Championship Records Crushed; Dressel Has Big Anchor on Day 1 in Dubai

Only four sets of medals will be awarded on day 1 of the 2013 FINA Junior World Championships in Dubai, but that includes the boys’ 400 free where we already saw a Championship Record go down in prelims.

Today’s schedule:

• Boys’ 400 free FINAL
• Girls’ 50 breast SEMIFINAL
• Boys’ 100 back SEMIFINAL
• Girls’ 400 IM FINAL
• Boys’ 100 breast SEMIFINAL
• Girls’ 100 back SEMIFINAL
• Boys’ 400 free relay FINAL
• Girls’ 800 free relay FINAL

The men’s 400 free was led by Mack Horton of Australia out of prelims, but the top-seeded James Guy from Britain and Italy’s Andrea D’Arrigo, who was very sharp a few weeks ago at his country’s Age Group Nationals, will be hot on his heels.

Prelims recap here.
Links to follow the meet here.

Men’s 400 Free – Finals

Australia’s Mack Horton was disappointed to be left off of the Australian World Championship roster earlier this summer, but the 17-year old from Melbourne is making the most of his World Championship opportunity, starting with a win in the men’s 400 free in 3:47.12. That knocks another three seconds from his Meet Record done in prelims, which in turn broke the 3:50.9 done by Japan’s Fumiya Hidaka in 2011.

This swim will place huge expectations upon Horton’s 1500 freestyle later in the meet, which is generally seen as his best event.

Great Britain’s James Guy, the top swimmer coming into the meet, took 2nd in 3:48.05, just missing his best time from the World Championships. Jan Micka from the Czech Republic took a run at Guy in the final 50 meters but fell just short finishing third in a time of 3:48.32 improving on his entry time of 3:50.47.

Andrea Mitchel D’Arrigo of Italy finished fourth in a time of 3:49.02, Joris Bochaut of France finished fifth in a time of 3:52.73, Italian Nicolangelo Di Fabio and Pawel Furtek of Poland tied for sixth in a time of 3:53.53 followed by Teddy Kalp of Canada who finished eighth posting a time of 3:54.64.

Women’s 50 breaststroke – Semi-final

It what was no surprise that Ruta Meilutyte is the top qualifier for the women’s 50 breaststroke final. Meilutyte broke the championship record in the prelims posting a 31.10 and improved on it again in the semi-final finishing in a time of 30.04. Some may have questioned how seriously Meilutyte was taking this meet, especially after an incredible showing at the World Championships, but in an interview after the race she stressed to the press that in her mind the World Juniors is a very important competition for her.

With that being her mindset it should be exciting to see what type of performance she will have in the finals tomorrow evening.

After squeaking into the semi-final in the 16th position Hungarian Anna Szankovics qualified second in a time of of 31.30. With that swim Szankovics broke Angnes Kovacs Hungarian national record of 31.34 which she set in 2000.

Sophie Taylor of Great Britain qualified third in a time of 31.38. Taylor set a British age group record for 17 year olds by breaking Kate Haywood’s 2005 record of 31.45.

Australian Jenna Strauch who qualified fourth in a time of 31.50.

Viktoriya Solnceva of the Ukraine qualified fifth in a time of 31.51, which is an improvement on her time of 31.63 that she posted in Barcelona (though her best swim remains a 30.8 from Euro Juniors)

Jessica Marie Billquist of Sweden qualified sixth in a time of 31.78, Dalma Sebestyen of Hungary qualified seventh in a time of 31.80 followed by Italian Adrianna Castiglioni who qualified eighth recording a time of 31.85.

Men’s 100 backstroke – Semi-Final

The men’s 100 backstroke final is looks to be a good with the top eight men separated by 86 one-hundredths of a second. The top qualifier was Danas Rapsys of Lithuania who posted a time of 55.03 improving on his lifetime best of 55.32 that he posted at the European Juniors. Apostolos Christou of Greece qualified second in a time of 55.20 followed by Keita Sunama of Japan who qualified third in a time of 55.52.

Russian Grigory Tarasevich qualified fourth in a time of 55.59. Tarasevich came into the competition as the top qualifier after swimming a lifetime best of 54.63 in the semi-final of the European Juniors.

Tomorrow’s final will be a chance for Rapsys to have his revenge on Tarasevich who beat him out for the gold at the European Juniors. Both men should challenge Daniel Bell’s championship record time of 54.99.

Dylan Carter of Trinidad and Tobago qualified fifth in a time of 55.65, Vitor Santos of Brazil qualified sixth in a time of 55.66, American Connor Green qualified seventh in a time of 55.87 followed by Italian Luca Mencarini who qualified eighth in a time of 55.89.

American Ryan Harty failed to make the final finishing 11th posting a time of 56.07.

Women’s 400 IM – Final

Americans Ella Eastin and Rebecca Mann had a tremendous battle for the crown in the women’s 400 IM. At the 200 meter mark Easton had a 1.81 second lead on Mann who made up ground in the breaststroke and then almost caught Easton in the final 100 meters but ran out of pool. Mann split a 1:02.43 compared to Easton who came home in a time of 1:03.11 ultimate winning the event in a time of 4:40.02. Mann finished second in a time of 4:40.26.

Both women were under the Miyu Otsuka‘s championships record of 4:40.98.

