2019 World University Games: Houlie Hits For Meet Record at Day 5 Prelims

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

Note: Due to time zone differences, prelims for this meet are in the middle of the night for most of the SwimSwam staff, and our European-based staff is occupied with the European Junior Championships. We’ll recap the preliminary sessions once our writers are up in the morning, so keep an eye out for something around 7am EDT. In the meantime, readers who are awake can feel free to leave comments about the action. Just keep in mind that some comments may get stuck in moderation throughout the night.

The 5th morning of the 2019 World University Games will feature six events, all individual, and USA swimmers hold the top seed in each of the first three events: the men’s 200 back (Austin Katz), the women’s 200 free (Gabby DeLoof), and the men’s 100 fly (Jack Saunderson). Swimmers from three different nationalities will swim in lane 4 of the final heat in each of the other free events: Italy’s Silvia Scalia (women’s 50 back), South Africa’s Michael Houlie (men’s 50 breast), and Japan’s Waka Kobori (women’s 800 free).

Men’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record – 1:51.92, Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
• Meet Record – 1:54.13, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2009

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Clark Beach (USA) – 1:57.15
2. Martin Bindell (RSA) – 1:57.87
3. Austin Katz (USA) – 1:58.51
4. Juho Lee (KOR) – 1:58.89
5. Manuel Martos (ESP) – 1:59.27
6. Geoffroy Mathieu (FRA) – 1:59.36
7. Luca Mencarini (ITA) – 1:59.40
8. Emanuel Turchi (ITA) – 1:59.43
9. Kane Follows (NZL) – 1:59.44
10. Roman Larin (RUS) – 1:59.77
11. Cameron Tysoe (AUS) – 1:59.78
12. Grigory Tarasevich (RUS) – 1:59.79
13. Benedek Kovacs (HUN) – 2:00.06
14. Francisco Santos (POR) – 2:00.16
15. Thomals Watkins (NZL) – 2:00.65
16. Rob Hill (CAN) – 2:00.73

American Clark Beach just about matched his career-best time this morning, going 1:57.15 for the top qualifying spot. Beach was 1:57.06 at U.S. Nationals last summer to qualify for this team, and he’s got up to two more chances to crack the 1:57-barrier.

South Africa’s Martin Bindell split up the two Americans, going 1:57.87 ahead of Austin Katz‘s 1:58.51. Katz was the top seed coming in by a wide margin at 1:55.69.

Russian Grigory Tarasevich won the 100 back and medaled in the 50 back this week, and he’s into semifinals with a relaxed 1:59.79, good for 12th place.

Women’s 200 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record – 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini (ITA), 2009
• Meet Record – 1:56.71, Siobahn Haughey (HK), 2017

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Paige Madden (USA) – 2:00.16
2. Mariia Baklakova (RUS) – 2:00.68
3. Irina Krivonogova (RUS) – 2:00.79
4. Gabby DeLoof (USA) – 2:01.12
5. Kathyn Greenslade (GBR) – 2:01.19
6. Linda Caponi (ITA) – 2:01.28
7. Kennedy Goss (CAN) – 2:01.40
8. Mikayla Messer (AUS) – 2:02.05
9. Hanna Eriksson (SWE) – 2:02.09
10. Alice Scarabelli (ITA) – 2:02.14
11. Dahlas Rogers (AUS) – 2:02.38
12. Lena Opatril (AUT) – 2:02.74
13. Daniela Georges (POL) – 2:03.09
14. Sayaka Kashiwazaki (JPN) – 2:03.14
15. Juliette Dumont (BEL) – 2:03.34
16. Leonie Kullman (GER) – 2:03.52

It’s the duos from Russia and the USA leading the way out of prelims in the women’s 200 free. The Americans had the top two seeds coming into the meet, but it was #2 seed Paige Madden who qualified at the top today. Madden was 2:00.16, but went 1:58.5 last summer.

Meanwhile Russia’s Mariia Baklakova pushed Madden from the final heat. Baklakova won her heat from an outside lane, going 2:00.68, about a second better than her seed. Irina Krivonogova roughly held her seed time to qualify third, and American Gabby DeLoof, the top seed, was 2:01.12 for fourth. DeLoof did have a big swim to win the 100 free earlier this week, though, so watch out for her in the semifinal and final.

Kathryn Greenslade of Great Britain won the other circle-seeded heat, going 2:01.19.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims

• World Record – 49.82, Michael Phelps (USA), 2009
• Meet Record – 50.85, Jason Dunford (KEN), 2009

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Aleksandr Sadovnikov (RUS) – 52.21
2. Coleman Stewart (USA) – 52.39
3. Yuya Tanaka (JPN) – 52.44
4. Shinosuke Ishikawa (JPN) – 52.45
5. Jack Saunderson (USA) – 52.66
6. Egor Kuimov (RUS) /Iago Moussalem (BRA) – 52.76
7.  —
8. Michal Poprawa (POL) – 52.81
9. Kaan Turker Ayar (TUR) – 52.88
10. Christian Ferraro (ITA) – 52.92
11. Joe Litchfield (GBR) – 52.92
12. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 53.05
13. Pedro Franca (BRA) / Bowen Gough (AUS) – 53.10
14. —
15. Pierre Henry-Arrenous (FRA) – 53.56
16. Grigori Pekarski (BLR) – 53.87

Russia’s Aleskandr Sadovnikov won the first circle-seeded heat, and his time held up across the remaining heats as the top 100 fly swim this morning. Sadovnikov was 52.21 – only two men came in with seeds under 52, and Sadovnikov was seeded at 52.03.

