while Katinka Hosszu of Hungary won the 200m butterfly in 2:07.10, and Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa took the 200m breaststroke in 2:22.35, lowering the World Cup record in so doing.
The second day of the 2019 FINA World Cup will play host to 12 events, including the mixed freestyle 4x100m final.
The Swimming World Cup in Tokyo includes 34 events: 16 per gender and two mixed relays. All the meets will be held in a 50m pool and will serve as qualifying events for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
