16-Year Old Laura Bernat Hits Olympic “A” Cut, Skims Polish Record in 200 Back

Polish Grand Prix – Lublin

• March 27-28, 2021
• Lublin, Poland
• Long Course Meters (50 meters)
• Results

The latest stop of the Polish Grand Prix series in Lublin saw two new FINA Olympic “A” standards for the Tokyo 2021 Games.

As compared to the last stop of the Grand Prix in Ostrowiec at the end of February, this weekend’s meet had a much deeper field of Poland’s top swimmers.

The first Olympic “A” cut came from 21-year old Jakub Majerski, who swam 51.44 in the 100 fly, beating out 4-time Polish Olympian Pawel Korzeniowski (53.00). Majerski already hit his “A” cut previously at the last Grand Prix event in Lublin, which was also an approved Olympic qualifier, but with a good Polish butterfly group (four other swimmers were under 53 seconds in 2019), knocking another two tenths off his time further secures his position.

The other “A” cut at the meet came from 16-year old Laura Bernat, who crushed the field in the 200 back with a 2:09.81, winning by more than 4 seconds. The swim clears the FINA “A” standard of 2:10.39, and also breaks her own Polish 16-Year Olds Record of 2:11.71 set last February.

She’s within .07 seconds of the overall Polish Record that was set by Alicja Tchorz at the 2009 World Championships.

She also swam 29.71 in the 50 back to win the age group event and place 6th overall, and 1:02.38 in the 100 back to win the age group and place 4th overall.

They join Kasia Wasick’s 50 free from the Pro Swim Series meet in Des Moines, Iowa in March of 2020 as Olympic “A” cuts for Poland.

There were also 13 FINA “B” cuts done at the meet, including 4 men in the 100 free. Poland already has a men’s 400 free relay qualified for the Olympic Games via their 12th place finish at the 2019 World Championships, so there is a battle in play for spots on that relay (and Poland will have to stack their relay in prelims to make the final).

Among the “B” cuts over the weekend, two swimmers posted new best times in the 100 free: 22-year old Bartosz Piszczorowicz knocked a modest .16 off his best time to finish 2nd in 49.20, and 18-year old Mateusz Chowaniec swam 49.81 – his first time under 50 seconds, improving a 50.42 best from back in 2019.

Men:

• Jakub Kraska – 100 m freestyle
• Bartosz Piszczorowicz – 100 m freestyle
• Kacper Majchrzak KS Warta Poznań – 100 m freestyle
• Mateusz Chowaniec UKS Wodnik Siemianowice Śląskie – 100 m freestyle
• Piszczorowicz Bartosz UKS G-8 Bielany Warsaw – 200 m freestyle
• Jakub Kraska AZS Łódź – 200 m freestyle
• Jaśkiewicz Adrian UKS G-8 Bielany Warsaw – 100 m butterfly
• Paweł Korzeniowski Grupa 5Styl – 100 m butterfly

Women:

• Fiedkiewicz Kornelia MKS Juvenia Wrocław – 100 m freestyle
• Kossakowska Dominika AZS AWF Katowice – 100 m freestyle
• Kossakowska Dominika AZS AWF Katowice – 200 m freestyle
• Naziębło Klaudia Juvenia Wrocław – 100 m backstroke
• Naskręt Agata UKS G-8 Bielany Warsaw – 100 m backstroke

Polish swimmers have 13 other “B” cuts from approved Olympic qualifying events.

Bernat’s age record wasn’t the only age record set at the meet. Tomasz Kraczkowski won the 50 breaststroke in 28.07, which is a new Polish Record in the 17-year olds and 18-year olds age groups, in spite of being only 17 years old. The former 18-year olds record was a 28.18 done by Maciej Holub at the World Junior Championships in 2013.