2019 European Junior C’ships Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2019 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, July 3rd – Sunday, July 7th
• Aquatics Palace, Kazan, Russia
• LCM
• Meet Site
• Entry List
• Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap
• Live Result
• Live Stream

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 52.53, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
• Championships Record – 53.52, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
• GOLD – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 54.13
• SILVER – Nikolai Zuev (RUS), 54.40
• BRONZE – Jan Cejka (CZE), 54.47

Leading the men’s 100m free wire-to-wire was Italian Thomas Ceccon. The 18-year-old split 26.26/27.87 to top the podium in 54.13, slower than his bronze medal-winning performance 53.65 at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, but good enough to clinch gold here in Kazan.

Ceccon owns a PB of 53.60 in the event, which marked the only sub-54 second swimmer of the entire incoming field. He’ll be contesting this event, along with the 50m back, in Gwangju at the World Championships.

Runner-up tonight came in the form of Russia’s Nikolai Zuev, who hit the wall in 54.40, his fastest time by .41.

Czech Republic got on the board courtesy of Jan Cejka‘s bronze medal-worthy 54.47. That’s a big-time personal best for the 18-year-old, obliterating his previous lifetime fastest of 55.48 from just April of this year. He now sits just .15 away from the Czech National Record in this event.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 4:03.57, Ajna Kesely (HUN), 2018
• Championships Record – 4:05.89, Ajna Kesely (HUN), 2018
• GOLD – Isabel Gose (GER), 4:07.96
• SILVER – Giulia Salin (ITA), 4:10.13
• BRONZE – Yana Kurtseva (RUS), 4:10.26

Shining on this European Junior Championships stage was 17-year-old Isabel Gose of Germany, the teen who simply dominated this women’s 400m free tonight.

Hitting the wall in 4:07.96, the German produced the only sub-4:10 time of the field. That’s a huge feat for the teen, as Gose’s previous PB sat at 4:10.00 exactly, so she knocked over 2 seconds off of that career-fastest with this one swim. Her time establishes a new German Age Record for 17-year-olds as well.

Gose was silver medalist in this event at last year’s edition of the competition, clocking a silver medal-worthy time of 4:11.01, so she has made major strides in this race within just one year. Look for her in the women’s 100m free final and mixed 4x100m medley relay later in the session.

Last night’s 800m freestyle gold medalist Giulia Salin got her hands on the wall in 4:10.13 for runner-up this time around, while Russia’s Yana Kurtseva finished just .13 out of silver in 4:10.26. Salin’s PB was 4:12.54 entering this meet, while Kurseva had never been faster than 4:13.14, so they both put up some terrific efforts to land on the podium.

MEN’S 100 FREE – SEMIFINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 48.04, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
• Championships Record – 48.48, Daniil Izotov (RUS), 2009
• Top 8:
  1. Matthew Richards (GBR), 49.50
  2. Vladyslav Bukhov (UKR), 49.55
  3. Robin Hanson (SWE), 49.59
  4. Stefano Nicetto (ITA), 49.80
  5. Jacob Whittle (GBR), 49.97
  6. Aleksandr Shichegolev (RUS), 49.98
  7. Antonio Djakovic (SUI), 50.01
  8. Filip Orlicz (POL), 50.01

Men’s sprinting in Great Britain appears to be in good hands, with 2 of the top 8 men in this 100m free stemming from the nation. Leading the pack is Age Group Record holder for 16-year-olds Matthew Richards, with the man knocking .51 off of his newly-minted PB of 49.91 from this morning.

Hitting the wall tonight in a monster 49.50, Richards sits .05 ahead of Ukraine’s Vlayslav Bukhov, who produced 49.55 for the runner-up spot, with Sweden’s Robin Hanson also flanking Richards in tomorrow night’s final. Bukhov’s mark represents his first time ever under the 50-second threshold.

Making some noise as one of the youngest members of this competition was Jacob Whittle, Richards’ British teammate. Just 14-years-old, the Derventio Excel athlete snagged a sub-50 mark of his own in 49.97. That’s his first time ever doing so, with his previous PB resting at the 50.37 produced at this year’s British Championships. It was there that Whittle became the world’s fastest-ever 100m freestyler at his age, which he just crushed once again here.

Of note, Italy’s Ceccon was supposed to race in tonight’s final, but wound up finishing 15th in 50.77. That’s in stark contrast to his 48.17 relay split from last night.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 2:06.71 (target time)
• Championships Record – 2:08.55, Emese Kovacs (HUN), 2007
• GOLD – Blanka Berecz (HUN), 2:09.80
• SILVER – Fanni Fabian (HUN), 2:09.97
• BRONZE – Laura Lahtinen (FIN) 2:11.14

Reigning 200m fly European Junior Champion Blanka Berecz of Hungary successfully defended her title, although it was probably closer than the 17-year-old would have liked.