Eastin came into the meet with the top 400 IM time of 4:38.97, which she posted at the US Junior National Championships. Her time in Greensboro was a lifetime best by almost 10 seconds so even though her winning time in Dubai was slower it was still the second fastest time she has recorded.

Mann time was a season’s best, but just off her lifetime best of 4:39.76.

Canadian Emily Overholt finished third in a time of 4:42.03 breaking Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson’s 15-17 Canadian record of 4:42.71 set earlier this year.

Emu Higuchi of Japan finished fourth in a time of 4:42.82, Russian Iuliia Larina of Russia finished fifth in a time of 4:45.52, Canadian Sydney Pickrem who is a training partner of Mann’s in Clearwater finished sixth in a time of 4:46.07.

14 year old Hiroko Makino of Japan the youngest swimmer to qualify for the final finished seventh in a time of 4:47.57, but was well off her seed time of 4:42.91.

Marlies Ross of South Africa finished eighth in a time of 4:48.13.

Men’s 100 breaststroke – Semi-final

There should be plenty of competition for the top three places on the podium in the men’s 100 breaststroke. Kohei Goto of Japan was the top qualifier posting a time of 1:01.52.

The next three qualifiers posted times in the semi-finals that were slower than their prelim times. Ilya Komenko of Russian and Dmitriy Balandin of Kazakhstan both recorded times of 1:01.57 in prelims. In the semis Komenko qualified second with a time of 1:01.50 while Balandin qualified third with a time of 1:01.61.

Russian Vsevolod Zanko was the top qualifier in the prelims posting a time of 1:01.43, but swam a time of 1:01.87 in the semis to qualify in the fourth position for the final.

Any of the first four qualifiers have a good chance of erasing Craig Benson‘s championship record of 1:01.34 in the final.

Pedro Cardona of Brazil qualified fifth in a time of 1:02.14, Canadian Antoine Bujold qualified sixth in a time of 1:02.25, Carlo Claverie Borgiani of Venezuela qualified seventh in a time of 1:02.40 followed by Krysztof Tokarski of Poland who qualified eighth in a time of 1:02.52.

Neither American qualified for the final. Joseph Bentz finished ninth recording a time of 1:02.58 while Carsten Vissering finished 15th with a time of 1:03.25.

Women’s 100 backstroke

The women’s 100 backstroke final should be another exciting event with the top three qualifiers with season’s best within half a second of each other. Russian Daria Ustinova who finished eighth in the 200 backstroke in Barcelona was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 100 backstroke posting a time of 1:01.09.

Americans Kathleen Baker and Clara Smiddy were the next two qualifiers. Baker qualified in a time of 1:01.28 with Smiddy qualifying third in a time of 1:01.35.

Jessica Fullalove of Great Britain qualified fourth in a time of 1:01.40, Sian Whittaker of Australia qualified fifth in a time of 1:01.78, Charolette McKenzie Great Britain qualified sixth in a time of 1:01.83, Australian Lauren Rettie qualified seventh in a time of 1:01.98 followed by Canadian Kennedy Goss who qualified eighth in a time of 1:02.27.

Men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay – Final

The men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay final started off with two impressive lead off swims with Luke Percy of Australia posting a 49.14 and Evgeny Sedov recording a time of 49.27 both under the 100 freestyle championships record of 49.54 held by Cameron McEnvoy.

The Aussies went on extend their lead throughout the race with Regan Leong recording a 49.11, Blake Jones splitting 49.38 and Mack Horton anchoring the team in a time of 49.33 collecting his second gold of the evening. The Australians dominated the field winning the event in a time of 3:16.96 destroying the championship record of 3:19.09 set by the Italians in 2008.

The Americans and Russians had a great battle for second. Heading into the final 100 meters the Russians had almost a full second lead on the Americans, that was until Caeleb Dressel hit the water.

Dressel has had an impressive season, amongst his accomplishments he set a new 15-16 year old NAG record in the 100 freestyle at the US Junior Nationals posting a time 49.28. In between that meet and the World Junior Championships Dressel turned 17 and is now on the hunt of Michael Phelps 17-18 year old NAG record of 49.05.

With his performance in the relay tonight it looks like erasing Phelps record in the cards when the individual 100 freestyle event goes on Friday. Dressel anchored the American relay splitting a time of 48.29 making up the ground on the Russian team leading the Americans to a silver medal finish with an overall time of 3:19.21. The Russians finished third in a time of 3:19.57.

Note that the anchor by Dressel is within a tenth of the anchor that the Americans got from Jimmy Feigen as the senior World Championships.

The Canadians finished fourth in a time of 3:21.06, Brazil finished fifth in a time of 3:21.35, Poland finished sixth in a time of 3:21.70, South Africa finished seventh in a time of 3:23.63 with Japan finishing eighth in a time of 3:24.17.

Women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay – Final

The American women won the final event of the evening with ease taking the women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay by over three seconds. The team Quinn Carrozza (2:00.35), Kathryn McLaughlin (1:59.34), Katherine Drabot (2:00.08) and Cierra Runge (1:59.65) broke the championship record of 8:00.33 set by the Americans in 2011.

The Australians finished second in a time of 8:03.07, Russian finished third in a time of 8:05.45, Canada finished fourth in a time of 8:06.88, Slovenia finished fifth in a time of 8:13.90, Brazil finished sixth in a time of 8:16.58, Japan finished seventh in a time of 8:20.64 followed by Mexico who finished eighth in a time of 8:22.16.