2019 FINA World Junior Championships: Day One Finals Live Recap

7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019

• 50-Meter Course
• Duna Arena, Budapest (Hungary)
• Pool swimming: Tuesday, August 20 – Sunday, August 25, 2019
• Heats 9:30am GMT+2 (3:30 am EDT / 12:30 am PDT)/ Semifinals and Finals 5:30pm GMT+2 (11:30am EDT / 8:30am PDT)
• Meet site
• Entries book
• FinaTV Live Stream (subscription required)
• Live results

Tuesday, 20 August 2019

Men’s 400m Freestyle – Final

• WR: 3:40.07 Paul BIEDERMANN GER 26 JUL 2009
• CR: 3:46.97 Gabor ZOMBORI HUN 20 AUG 2019
• WJR: 3:44.60 Mack HORTON AUS 1 APR 2014

Podium:

1. Gabor ZOMBORI HUN 3:46.06 CR
2. Thomas NEILL AUS 3:46.27
3. Aleksandr EGOROV RUS 3:47.36

Hungary’s Gabor Zombori was out like a shot, aiming to take down the World Junior Record in the men’s 400 free after having downed the Championship Record in morning heats. He was 53.0 at the 100 wall, well under World Record pace. Jake Mitchell of the USA was on his shoulder with Australia’s Thomas Neill about a half-body behind.

At the halfway mark, Neill pulled past Mitchell and challenged Zombori, outsplitting him on the fourth, fifth, and sxith 50s. Zombori kicked it into gear over the final 100 meters and came away with the victory. Both Zombori and Neill came to the wall under the Championship Record, with 3:46.06 and 3:46.27 respectively.

Russia’s Aleksandr Egorov remained in third place with a final time of 3:47.36.

Mitchell wound up fourth with 3:47.95. He was followed by Russia’s Nikita Danilov 3:49.66, Konstantinos Englezakis of Greece (3:50.36), Yordan Yanchev of Bulgaria (3:50.41), and USA’s Jake Magahey (3:51.19).

Women’s 50m Breaststroke – Semi-finals

• WR: 29.40 Lilly KING USA 30 JUL 2017
• CR: 29. 29.86 Ruta MEILUTYTE LTU 16 AUG 2013
• WJR: 29.86 Ruta MEILUTYTE LTU 16 AUG 2013

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Benedetta PILATO ITA 30.39
2. Kaitlyn DOBLER USA 31.15
3. Kayla van der MERWE GBR 31.22
4. Lara van NIEKERK RSA 31.28
5. Kotryna TETEREVKOVA LTU 31.30
6. Ellie ANDREWS USA 31.50
7. Anastasia MAKAROVA RUS 31.67
8. Thea BLOMSTERBERG DEN 31.70

Kayla van der Merwe of Great Britain won the first semi-final of the 50 breast with 31.22, about .09 behind her pace from morning heats. Behind her were Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova (31.30) and Denmark’s Thea Blomsterberg (31.70).

The second semi-final went to Italy’s Benedetta Pilato in 30.39, again a touch behind her morning time. Kaitlyn Dobler of USA (31.15) and Lara van Niekerk of South Africa (31.28) were second and third in the heat.

Men’s 100m Backstroke – Semi-finals

• WR: 51.85 Ryan MURPHY USA 13 AUG 2016
• CR: 54.07 Thomas CECCON ITA 20 AUG 2019
• WJR: 52.53 Kliment KOLESNIKOV RUS 6 AUG 2018

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Nikolay ZUEV RUS 54.08
2. Mewen TOMAC FRA 54.42
3. Thomas CECCON ITA 54.49
4. Will GRANT USA 54.54
5. Wyatt DAVIS USA 54.59
6. Srihari NATARAJ IND 54.69
7. Cole PRATT CAN 54.78
8. Tyler WALL CAN 54.80

Nikolay Zuev of Russia was first to the wall in semi-final 1, going 54.08, .72 faster than in heats this morning. Will Grant of USA was second with 54.54, followed by India’s Srihari Nataraj in 54.69.

The second heat looked like it would be dominated by Italy’s Thomas Ceccon, who had broken the Championship Record this morning with 54.07. But France’s Mewen Tomac spoiled those plans with a huge finish over the last 25 meters to win the heat with 54.42. That lowered his French National Record and put him to the wall .07 ahead of Ceccon. Wyatt Davis of USA was third in a very tight finish, going 54.59 to make it through fifth overall.

Women’s 400m Individual Medley – Final

• WR: 4:26.36 Katinka HOSSZU HUN 6 AUG 2016
• CR: 4:39.01 Rosie RUDIN GBR 25 AUG 2015
• WJR: 4:39.01 Rosie RUDIN GBR 25 AUG 2015

Podium:

1. Alba Ruiz Vasquez ESP 4:38.53
2. Isabel Gormley USA 4:39.15
3. Michaella Glenister GBR 4:39.35

Hungary’s Eszter Szabo-Feltothy led the field over the first half of the race, swimming just under the World Junior Record time line with a butterfly split of 1:04.00 and a backstroke split of 1:09.26. She had more than a two-second lead over USA’s Isabel Gormley at the 200 wall.

Spain’s Alba Ruiz Vasquez, sixth at the back-to-breast turn, split a 1:16.74 on the breaststroke to take over the lead heading into the freestyle. Up by nearly a body length at the 300 wall, she came home in 1:04.11 to grab the gold medal in record time. Her 4:38.53 took down both the Championship Record and the World Junior Record, previously 4:39.01 set by Rosie Rudin of GBR in 2015.

