While young Matheus Santana has been breaking Junior World Records in Brazil, Russia’s answer Evgeny Sedov has been lying in wait for this week’s Russian National Championships, where he hopes to snatch some of those away.
Sedov’s first two record-setting swims came in an event where Santana doesn’t hold the mark: the 50 fly. He swam a 23.56 in prelims and then a 23.30 in the semi-finals, which made him the top seed headed toward finals, broke the Russian Junior National Record, put him within a stone’s throw of the Russian Senior National Record, and makes him the first to swim a Junior World Record in the event.
The ‘standard to beat,’ not officially a Junior World Record, was a 23.61 done by New Zealand’s Daniel Bell at the 2008 Junior World Championships. Sedov was actually faster in a 23.48 at the end of March, but that swim was just days before the April 1st ‘open season’ set by FINA to start attacking these records.
Now Sedov will go after the 50 free record, where he was a 21.98 earlier this year, also before junior records were allowed. The official target there is Luke Percy’s 22.11, but based on this 50 fly, Sedov will be looking for under 22 seconds.
The bigger challenge will be the 100 free, which is Santana’s record and best event. Sedov has only been 49.23 in that race, and is really a better 50 freestyler than 100 freestyler, but he should still be within reach of Santana’s 48.35 set last week.
Sedov is definitely the sprinter type (Manadou, Cielho), he will probably only swim 50/100 free later in his career, i dont think that he will swim 100 fly.
still find it a little strange that Dressel hasn’t raced in months. even if he is supposedly “relaxing” his senior year, his competitors aren’t.
this is not really a critique, just a puzzle that i am trying to solve. i imagine he loves to race, so it’s odd he is not racing.
His last meet is the US short course nationals in December when he swam 18.94 in the 50 free.
And he doesn’t tweet anymore since February 5.
https://twitter.com/CaelebDressel
Weird. Weird.
I remember writing last year very often here on swimswam that he had many “tapered” meets with very fast swims from June to December.
He probably needed a mental and a physical break.
Perhaps he will not swim at all next summer. 😥
Or perhaps he will make his return fully refreshed only at the US nationals to swim 47.50!
US short course junior nationals
Is it possible that youth olympics will feature santana, sedov and dressel?
I highly doubt Dressel and Sedov will swim in Nanjing. They already swam at the Junior worlds last year.
Sedov is FAST, plain and simple. I’m predicting a 21.78 in the 50 free.
Big talent.
Sedov responds to Santana.
Cool to see such a talented new world sprint generation.
Hopefully Dressel will swim next summer to respond in turn.
I can’t wait to get a chance to see him up against Santana and Dressel. Shame it can’t happen until next year at the earliest.