2019 World Junior C’ships Day 1 Prelims: Ceccon & Zombori Down Meet Records

7TH FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019

• 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)
• 50-meter (LCM) course
• Meet site
• Entries book
• FinaTV Live Stream (subscription required)
• Live results

MEN’S 400 FREE – PRELIMS

• World Record 3:40.07 BIEDERMANN Paul GER Rome (ITA) 26 JUL 2009
• Championships Record 3:47.12 HORTON Mack AUS Dubai (UAE) 26 AUG 2013
• World Junior Record 3:44.60 HORTON Mack AUS Brisbane (AUS) 1 APR 2014
• Top 8:
  1. Gabor Zombori, HUN, 3:46.97
  2. Jake Mitchell, USA, 3:49.43
  3. Thomas Neill, AUS, 3:49.88
  4. Yordan Yanchev, BUL, 3:50.76
  5. Jake Magahey, USA, 3:51.38
  6. Aleksandr Egorov, RUS, 3:51.50
  7. Konstantinos Englezakis, GRE 3:51.70
  8. Nikita Danilov, RUS, 3:51.75

America and Russia each saw 2 competitors advance into tonight’s 400m freestyle final, with Jake Mitchell and Jake Magahey leading the stars n’ stripes. Mitchell entered these championships as the #1 swimmer with a time of 3:48.09, while Magahey’s PB rests at the 3:50.70 that ranked him 7th headed into Budapest.

The Russian duo of Aleksandr Egorov and Nikita Danilov wrangled up the 6th and 8th positions this morning in times of 3:51.50 and 3:51.75, respectively.

But, the main attraction in the 400m free this morning was undoubtedly Hungary’s Gabor Zombori. The 16-year-old who had never before been under 3:50 ripped the swim of his life to crush a new PB of 3:46.97.

That leads the field by over 2 seconds, but also checks-in as a new championships record, overtaking the 3:47.12 Aussie Olympic champion Mack Horton set way back in 2013. Suddenly Horton’s  WJR doesn’t seem entirely out of reach.

One of our ‘top 10 men to watch’, Thomas Neill of Australia had a strong showing in 3:49.88, already slicing .10 off of his fastest time ever from just earlier this year.

Of note, Sweden’s Robin Hanson, the 2019 European Junior Championships bronze medalist, found himself 9th, not fast enough in 3:51.80.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – PRELIMS

• World Record 29.40 KING Lilly USA Budapest (HUN) 30 JUL 2017
• Championships Record 29.86 MEILUTYTE Ruta LTU Dubai (UAE) 27 AUG 2013
• World Junior Record 29.86 MEILUTYTE Ruta LTU Dubai (UAE) 26 AUG 2013
• Top 16
  1. Benedetta Pilato, ITA, 30.35
  2. Kayla Van Der Merwe, GBR, 31.13
  3. Kaitlyn Dobler, USA, 31.24
  4. Kotryna Teterevkova, LTU, 31.25
  5. Ellie Andrews, USA, 31.31
  6. Evgenia Chikunova, RUS, 31.43
  7. Lara van Niekerk, RSA, 31.51
  8. Thea Blomsterberg, DEN, 31.82
  9. Georgia Powell, AUS, 31.85
  10. Arina Sisojeva, LAT, 32.00
  11. Lydie Stepankova, CZE, 31.88
  12. Avery Wiseman, CAN, 32.03
  13. Eszter Bekesi, HUN, 32.21
  14. Meri Mataja, CRO, 32.23
  15. Anastasia Makarova, RUS, 32.27
  16. Bailey Herbert, CAN & Nina Stanisavijevic, SRB, 32.34

14-year-old Benedetta Pilato is one of the only swimmers in Budapest this week that not only competed at this year’s senior World Championships but also took home a medal. The Italian dynamo clinched 50m breaststroke silver in Gwangju in a time of 30.00, but not before setting a new Italian standard in 29.98 in the heats.

Even cruising in the heats Pilato leads the field easily, registering the only sub-31 second time of the field in 30.35. That time alone would have placed 5th in the Gwangju final, just for perspective.

Great Britain’s European Junior Championships gold medalist in the 100m breast, Kayla Van Der Merwe, put up the fastest time of her young career in 31.13. That wipes out her previous career-quickest of 31.47 that rendered the 16-year-old Briton the 6th seed headed into Budapest.

USA’s Kaitlyn Dobler nailed a morning swim of 31.24 to also check-in with a new personal best, while South Africa got in the tp 16 with Lara van Niekerk‘s 7th seeded 31.51.

