2019 World University Games: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2019 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES/SUMMER UNIVERSIADE – SWIMMING

• July 4th-9th, 2019
• Napoli, Italy
• LCM (50m)
• Live Stream: Olympic Channel (in US), Rai Sport (in Italy)
• Entry Lists & Live Results
• Day 3 Finals Heat Sheet

The third finals session from the 2019 World University Games in Napoli will feature five finals and five sets of semi-finals, kicking off with the men’s 1500 freestyle.

In that event, Sweden’s Victor Johansson comes in as the top seed by over six seconds after clocking a 15:07.76 in the heats on Friday morning.

Katharine Berkoff and Zane Waddell will be looking to follow up their Games Records set in this morning’s prelims in tonight’s semis, as Berkoff took out the women’s 100 back mark in 59.57 and Waddell lowered the men’s 50 back record in a blistering 24.54.

Men’s 1500 Free Final

• WUGs Record: 14:47.75, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 2017

1. Victor Johansson (SWE), 15:01.76
2. Alessio Occhipinti (ITA), 15:07.36
3. Nick Norman (USA), 15:09.29

Sweden’s Victor Johansson and the USA’s Nick Norman traded leads early on, but by the halfway point Johansson was solidly in control and continued to put water between himself and the rest of the pack, ultimately winning by 5.6 seconds with at time of 15:01.76. Johansson trains in the USA as part of the USC Trojans and finished 14th in the 1650 at this year’s NCAA championships.

It was a three-man race for 2nd behind Johansson, with Italy’s Alessio Occhipinti delighting the home crowd by moving ahead of Norman to take 2nd in 15:07.36. Johansson’s Pac-12 rival Norman, who swims for the Cal Bears, took 3rd in 15:09.29. Spain’s Albert Escrits Manosa stayed close to Occhipinti and Norman for most of the race, ultimately touching 4th in 15:10.78.

Men’s 200 Breast Semi-Finals

• WUGs Record: 2:08.37, Andrew Wilson (USA), 2017

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Kirill Prigoda (RUS), 2:09.16
2. Daniel Roy (USA), 2:09.50
3. Ilia Khomenko (RUS), 2:11.28
4. Jacques Lauffer (SUI), 2:11.46
5. Jonathan Tybur (USA), 2:12.31
6. Mate Kutasi (HUN), 2:12.42
7. Christopher Rothbauer (AUT), 2:12.58
8. Andrius Sidlauskus (LTU) 2:12.71

The top two seeds from this morning again put up the swiftest two times in this round. In heat 1, Daniel Roy of the USA dipped under 2:10 with a 2:09.50 effort, winning the heat by roughly 2 seconds. In the 2nd heat, Russia’s Kirill Prigoda improved on his 2:09.99 from this morning with a dominant 2:09.16 effort. A similar drop from semis to finals will put him within striking distance of Andrew Wilson’s 2:08.37 meet record from two years ago.

Prigoda and Roy will be joined in the final by teammates Ilia Khomenko and Jonathan Tybur, who put up the 3rd and 5th fastest times in semis. Switzerland’s Jacques Lauffer broke up the Russians and Americans hold on the top top five sports, qualifying 4th with a 2:11.46. Hungary’s Mate Kutasi (2:12.42), Austria’s Christopher Rothbauer (2:12.58), and Lithuania’s Andrius Sidlauskus (2:12.71) will round out tomorrow’s final.

Women’s 200 IM Semi-Finals

• WUGs Record: 2:10.03, Yui Ohashi (JPN), 2017

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Alicia Wilson (GBR), 2:11.60
2. Abbie Wood (GBR), 2:12.35
3. Ella Eastin (USA) 2:12.60
4. Catalina Corro Lorente (ESP) / Runa Imai (JPN), 2:12.88
5. (Tie)
6. Evie Pfiefer (USA) 2:13.38
7. Ilaria Cusinato (ITA), 2:14.01
8. Kristyna Horska (CZE), 2:15.22

In the first heat, Catalina Corro Lorente(ESP), Ella Eastin(USA), and Evie Pfiefer (USA) were tight coming off the final wall, but Eastin took the win with a 31.65 freestyle split as she touched in 2:12.60. Corro Lorente was just behind Eastin with a 2:12.88 and Pfeifer’s 2:13.38 also was enough to qualify for tomorrow’s final.

The other five qualifiers came from the 2nd heat. Great Britain’s Alicia Wilson took control with a 33.13 split on the backstroke leg and finished in 2:11.60 to become the top overall qualifiers. Teammate Abbie Wood finished 2nd in the heat and overall with a 2:12.35; she’ll be looking for redemption tomorrow after failing to hear the start in the 400 IM finals on day 1. Also qualifying from heat 2 were Japan’s Runa Imai (2:12.88), Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato (2:14.01) and the Czech Republic’s Kristyna Horska (2:15.22).

Men’s 200 Free Final

• WUGs Record: 1:44.87, Danila Izotov (RUS), 2013

1. Zach Apple (USA), 1:46.80
2. Nikolay Snegirev (RUS), 1:46.97
3. Stefano DiCola (ITA), 1:47.86

Zach Apple went for the fly-and-die method of swimming the 200 free, going out fast and building almost a one-second lead heading into the final 50. Nikolay Snegirev nearly closed the gap over the final stretch, but Apple hung on to win 1:46.80 to 1:46.97.

Italy’s Stefano DiCola didn’t look to be in the mix early on, but came on strong the second half and picked up 3rd with a 1:47.86

Women’s 100 Breast Final

• WUGs Record: 1:05.48, Yulia Efimova (RUS), 2013

1. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 1:06.42
2. Mai Fukasawa (JPN), 1:07.22
3. Kanako Watanabe (JPN), 1:07.28

Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa thundered home, splitting 34.72 over the final 50 to win in convincing fashion, stopping the clock in 1:06.42.