After taking the top seed after both prelims and finals, Berecz’s teammate Fanni Fabian almost stole the show, finishing just .17 behind Berecz. Berecz took the gold in 2:09.80, a new PB by .10, and Fabian produced a lifetime best of 2:09.97 for silver.

Entering this meet, Fabian’s previous PB was the 2:12.19 produced just this past March at the Hungarian Junior Championships.

For Finnish swimmer Laura Lahtinen, the teen’s 2:11.14 bronze medal-worthy outing here in Kazan now sits less than half a second off of the senior national record of 2:10.89.

MEN’S 200 IM – SEMIFINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 1:59.50 (target time)
• Championships Record – 1:59.17, Tom Dean (GBR), 2018
• Top 8:
  1. Leon Marchand (FRA), 2:00.66
  2. Ron Polonsky (ISR), 2:01.32
  3. Apostolos Papastamos (GRE), 2:01.79
  4. Gal Cohen Groumi (ISR), 2:01.87
  5. Noe Ponti (SUI), 2:01.89
  6. Danil Zaytsev (RUS), 2:01.98
  7. Clement Bidard (FRA), 2:02.04
  8. Sergei Isaev (RUS), 2:02.20

We’re still awaiting our first sub-2:00 200m IMer here in Kazan, as Frenchman Leon Marchand clocked 2:00.66 to take the top seed out of tonight’s semi-final. As a reminder, the #1 seed Ceccon scratched this event, as did #5 seed Gabor Zombori of Hungary, #7 seed Maksim Fofanov of Russia and #14 seed Mark Torok of Hungary.

In the hunt, though are 2 Israelis in the form of Ron Polonsky, who punched the wall in 2:01.32, while his teammate Gal Cohen Groumi followed in 4th in 2:01.87.

Greek athlete Apostolos Papastamos sits as the 3rd seed in 2:01.79, while the top swimmer of the morning and 50m fly gold medalist here form last night, Noe Ponti, is lurking as the 5th seed in 2:1.89.

Russia’s Danil Zaytsev shouldn’t be ignored, as he took bronze in this event at the 2018 edition of these Championships.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 53.61, Freya Anderson (GBR), 2018
• Championships Record – 53.97, Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 2015
• GOLD – Isabel Gose (GER), 54.86
• SILVER – Maya Tobehn (GER), 55.21
• BRONZE – Aleksandra Sabitova (RUS), 55.38

Despite a relatively short turnaround time after her 400m freestyle gold medal earlier in this session, 17-year-old Gose of Germany pulled out the double and got the gold in this 100m free as well.

Punching a winning effort of 54.86, Gose surpassed her previous personal best of 55.65 entering this meet, as well as smashed her 55.08 newly-minted career-fastest produced in last night’s semi-final. As such, this Gose’s first outing under the 55-second barrier.

Her teammate Maya Tobehn was right behind in 55.21 to give Germany a 1-2 punch, while Russia’s Aleksandra Sabitova collected bronze in 55.38.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 2:09.64 (target time)
• Championships Record – 2:10.69, Anton Chupkov (RUS), 2015
• GOLD – Aleksandr Zhigalov (RUS), 2:11.25
• SILVER – Caspar Corbeau (NED), 2:11.41
• BRONZE – Leon Marchand (FRA), 2:12.17

After both Frenchman Leon Marchand and Dutchman Caspar Corbeau posted lifetime best swims in the 2:12 range in both prelims and semi-finals, their parade was rained on by a Russian.

Both men settled for minor medals in new personal best marks in the final, with Corbeau hitting 2:11.41 for silver, while Marchand clocked 2:12.17 for bronze.

Surging to the lead was Aleksandr Zhigalov, the man who won this event at last year’s European Junor Championships. HIs time this year was 2:11.15, while his 2018 mark was 2:12.47, so he was over a second faster.

For Corbeau, the University of Texas-commit upgraded from his bronze from last year and also checks-in with a new Dutch National Youth Record in this event, lowering his 2:12.28 from semi-finals.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 2:06.62 (target time)
• Championships Record – 2:08.97, Polina Egorova (RUS), 2017
• GOLD – Erika Gaetani (ITA), 2:10.28
• SILVER – Honey Osrin (GBR), 2:10.30
• BRONZE – Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR), 2:11.84

In a race that went down to the touch, Italian Erika Gaetani got the gold in this women’s 200m back, registering a winning time of 2:10.28. That slid into the time pad just .02 ahead of British standout Honey Osrin.

Gaetani crushed her previous lifetime best of 2:12.86 put up last year with her winning time tonight.

Osrin, who trains at Plymouth Leander, fired off a personal best of 2:11.57 last night, but decimated that with a 2:10.30 here for silver. She took 4th in the senior final in this women’s 200m back event at the 2019 British Championships, producing a time there of 2:12.53, so she is making major strides in this event, becoming the 14th fastest British performer ever now.

