World Aquatics World Cup #1 – Baku

The psych sheets are out for the first stop of the World Aquatics World Cup tour in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The meet is relatively light in attendance, particularly on the women’s side, but there are still a number of big name athletes at the meet.

World record holder Marrit Steenbergen is entered in seven events over the three day meet, and even if she doesn’t race all of them, if this meet is anything like her SC Euros from last December or like her long course season, we can expect to see some fast times from her.

She is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 50 back, 100 back, 100 IM, and 200 IM, and she is the current SC European record holder in the five of them: the 100 free, 200 free, 50 back, 100 IM, and 200 IM.

She will be joined in the 200 freestyle by former world record holder Siobhan Haughey, who did not race the SCM circuit last year after she was dealing with injury. Haughey is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, and 50 breast.

On the men’s side, world record holder Cameron McEvoy is one of the highlights. He is entered in the 50 free, 100 free, and 50 butterfly events. This will be his first attempt at the 100 free since he added it back into his training plan earlier this year.

American Shaine Casas will also be at the meet in his first competition since leaving the University of Texas pro group after Pan Pacs.

Casas has a potentially big lineup as he is entered in the 200 free, 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, 100 IM, 200 IM, and 400 IM events.

There are no American women entered in the meet under the USA designation. The only American woman we could find on the psych sheets is Anna Peplowski, who is competing as a club athlete rather than a Team USA athlete.

Peplowski is not the only Indiana athlete entered as a club swimmer with Luke Barr and Brian Benzing both swimming their events as club athletes.

The meet is relatively small, with a few events seeing eight or fewer total athletes entered, meaning all the athletes who race the event will qualify for the final. The women’s 200 fly has just six swimmers entered, the women’s 400 IM has eight, and the women’s 200 back has only four.

A Few Other Notable Entries

Women

Anna Peplowski (CLB)– 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 100 back, 200 back
Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) — 50 free, 100 free, 50 back, 100 back, 200 breast, 50 fly, 100 fly, 100 IM, 200 IM
Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS) — 50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast
Mona McSharry (IRL) — 50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast
Kasia Wasick (POL) — 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 50 fly

Men

Carson Foster (USA) — 200 free, 400 free, 1500 free, 200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM
Lucas Henveaux (BEL) — 200 free, 400 free, 1500 free, 400 IM
Pavel Samusenko (RUS) — 50 free, 50 back, 100 back, 200 back
Pieter Coetze (RSA) — 100 free, 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, 100 IM
Caspar Corbeau (NED) — 50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast, 100 IM, 200 IM