A pair of Japanese swimmers, Mai Fukasawa and Kanako Watanabe, also had strong backhalfs and took the silver and bronze medals with times of 1:07.22 and 1:07.28, respectively. Watanabe was the defending champion, having taken gold in 2017 with a 1:06.85.

Great Britain’s Sarah Vasey hit the first wall in the lead with a 31.50 opening split, but paid for it with a 36.52 on the 2nd half, settling for 5th with a 1:08.02.

Men’s 200 Fly Semi-Finals

• WUGs Record: 1:53.90, Nao Horomura (JPN), 2017

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Michal Poprawa (POL), 1:56.72
2. Aleksandr Kudashev (RUS) 1:57.01
3. Nao Horomura (JPN), 1:57.08
4. Takumi Terada (JPN) 1:57.47
5. Giacomo Carini (ITA), 1:57.56
6. Bowen Gough (AUS), 1:57.69
7. Fynn Minuth (GER) 1:57.94
8. Vladimir Kudriashov (RUS), 1:58.14

In the 1st heat, the USA’s Jack Saunderson looked to be well in control for most of the race, but faded over the final 50, splitting 32.71 to end up well behind the top finishers. Saunderson’s time of 1:58.24 ended up putting him 9th overall. It’s worth nothing that Saunderson initially made the team for the 100 fly, and only added the 200 fly after Jack LeVant withdrew shortly before the meet began.

Meanwhile, Poland’s Michal Poprawa powered home to touch in 1:56.72, the only man in the heat to break 1:57. Defending champion Nao Horomura of Japan touched 2nd in 1:57.08, while Italy’s Giacamo Carini and Australia’s Bowen Gough were about half a second behind, with times of 1:57.56 and 1:57.69. Germany’s Fynn Minuth (1:57.94) and Russia’s Vladimir Kudriashov (1:58.14) also qualified out of the heat.

In heat 2, Russia’s Aleksandr Kudashev and the USA’s Trenton Julian were tight at the halfway mark, with Japan’s Takumi Terada just a bit behind. Aleksandr pulled ahead of Julian over the back half of the race. Terada also charged hard over the final 50, with Aleksandr winning in 1:57.01 and Terada taking 2nd in 1:57.47. Australia’s Charles Cox also had a strong final lap, but ended up out of the top eight despite finishing 3rd in the heat.

Women’s 100 Free Final

• WUGs Record: 53.50, Aleksandra Gerasimenya (BLR), 2013

Men’s 200 IM Final

• WUGs Record: 1:57.35, Kosuke Hagino (JPN), 2017

1. Juran Mizohata (JPN) 1:58.88
2. Joe Litchfield (GBR), 1:59.28
3. Wang Hsing-Hao (TPE), 1:59.87

Taiwan’s Wang Hsing-Hao took it out fast, touching first at the 50, but appeared to die as Great Britain’s Joe Litchfield surged ahead on the backstroke leg. Litchfield held the lead for most of the middle of the race, but Japan’s Juran Mizohata moved up on the breaststroke leg, overtook Litchfield, and then surged home for 1:58.88 victory.

Litchfield held onto 2nd place with a 1:59.28, while Wang came back from the dead with a strong final 50, taking bronze in 1:59.87.

Women’s 100 Back Semi-Finals

• WUGs Record: 59.57, Katharine Berkoff (USA), 2019

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Katharine Berkoff (USA), 59.82
2. Silvia Scalia (ITA), 1:00.13
3. Elise Haan (USA), 1:00.31
4. Kennedy Goss (CAN), 1:00.43
5. Ingrid Wilm (CAN), 1:00.55
6. Marina Furubayashi (JPN), 1:01.14
7. Toto Kwan To Wong (HKG)  1:01.30
8. Nadine Laemmler (GER), 1:01.46
9. Agata Naskret (POL) 1:01.65

Men’s 50 Back Semi-Finals

• WUGs Record: 24.54, Zane Waddell (RSA), 2019

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Zane Waddell (RSA), 24.46
2. Justin Ress (USA), 24.52
3. Grigory Tarasevich (RUS) 24.64
4. Mark Nikolaev (RUS), 25.00
5. Gabriel Fantoni (BRA), 25.03
6. Bence Szentes (HUN), 25.05
7. Bohdan Kasian (UKR) / Viktar Staselovich (BLR), 25.14
8. (Tie)

This morning, both Zane Waddell of South Africa and Justin Ress of the USA were under the previous meet record in this event, with Waddell taking it down first, and then Ress also under the old mark, but just a little off of Waddell’s time, in the next heat.

Tonight, Ress clipped Waddell’s meet record from this morning, but only held that mark for a few minutes. Ress went 24.52 to win the first heat, but Waddell came right back with a 24.46 to win the 2nd heat and take back the meet record.

The top five qualifiers all have NCAA experience, with Russia’s Grigory Tarasevich (Louisville) finishing just behind the two leaders at 24.64 and fellow Russian Mark Nikolaev (Grand Canyon) and Brazil’s Gabriel Fantoni (Indiana), stopping the clock in 25.00 and 25.03. Waddell just finished his senior season at Alabama, and Ress finished his senior season at NC State.

Hungary’s Bence Szentes finished just behind Nikolaev and Fantoni with a 25.05, while Bohdan Kasian of Ukraine and Viktar Staselovich of Belarus tied for 7th, both touching in 25.14.