Egor Kornev Matches World Record as Silk Road Tour Opens in Baku

The 2026 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup has officially hit the water, and the short-course speed limit is already breaking. Russian sprinter Egor Kornev and Dutch powerhouse Marrit Steenbergen emerged as the overall points leaders after a blistering opening stop in Baku, Azerbaijan. The inaugural leg of the three-city Silk Road Tour delivered a world-record-tying swim and a barrage of continental benchmarks.[1][6]

For Kornev, the weekend cemented his status as the sport's most lethal rising sprinter. The 22-year-old matched Australian Kyle Chalmers's 2021 short-course world record in the 100-meter freestyle, touching the wall in exactly 44.84 seconds. He held off reigning Olympic 50-meter champion Cameron McEvoy, who finished second in 45.36.[3][5]

"I am very excited about the race, even if it is now a repeat record," Kornev told World Aquatics reporters. "There was a bad stroke, so I've got my potential, and I'll show what I've got in the next stops."[2]

McEvoy's massive return

While Kornev owned the 100-meter distance, McEvoy delivered the performance of the meet in the pure sprint. Competing in his first short-course race in several years, the 32-year-old Australian blasted a 20.22 in the 50-meter freestyle. The swim shattered the previous World Cup record of 20.31 and established a new Oceanian benchmark.[7]

Kornev pushed him to the absolute limit, taking silver in a Russian-record 20.26, while Dutchman Sean Niewold secured bronze in 20.82. McEvoy's tactical execution—balancing his explosive start with a shortened underwater phase—proved just enough to hold off Kornev's elite stroke efficiency.[7]

"It was good. 11 years since my personal best, so I think I'm due for one," McEvoy said after the race. "I'm relatively close to that sub-20 which would be really nice, so it's a good start to the Tour."[1]

Kornev did not leave Baku quietly after that narrow defeat. He bounced back to win the 50-meter backstroke in a World Cup record time of 22.23. He then closed his campaign by taking the 50-meter butterfly in 21.64, shaving nine-hundredths off his own national record.[2][3]

Steenbergen sweeps the board

On the women's side, Steenbergen put on an absolute clinic in versatility and endurance. The 26-year-old Dutch star racked up 58.2 points to take the overall series lead, claiming four gold medals and one silver across three grueling days of racing. She opened her account with back-to-back victories in the 50-meter backstroke and the 100-meter individual medley.[4][6]

Steenbergen's 100-meter medley victory was a masterclass in pacing, as she edged Belgium's Roos Vanotterdijk by just two-hundredths of a second to win in 56.83. She followed that up with a dominant 1.3-second victory in the 100-meter backstroke on day two.[1][4]

She capped her Baku run by winning her signature event, the 100-meter freestyle, touching the wall in 50.78 to easily clear Poland's Katarzyna Wasick. The victory cemented her status as the top-ranked woman of the opening leg.[4]

"It has been so much fun and I'm really happy with my races," Steenbergen said. "I'm so close to my PBs and I'm really curious to see how I can improve ahead of the next weekend."[6]

Continental records fall

The fast water at the Aquatic Palace also produced a wave of regional milestones. Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey, coming straight off a grueling Asian Games schedule, clocked 23.48 in the 50-meter freestyle. The time earned her silver behind Wasick's 23.40 and established a new Asian record.[1][6]

China's Yu Yiting was equally impressive, rewriting the Asian record books in both medley distances. She posted a 56.99 to take bronze in the 100-meter individual medley, then delivered a 2:02.80 to claim another bronze in the 200-meter individual medley. Her performances secured her third place in the overall women's standings with 53.7 points.[1][6]

South Africa's Pieter Coetze made sure the men's backstroke field felt his presence. After taking silver behind Kornev in the 50-meter distance, Coetze dominated the 100-meter backstroke in 49.11. The time set a new African record and helped him finish the weekend third in the men's overall points race.[6]

The Silk Road Tour now packs up and heads east for its second stop. The circuit resumes in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on October 8, before concluding in Astana, Kazakhstan, the following week. With Kornev hunting outright possession of the 100-meter freestyle world record and McEvoy eyeing a sub-20-second 50-meter sprint, the stakes are only climbing.[4]