MEN’S 100 BACK – PRELIMS

• World Record 51.85 MURPHY Ryan USA Rio de Janeiro (BRA) 13 AUG 2016
• Championships Record 54.27 GONZALEZ Hugo ESP Indianapolis, IN (USA) 24 AUG 2017
• World Junior Record 52.53 KOLESNIKOV Kliment RUS Glasgow (GBR) 6 AUG 2018
• Top 16
  1. Thomas Ceccon, ITA 54.07
  2. Will Grant, USA, 54.39
  3. Wyatt Davis, USA 54.56
  4. Nikolay Zuev, RUS 54.80
  5. Tylar Wall, CAN 54.89
  6. Cole Pratt, CAN, 55.07
  7. Mewen Tomac, FRA, 55.16
  8. Srihari Nataraj, IND, 55.18
  9. Jan Cejka, CZE, 55.47
  10. Joao Costa, POR 55.58
  11. Arijus Pavlidi, LTU, 55.72
  12. Charlie Brown, GBR, 55.73
  13. Joshua Edwards-Smith, AUS 55.80
  14. Kalani Ireland, AUS 55.86
  15. Zac Dell, NZL, 55.93
  16. Marvin Dahler, GER, 55.94

The men’s 100m back heats brought another Championships Record, as Italy’s Thomas Ceccon fired off his warning shot of 54.07 to lead the field headed into tonight’s semi-final. Splitting 26.23/27.84, Ceccon’s time of 54.07 knocked .20 off of the previous CR that Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez set 2 years ago.

Ceccon has been as fast as 53.60, so the 18-year-old European Junior Champion in this event is just getting started.

2 Americans are on his heels, however, with Will Grant and Wyatt Davis each collecting speeding 54-point efforts of their own. Grant hit 54.39 to Davis’ 54.56, with both producing new personal bests in this early round.

Russia’s Nikolay Zuev lurks as the 4th seeded swimmer in a smooth 54.80, while India’s Commonwealth Games athlete Srihari Nataraj represented his nation well with an 8th seeded swim of 55.18. That crushes his previous PB of 55.49 that ranked him 12th entering this meet.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – PRELIMS

• World Record 4:26.36 HOSSZU Katinka HUN Rio de Janeiro (BRA) 6 AUG 2016
• Championships Record 4:39.01 RUDIN Rosie GBR Singapore (SGP) 25 AUG 2015
• World Junior Record RUDIN Rosie GBR Singapore (SGP) 25 AUG 2015
• Top 8
  1. Alba Ruiz Vasquez, ESP, 4:43.17
  2. Michaella Glenister, GBR, 4:43.27
  3. Isabel Gormley, USA, 4:44.01
  4. Grace Sheble, USA, 4:44.34
  5. Viktoria Farkas-Mihalyvari, HUN, 4:44.76
  6. Eszter Szabo-Feltothy, HUN, 4:45.45
  7. Paula Juste Sanchez, ESP, 4:46.43
  8. Mei Ishihara, JPN, 4:47.06

Spain’s Alba Ruiz Vasquez staked her claim on this women’s 400m IM event, notching the top time of the morning in 4:43.17. That carries just a .10 advantage over British teen Michaella Glenister who posted a morning effort of 4:43.27 to flank Vasquez in tonight’s final.

For Glenister, the 16-year-old’s time this morning already checks-in as a huge new lifetime best by about 4 seconds, giving us a glimpse into the determination this swimmer has to place in this event tonight.

But, 2 Americans are in the mix with Isabel Gormely and Grace Sheble both sitting among the top 4 with respective morning swims of 4:44.01 and 4:44.34. For Sheble, her time represents her first outing under the 3:45 barrier.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – PRELIMS

• World Record 56.88 PEATY Adam GBR Gwangju (KOR) 21 JUL 2019
• Championships Record 59.01 MARTINENGHI Nicolo ITA Indianapolis, IN (USA) 23 AUG 2017
• World Junior Record 59.01 MARTINENGHI Nicolo ITA Indianapolis (USA) 23 AUG 2017
• Top 16
  1. Kevin Houseman, USA 1:00.52
  2. Josh Matheny, USA 1:00.66
  3. Archie Goodburn, GBR 1:01.01
  4. Gabe Mastromatteo, CAN, 1:01.25
  5. Shoma Sato, JPN, 1:01.31
  6. Yuta Arai, JPN 1:01.37
  7. Demirkan Demir, TUR, 1:01.69
  8. Vladislav Gerasimenko, RUS, 1:01.80
  9. Eoin Corby, IRL, 1:01.89
  10. Aleksandr Zhigalov, RUS, 1:02.02
  11. Maksym Tkachuk, UKR, 1:02.31
  12. Leon Marchand, FRA, 1:02.38
  13. Savvas Thomoglou, GRE, 1:02.41
  14. Izaak Bastian, BAH, 1:02.55
  15. Amro Al-Wir, JOR, 1:02.60
  16. Sebestyen Bohm, HUN, 1:02.65