American Coleman Stewart sits second at 52.39. Stewart was a 52.17 coming in, and bested his countryman Jack Saunderson in the final heat. Saunderson was 52.66 for the fifth qualifying spot.

The other sub-52 seed coming in was Japan’s Shinosuke Ishikawa. Japan put two men in the top four this morning: Ishikawa was 52.45 for fourth, while Yuya Tanaka cut down to 52.44 for the third spot.

Women’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record – 26.98, Liu Xiang (CHN), 2018
• Meet Record – 27.89, Anastasia Zueva (RUS), 2013

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Elise Haan (USA) – 28.22
2. Katharine Berkoff (USA) – 28.50
3. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 28.52
4. Calypso McDonnell (AUS) – 28.60
5. Silvia Scalia (ITA) – 28.70
6. Tessa Vermeulen (NED) – 28.73
7. Agata Naskret (POL) – 28.76
8. Gabrielle Fa’amausili (NZL) – 28.86
9. Marieke Tienstra (NED) – 28.93
10. Marina Furubayashi (JPN) – 28.95
11. Nadine Laemmler (GER) / Ksenia Vasilenok – 29.02
12. —
13. Susanne Hirvonen (FIN ) – 29.19
14. Fanny Teijonsalo (FIN) – 29.21
15. Vera Koprikova (CZE) – 29.32
16. Polina Egorova (RUS) – 29.43

It’s been a great morning for NC State swimmers. After the Wolfpack’s Stewart took second in the previous event, NC State alum Elise Haan led the women’s 50 back, followed closely by future NC State swimmer Katharine Berkoff.

Haan was 28.22 for the top spot. She was the #2 seed coming in, and one of just two seeds under 28 seconds. Berkoff, the recently-graduated high school senior, was 28.50 for second. The pair went 1-2 in the 100 back (Berkoff first, Haan second) and will look to sweep gold and silver again in tomorrow’ final.

Canada’s Ingrid Wilm is third in a very tight field – the top 14 are all within a second of one another after prelims.

Men’s 50 Breaststroke – Prelims

• World Record – 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Meet Record – 27.06, Andrea Toniato (ITA), 2015

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Michael Houlie (RSA) – 26.98 MR
2. Connor Hoppe (USA) – 27.32
3. Kirill Prigoda (RUS) – 27.33
4. Ian Finnerty (USA) – 27.43
5. Johannes Skagius (SWE) – 27.53
6. Jaekwon Moon (KOR) – 27.62
7. Ryuto Shioiri (JPN) – 27.67
8. Alessandro Pinzutti (ITA) – 27.68
9. Craig Benson (GBR) – 27.74
10. Pedro Cardona (BRA) / Yuya Hinomoto (JPN) – 27.77
11. —
12. Ilia Khomenko (RUS) – 27.82
13. Grayson Bell (AUS) – 27.93
14. Andreas Mickosz (BRA) – 27.94
15. Theo Bussiere (FRA) – 27.96
16. Christopher Rothbauer (AUT) – 27.99

South Africa’s Michael Houlie is the top qualifier, breaking this morning’s only meet record with a 26.98 in this 50 breast. The speedster narrowly missed the medals in the 100 breast, just .20 out of bronze. He’ll seek a medal tomorrow night, but will have to deal with all three 100 breast medalists.

American Connor Hoppe is second in 27.32, a tick off his seed time. A hundredth back is 100 breast silver medalist Kirill Prigoda of Russia, and gold medalist Ian Finnerty of the United States sits fourth.

Women’s 800 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record – 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2016
• Meet Record – 8:20.54, Simona Quadrella (ITA), 2017

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Alisia Tettamanzi (ITA) – 8:41.18
2. Phoebe Hines (AUS) – 8:42.45
3. Waka Kobori (JPN) – 8:43.03
4. Chinatsu Sato (JPN) – 8:43.14
5. Irinia Prikhodko (RUS) – 8:43.35
6. Taylor Ault (USA) – 8:43.52
7. Megan Byrnes (USA) – 8:44.01
8. Lee Hea Rim (KOR) – 8:46.90

A very-tight 800 free field saw first and 8th separated by just about five seconds, and the fastest swimmer blocked out of the final just six tenths away from 8th.

Italy’s Alisia Tettamanzi is the fastest qualifier at 8:41.18. That’s about a second ahead of Australia’s Phoebe Hines. 

From there, things get really close, with third through seventh all between 8:43.0 and 8:44.0. That includes both Japanese entrants (including 1500 champ Waka Kobori) and both Americans (including #2 incoming seed Megan Byrnes).