Bronze went to Belarusian standout Anastasiya Shkurdai in 2:11.84. That was actually sluggish for the 16-year-old who holds a personal best and National Record of 2:10.58 from this April’s Belarusian National Junior Championships.

MEN’S 200 FLY – SEMIFINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 1:52.71, Kristof Milak (HUN), 2018
• Championships Record – 1:53.79, Kristof Milak (HUN), 2017
• Top 8:
  1. Mark Torok Dominik (HUN), 1:59.34
  2. Adam Hloben (CZE), 1:59.64
  3. Sebastian Lunak (CZE), 1:59.83
  4. Igor Troyanovs’kyy (UKR), 1:59.93
  5. Edward Mildred (GBR), 2:00.27
  6. Bjoern Kammann (GER), 2:00.42
  7. Ferran Sire Figueras (ESP), 2:00.68
  8. Michele Sassi (ITA), 2:01.11

We saw 4 men now venture under 2:00 territory in the men’s 200 fly, led by Hungary’s Mark Torok Dominik and his time of 1:59.34. Behind him were 2 Czech swimmers in Adam Hloben and Sebastian Lunak, who produced times of 1:59.64 and 1:59.83, respectively.

Russia’s top-seeded swimmer on paper heading into these Championships. Egor Pavlov, has a PB of 1:56.81, but mustered just a 2:01.69 to finish 9th and out of the final, pending any scratches.

British teen Edward Mildred continues to impress, entering the meet as the 15th seed, but rocketing to 4th in the morning in 2:01.65. He slipped to 5th in these semi-finals but rocked an even lower PB of 2:00.27 to come closer to the coveted 2:00 barrier.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – SEMIFINAL

• European Jr Record – 2:19.64 (target time)
• Championships Record – 2:23.06, Maria Astashkina (RUS), 2015
• Top 8:
  1. Evgenia Chikunova (RUS), 2:21.07* Championships Record
  2. Anastasia Marakova (RUS), 2:27.13
  3. Kayle Van Der Merwe (GBR), 2:27.18
  4. Justine Delmas (FRA), 2:27.91
  5. Eszter Bekesi (HUN), 2:28.19
  6. Laura Lahtinen (FIN), 2:28.70
  7. Josephine Dumont (BEL), 2:28.94
  8. Thea Blomsterberg (DEN), 2:29.00

Rocking the women’s 200m breaststroke in a world-class time was Evgenia Chikunova, the 14-year-old Russian who is in her own league here at Euro Jrs.

Pumping out a humongous effort of 2:21.07, the teen smashed her previous personal best and Russian National title-winning mark of 2:22.67 from just this past April.

Chikunova’s time now sits as 2nd fastest in the world this season, only behind American Annie Lazor, with the final tomorrow night yet to come.

MEN’S 1500 FREE – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 14:48.92 (target time)
• Championships Record – 15:04.91, Akos Kalmar (HUN), 2018
• GOLD – Kirill Martynychev (RUS), 15:01.59* Championships Record
• SILVER – Ilia Sibirtsev (RUS), 15:08.57
• BRONZE – Sven Shwarz (GER), 15:09.41

Russia went 1-2 in this men’s 1500m freestyle event, with Kirill Martynychev reaping gold in 15:01.59. The nation came up empty in this event at last year’s edition of these European Championships, so to claim 2 medals here tonight is a vast improvement. Ilia Sibirtsev took silver in 15:08.57.

Martynychev now sits among the top 20 competitors worldwide this season.

Bronze went to Germany, the nation who has been on-fire here thus far on the whole. Sven Shwarz got the job done for 3rd in 15:09.41.

MIXED 4×100 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• Euro Jr Record – 3:28.50, HUN, 2017
• Championships Record – 3:28.50, HUN, 2017
• GOLD – GER, 3:28.43* Championships Record
• SILVER – RUS, 3:29.12
• BRONZE – ITA, 3:30.12

Germany capped off day 2 with a statement swim in the mixed 4x100m free relay. The squad of Rafael Miroslaw, Artem Selin, Maya Tobehn and Isabel Gose combined to slam the wall in 3:28.43, a new Championships Record.

Splits for the winning German team include 49.54 for Miroslaw, 49.49 for Selin, 54.98 for Tobehn and a 54.42 anchor from Gose. Of note, this was Gose’s 3rd swim of the night and 3rd gold at that, having won the 400m free and 100 free titles earlier. That’s a heck of a night for the 17-year-old German swimmer.

Additional notable splits came from Andrei Minakov leading the Russian runner-up squad in a 49.03 lead-off, with Thomas Ceccon of Italy helping his team snag bronze with a 48.62 2nd leg.

British stud Matthew Richards also put on a nice showing once again, hitting 49.54 for 4th place Britain after already producing a 49.50 top seeded 100m free swim in the semi-finals earlier. His 14-year-old teammate Jacob Whittle clocked 50.19 in the 2nd position.