There weren’t any major shake-ups among the top 16 of the men’s 100m breast, with the swimmers holding their cards closely to their vests in this morning’s heats.

USA saw its 2 swimmers advance as the top 2 seeds, with Kevin Houseman holding 1:00.52 to Josh Matheny‘s 1:00.66. Both men improved upon their previous PB’s, most notably Matheny, who got under the 1:01 barrier for the first time in his career.

Great Britain’s Archie Goodburn also got on the board as the 3rd seed in a new lifetime best of 1:01.01, while Japan saw 2 swimmers head to the semi in Shoma Sato and Yuta Arai.

The European Junior Champion in this event, Aleksandr Zhigalov of Russia, lurks as the 10th seed from heats in 1:02.02. He took the title in Kazan in a time of 1:00.75.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – PRELIMS

• World Record 57.57 SMITH Regan USA Gwangju (KOR) 28 JUL 2019
• Championships Record 59.11 SMITH Regan USA Indianapolis, IN (USA) 28 AUG 2017
• World Junior Record 57.57 MITH Regan USA Gwangju (KOR) 28 JUL 2019
• Top 16
  1. Jade Hannah, CAN, 59.91
  2. Mollie O’Callaghan, AUS, 1:00.53
  3. Anastasia Gorbenko, ISR, 1:00.58
  4. Claire Curzan, USA 1:00.65
  5. Annabel Crush, USA, 1:01.20
  6. Daria Vaskina, RUS, 1:01.92
  7. Zuzanna Herasimowicz, POL, 1:02.09*
  8. Rafaela Azevedo, POR, 1:02.09*
  9. Lena Grabowski, AUT, 1:02.24
  10. Erika Francesca Gaetani, ITA, 1:02.27
  11. Bronte Job, AUS, 1:02.30
  12. Anastasiya Shkurdai, BLR, 1:02.34*
  13. Lena Riedemann, GER, 1:02.34*
  14. Aviv Barzelay, ISR, 1:02.49
  15. Honey Osrin, GBR, 1:02.67
  16. Pia Murray, GBR, 1:02.69

Canadian Jade Hannah threw down a near-personal best to lead the women’s 100m back heats in the only sub-minute time of the field. Clocking a time of 59.91, Hannah’s morning swim sits just .02 outside of her lifetime best to take the top spot.

Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan ripped the quickest time of her young career in 1:00.53 to hold the 2nd seed into tonight’s semi’s. Just 15 years of age, O’Callaghan’s previous PB sat at the 1:01.05 that rendered the Aussie as the 8th seed heading into Budapest. But, this morning, she knocked that down by about half a second to sit behind Hannah.

Americans Claire Curzan and Annabel Crush both easily make it to the next round, as does Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko. Gorbenko just smashed her previous PB and Israeli National Record of 1:01.03 to bring it way down to 1:00.58 in this morning swim.

The reigning European Junior Champion, Daria Vaskina, heads to the semi tonight, as does European Youth Olympic Festival gold medalist Erika Francesca Gaetani of Italy.

Relay Action:

• The United States took the top seed in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats, with the combination of Jack Alexy, Matt Brownstead, Jack Armstrong and Luca Urlando combining to clock a mark of 3:18.27. Splits for the stars n’ stripes include 50.26 for Alexy, 49.85 for Brownstead, 49.55 for Armstrong and a speedy 48.61 from Urlando.
  • The only other sub-49 second split from 4x100m free relay heats included a 48.35 anchor from Russia’s Andrei Minakov
• The United States also took the top seed in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay. Lillie Nordmann (1:59.97), Erin Gemmell (1:59.40), Ashley Strouse (2:01.46) and Justina Kozan (2:00.27) clocked a morning effort of 8:01.10 to lead the pack.
  • Additional notable splits included a 1:59.38 anchor by Aussie Lani Pallister, a 1:58.91 anchor from Germany’s Maya Tobehn and a 1:59.82 split from Japan’s Maya Nimbu.