Katinka Hosszú won five races on the first day of competition ©Getty Images

Katinka Hosszú continued to star at the International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Cup as the Hungarian earned five victories on the opening day of the Hong Kong leg of the series.

The triple gold medallist from Rio 2016 has already secured the overall women’s World Cup title for the fifth straight year but refused to ease up on her rivals after producing a superb display at the Victoria Park swimming pool.

Hosszú began the opening day of the event by winning the women’s 200 metres freestyle, posting a time of 1min 53.98sec.

She ended nearly two seconds clear of Australia’s Madeline Groves and fellow Hungarian Zsuzsanna Jakabos, who tied for second place, clocking 1:55.17.

After achieving further victories in the 800m freestyle and 200m individual medley events, Hosszú achieved a further two wins in backstroke races.

She triumphed in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:02.28, with Australia’s Emily Seebohm and Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina completing the podium in 2:02.91 and 2:03.87 respectively.

Hosszú denied Seebohm victory for the second time, with her time of 26.40sec, beating the Australian by 0.26 seconds.

Zevina again earned the bronze as she touched home in 27.08.

A superb opening day for Hosszú, which has put her on track to beat her personal best of 10 wins in a single World Cup meet, did end with one defeat.

South Africa's Chad Le Clos won two butterfly finals in Hong Kong ©Getty Images
South Africa's Chad Le Clos won two butterfly finals in Hong Kong ©Getty Images

The United States’ Kelsi Worrell won the women’s 100m butterfly in 55.49, replicating her win in the event from the World Cup leg in Tokyo. 

Times of 56.20 and 56.25 were enough for Hosszú and Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen to complete the podium.

Russia’s Vladimir Morozov, who is set to win the men’s World Cup, narrowly missed out on a world record in the 100m individual medley.

He finished in a time of 50.33, just 0.03 seconds adrift of the mark he set at the Berlin World Cup in August.

Japan’s Daiya Seto finished second in a time of 52.97, while Pavel Sankovich of Belarus was third in 53.29.

South Africa’s Chad Le Clos claimed gold medals in the men’s 50m and 200m butterfly events, winning the former in 22.31.

His compatriot Roland Schoeman and Britain’s Ben Proud completed the podium in 22.79 and 22.98.

Le Clos then earned the 200m victory in 1:49.95, with the Japanese duo Seto and Masato Sakai finishing adrift in times of 1:52.38 and 1:54.95.

Action is due to continue tomorrow.