Russia's Vladimir Morozov finished with a golden flourish at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Beijing ©FINA

Hungary's three-time Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu and men's ranking leader Vladimir Morozov of Russia finished with four golds as the Swimming World Cup in Beijing came to a close at the Water Cube, the 2008 Summer Olympics aquatics venue that will soon become the Ice Cube to host curling events at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

China's double London 2012 champion Ye Shiwen also came back strongly after two years away from competition, taking bronze in a 200 metres individual medley won by Hungary's Rio 2016 champion Hosszu in 2min 5.25sec.

Emily Seebohm of Australia finished second in 2:07.86 with Ye - who also raced without earning a medal in the 100m individual medley and 200m breaststroke - clocking 2:08.16.

"For two years I focused on my study and now I am back preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," said Ye, still only 22, who won the 200m and 400m individual medley events at London 2012 but finished eighth in the first event and failed to make the final in the second at Rio 2016.

"In fact, I never left the pool.

"I was just absent from the competitions for a while.

China's London 2012 double champion Ye Shiwen returned to earn a medal at the Beijing Swimming World Cup after a two-year absence from competition, and is now preparing for Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images
China's London 2012 double champion Ye Shiwen returned to earn a medal at the Beijing Swimming World Cup after a two-year absence from competition, and is now preparing for Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

“I needed time to recharge myself and overcome the fear of competition, high-expectation and failure."

Home swimmers earned a total of 10 victories at this International Swimming Federation event, the first of the final cluster of three, after which the series moves to Tokyo from November 9 to 11 before concluding in Singapore from November 15 to 17.

Sarah Sjostrom, the overall points leader before the Beijing stop, kept her lead as she dominated the women's 100m butterfly in 55.58, but lost to her long-time rival Ranomi Kromowidjojo of The Netherlands in the 100m freestyle by 0.05.

The Dutch veteran won in 51.51.

After being beaten in the previous events, Jamaica's Alia Atkinson produced a strong 50m breaststroke race and won in 29.16, beating Yuliya Efimova of Russia, who clocked 29.63.

"I felt I came back from the jet lag better today," Atkinson said.

"Hopefully I will be better in the next stops in Tokyo and Singapore and I will not wake up at midnight any more.

"I am happy I had a good race in the last day in the Water Cube."

Hosszu earlier finished third in the 200m backstroke behind Minna Atherton of Australia, who clocked 2:02.02, and her compatriot Seebohm, who finished in 2:02.22.

Yang Caiping from the host team sealed victory in the women's 800m freestyle in 8:29.05.

In other men's events, overall points leader Morozov claimed the victory in the 50m butterfly in 22.27; Mitchell Larkin claimed the 100m backstroke title in 49.97 for Australia and Kirill Prigoda continued his winning streak as he claimed the 200m breaststroke gold in 2:01.59 for Russia.