2014 Youth Olympic Games: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

WATCH LIVE

• In China – Click here.
• Rest of the world – see streaming videos here.
• On your phone: Download the Olympic TV App on iOS and Android

SCHEDULE/RESULTS

• Live Results here: Results Link.
• Event Schedule Here (see page 10).
• Boys Entries List
• Girls Entries List
• Entry List by event

SESSION START TIMES

Prelims begin at 10AM local time and finals begin at 6PM local time. Around the world that’s:

• 7PM/3AM U.S. West Coast Time
• 8PM/4AM U.S. Mountain Time
• 9PM/5AM U.S. Central Time
• 10PM/6AM U.S. East Coast Time
• 11PM/7AM Rio de Janeiro Time
• 3AM/11AM London Time
• 4AM/Noon Berlin/South Africa Time
• 6AM/2PM Moscow Time
• 11AM/7PM Tokyo Time
• Noon/8PM Sydney Time

Some of the sport’s best young talents have gathered in Nanjing, China for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.  If today’s prelims are any indication, we are set for an exciting few days in the Jiangsu province.

The first event on tonight’s program is the men’s 400 free.  Egypt’s Ahmed Akram will be the favorite heading into tonight’s final. The young Egyptian picked up the top seed en route to an Egyptian national record time of 3:52.02.  Look for Poland’s Jacek Wojdak to be on Akram’s heels tonight. The 18-year-old put down a quick 3:52.80 in prelims.

Next up we’ll see the women’s 50 breast semi-final. Lithuanian phenom and current 50 and 100 breast world record holder Ruta Meilutyte, though not the top seed, is still the woman to beat tonight. Meilutyte secured the third seed earlier today behind Hungary’s Anna Szatankovics (32.02) and Dalma Sebestyen (32.09). Meilutyte’s mark of 32.11 is well off her world record time of 29.48 set last year, though we’ll likely see her prelim time lowered significantly tonight.

China’s Guangyuan Li locked up the number one seed in the men’s 100 back prelims with a time of 55.33, Romania’s Robert Glinta was second in 55.46. USA’s Patrick Mulane snagged the eight seed in 56.28.

Clara Smiddy was one of two American’s to lock up a top seed, putting down a time of 1:01.73 in the women’s 100 back. Smiddy clocked a 1:01.37 last week at Nationals, taking home sixth place. South American record holder Natalia de Luccas will be close behind, qualifying second with a time of 1:02.05.

 Carlos Claverie broke a Venezuelan national record in the men’s 100 breast this morning with a blistering 1:01.62. Claverie has a comfortable lead over the rest of the field, though just .92 separates the 2-8 positions.

American Meghan Small will lead the way in the women’s 200 IM heading into the semi-final. Small’s time of 2:15.24 was just ahead of South African Marlies Ross’s mark of 2:15.45. Five women went sub-2:16 in today’s prelims.

The final event of the session is the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay. It would be an upset to say the least if China doesn’t take the gold after flirting with the world record this morning. The Chinese quartet put down a time of 3:29.36, almost four seconds ahead of second place seed Brazil.

MEN’S 400M FREESTYLE FINAL:

Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk took home gold in the 400 free with a blistering time of 3:49.76, well ahead of second place Alberto Marcelo Acosta of El Salvador in 3:51.32. Henrik Christiansen of Norway earned bronze with a 3:51.55

WOMEN’S 50M BREASTSTROKE SEMI:

Dalma Sebestyen of Hungary and Georgina Evans of Great Britain both tied for first in semi-final flight number one, each touching in 32.27. The second heat saw world record holder Ruta Meilutyte earn the top seed heading into tomorrows final, cruising to a time of 31.67. Coming in second was Germany’s Julia Willers in 31.94.

Advancing to Finals:

1. Ruta Meilutyte LTU (31.67)

2. Julia Willers GER (31.94)

3. Anna Sztanikovics HUN (32.01)

4. Sophie Hansson SWE (32.02)

5. Anastasiya Malyavina UKR (32.03)

6. Jiwon Yang KOR (32.22)

7. Dalma Sebestyen HUN (32.27)

8. Georgina Evans GBR (32.27)

MEN’S 100M BACKSTROKE SEMI:

Italy’s Simmone Sabbioni will have the top seed heading into tomorrow’s final. Sabbioni’s mark of 54.48 was just ahead of China’s Guangyuan Li, who took qualified second at 54.52. Russian Evgeny Rylov was the final sub-55 swimmer, winning the first semi-final heat and qualifying third in 54.86. American Patrick Mulcare managed to squeak into finals with a clutch swim of 55.99.

Advancing to Finals:

1. Simmmon Sabbioni ITA (54.48)

2. Guangyuan Li CHN (54.52)

3. Evgeny Rylov RUS (54.86

4. Apostolos Christou GRE (55.09)

5. Andrei Robert Glinta ROU (55.10)

6. Marek Ulrich GER (55.55)

7. Luke Greenbank GBR (55.70)

8. Patrick Mulcare USA (55.99)

WOMEN’S 100M BACKSTROKE SEMI:

Natalia de Luccas of Brazil opened things up in the women’s 100 back semi, winning heat 1 in 1:02.06. Italian Ambra Esposito took second in the heat at 1:02.22. Jessica Fullalove of Great Britain locked up the top seed for tomorrow’s final, winning heat 2 in 1:01.35.  American Clara Smiddy snagged the number two position with a swim of 1:01.38.  New Zealand’s Bobbi Gichard took third in 1:01.70.

Advancing to Finals:

1. Jessica Fullalove GBR (1:01.35)

2. Clara Smiddy USA (1:01.38)

3. Bobbi Gichard NZL (1:01.70)

4. Natalia de Luccas BRA (1:02.06)

5. Danielle Hanus CAN (1:02.12)

6. Ambra Esposito ITA (1:02.22)

7. Irina Prikhodko RUS (1:02.24)

8. SWIMOFF: Maaike de Waard NED vs. Tereza Grusova CRO (1:02.34)

MEN’S 100M BREASTSTROKE SEMI:

Russia’s Anton Chupkov put down a scorching 1:00.84 in the first semi heat, a good distance ahead of German Max Pilger who took second in 1:02.58. The second semifinal heat saw Carlos Claverie take first in 1:01.70. Ippei Watanabe of Japan took second in 1:02.00.

Advancing to Finals:

1. Anton Chupkov RUS (1:00.84)

2. Carlos Claverie VEN (1:01.70)

3. Ippei Watanabe JPN (1:02.00)

4. Chad Crous RSA (1:02.30)

5. Max Pilger GER (1:02.58)

6. David Horvath HUN (1:02.63)

7. Nikola Obrovac CRO (1:02.79)

8. Andreas de Queiroz Mickosz BRA (1:02.89)

WOMEN’S 200M IM FINAL:

Vietnam’s Vien Nguyen won gold in the women’s 200 IM with a time of 2:12.66.  Nguyen surged ahead of Hong Kong’s Bernadette Haughey in the final 50, with Haughey settling for silver in 2:13.21. American Meghan Small managed to sneak onto the podium, earning a bronze medal with a time of 2:14.01.

MIXED 4X100M FREESTYLE RELAY FINAL:

China earned their first gold in the pool this Games, taking the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay in dominating fashion. The Chinese quartet not only took home gold, but also took down the world junior record time of 3:28.96.  Brazil took second in 3:31.55 and Australia rounded out bronze in 3:31.76.