Gormley hung on for the silver medal, just touching out Great Britain’s Michaella Glenister, 4:39.15 to 4:39.35.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Semi-finals

• WR: 56.88 Adam PEATY GBR 21 JUL 2019
• CR: 59.01 Nicolo MARTINENGHI ITA 23 AUG 2017
• WJR: 59.01 Nicolo MARTINENGHI ITA 23 AUG 2017

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Josh MATHENY USA 1:00.32
2. Kevin HOUSEMAN USA 1:00.46
3. Gabe MASTROMATTEO CAN 1:00.76
4. Shoma SATO JPN 1:00.96
5. Archie GOODBURN GBR 1:01.03
6. Vladislav GERASIMENKO RUS 1:01.04
7. Eoin CORBY IRL 1:01.06
8. Yuta ARAI JPN 1:01.17

Josh Matheny of USA dropped .34 from his morning swim to win the first semi-final of the men’s 100 breast in 1:00.32. Canada’s Gabe Mastromatteo was second with 1:00.76, coming to the wall just ahead of Russia’s Vladislav Gerasimenko (1:01.04).

The second semi-final again went to an American, as Kevin Houseman stopped the clock about a half-body length in front of the field with 1:00.46. Japan’s Shoma Sato was second in the heat with 1:00.46, nearly 9/10 faster than in morning heats. Great Britain’s Archie Goodburn was third with 1:01.03.

Women’s 100m Backstroke – Semi-finals

• WR: 57.57 Regan SMITH USA 28 JUL 2019
• CR: 59.11 Regan SMITH USA 28 AUG 2017
• WJR: 57.57 Regan SMITH USA 28 JUL 2019

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Jade HANNAH CAN 59.97
2. Claire CURZAN USA 1:00.17
3. Mollie O’CALLAGHAN AUS 1:00.29
4. Annabel CRUSH USA 1:00.93
5. Anastasia GORBENKO ISR 1:00.99
6. Daria VASKINA RUS 1:01.08
7. Rafaela AZEVEDO POR 1:01.18
8. Anastasiya SHKURDAI BLR 1:01.45

USA’s Claire Curzan took .58 off her time from this morning’s heats to lead the first semi-final of women’s 100 back in 1:00.17. Just behind her was Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan in 1:00.29, bettering her morning time by .29. Next to the wall was Russia’s Daria Vaskina in 1:01.08. She, too, improved with a .84-second drop from heats.

Canada’s Jade Hannah notched the only sub-minute 100 back of the morning with 59.97 to win semi-final 2. Annabel Crush of USA eked out a second-place touch over Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko, 1:00.93 to 1:00.99.

Men’s 4x100m Freestyle – Final

• WR: 3:08.24 United States Of America USA 27 JUL 2019
• CR: 3:16.96 Australia AUS 26 AUG 2013
• WJR: 3:16.96 Australia AUS 26 AUG 2013

Podium:

1. United States 3:15.80 CR, WJR
2. Russia 3:16.26
3. Italy 3:16.29

All three of the medalists were under the Championship Record and the World Junior Record in the men’s 4x100m free relay but it was the Americans whose names made the record books. Jake Magahey (49.51), Luca Urlando (48.73), Adam Chaney (48.64) and Carson Foster (48.92) combined for a scorching 3:15.80, downing the marks by 1.16 seconds. Russia edged Italy by .03 to earn the silver medal in 3:16.26.

Italy’s Federico Burdisso led the field on the first exchange, going 49.38. Thomas Ceccon followed with 48.59 and the Italians had a .27 lead over second-place USA heading into the third leg. Russia’s Akeksandr Schhegolev had the fastest second leg with 48.54.

Chaney’s third leg of 48.64 put the USA into first place. He handed it off to Foster with a .74 lead over Italy. Foster brought it home in 48.92 for the win. Andrei Minakov of Russia nailed his anchor, going 47.82 to touch out Italy by .03 for the silver medal.

Women’s 4x200m Freestyle – Final

• WR: 7:41.50 Australia AUS 25 JUL 2019
• CR: 7:51.47 Canada CAN 23 AUG 2017
• WJR: 7:51.47 Canada CAN 23 AUG 2017

Podium:

1. United States 7:55.49
2. Australia 7:57.87
3. Canada 8:01.14

Lani Pallister put Australia way out in front on the opening leg, handing off to Michaela Ryan with a .70 lead after a leadoff split of 1:58.61. Ryan went 1:59.11 to build the Australian lead. Justina Kozan of USA outsplit Australia’s Rebecca Jacobson, 1:58.09 to 2:00.71 to put the Americans in the lead for the first time. Lillie Nordmann had led off for Team USA in 1:59.31, followed by Erin Gemmell in 1:59.70. Claire Tuggle went 1:58.39 on the final leg to secure victory for the US with a final time of 7:55.49. Jenna Forrester split 1:59.44 on the end, giving Australia a time of 7:57.87 and the silver medal.

Russia, who had finished third, was disqualified moving Canada into the bronze medal-winning position. Team Canada was made up of Brooklyn Douthwright (1:59.69), Katrina Bellio (2:00.61), Genevieve Sasseville (2:02.89), and Emma O’Croinin (1:57.95, the fastest split in the field).