2019 World University Games: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2019 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES/SUMMER UNIVERSIADE – SWIMMING

• July 4th-10th, 2019
• Napoli, Italy
• LCM (50m)
• Live Stream: Olympic Channel (in US), Rai Sport (in Italy)
• Entry Lists & Live Results

Finals on night 6 of the 2019 World University Games include the women’s 800 freestyle, men’s 100 butterfly, women’s 200 freestyle, women’s 50 backstroke, men’s 200 backstroke, men’s 50 breaststroke, and men’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay.

On night 5, South Africa’s Michael Houlie broke his own hours-old Games Record in the 50 breaststroke, dropping a 26.82 to take the top spot by half-a-second over Russia’s Kirill Prigoda and USA’s 100 breaststroke champion and Games Record holder Ian Finnerty.

Jack Saunderson (USA), Iago Moussalem (BRA), and Aleksandr Sadovnikov (RUS) finished within 7/100ths of one another in yesterday’s 100 fly semifinals, setting up for a thrilling race this evening. The gap from 1st-seed to 8th-seed in tonight’s final is a mere 0.52.

USA’s Gabby DeLoof, the top seed in the women’s 200 freestyle, will challenge the Games Record in tonight’s final and is an easy bet for gold. DeLoof’s lifetime best of 1:56.55 is just faster than the Universiade Record set in 2017. American Teammate Paige Madden had a strong showing in the semis, so seeing the US go 1-2 again is a distinct possibility.

Austin Katz is the top seed by over 2 seconds in tonight’s final of the men’s 200 backstroke, and the favorite to win the event. The race for silver and bronze will showcase an interesting match-up between Russia’s Grigory Tarasevich, USA’s Clark Beach, and South Africa’s Martin Binedell, though with a very closely-bunched field, anyone could surprise.

Team USA snagged the top seed in prelims of the men’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay this morning. The Americans won the 4 x 100 free relay on the first day of competition and will feature both 100 and 200 freestyle champion Zach Apple, as well as Dean Farris.

WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

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

1. Waka Kobori (JPN), 8:34.30
2. Irina Prikhodko (RUS), 8:37.36
3. Chinatsu Sato (JPN), 8:38.19

After a relatively flat day 5 with only one bronze medal added to their tally, Japan kicked off night 6 by picking up a gold and a bronze medal in the women’s 800 freestyle. 18-year-old Waka Kobori won Japan its fourth swimming gold medal of the competition, putting up a time of 8:34.30. Irina Prikhodko of Russia took silver in 8:37.36, while Japan’s Chinatsu Sato claimed bronze in 8:38.19.

Kobori took the race out faster than her competitors, and by half-way had a 2-second lead over Prikhodka and Chinatsu. Kobori won the 1500 earlier in the competition in a 16:16.33

American Taylor Ault was out-touched by a mere 2/100ths for the bronze by Japan’s Sato. Australian Phoebe Hines was also in the mix for bronze, but finished 3/10th further behind Ault in 5th.

Italy’s Alisia Tettamanzi finished 6th in 8:42.20, American Megan Byrnes then finished 7th in 8:45.06, and South Korea’s Hea Rim Lee 8th in 8:51.87.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record – 29.40, Lilly King (USA), 2018
• Meet Record – 30.12, Yulia Efimova (RUS), 2013

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jhennifer Alves (BRA), 30.73
2. Sarah Vasey (GBR), 31.12
3. Chelsea Hodges (AUS), 31.17
4. Sophie Angus (CAN), 31.26
5. Adelaida Pchelinsteva (KZA), 31.33
6. Dominika Sztandera (POL), 31.36
7. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 31.50
8. Tatiana Chisca (MDA), 31.51

Brazil’s Jhennifer Alves took command of the semifinals of the women’s 50 breast, setting herself apart from the rest of the field as the only woman to go sub-31 for the day. Great Britain’s Sarah Vasey and Australia’s Chelsea Hodges posted a pair of 31.1s to qualify 2nd and 3rd.

2019 Universiade Champion in the 100 and 200 breaststroke Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa qualified 7th and will race from lane 1 in tomorrow’s final.

Americans Emily Weiss and Jorie Caneta finished outside of the top-8 and will not swim in tomorrow’s final.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

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

1. Shinnosuke Ishikawa (JPN)/Egor Kuimov (RUS), 52.05
2. —
3. Coleman Stewart (USA), 52.11

Two gold medals were awarded in the men’s 100 butterfly tonight. Shinnosuke Ishikawa of Japan and Egor Kuimov of Russia touched the wall simultaneously, stopping the clock in 52.05, barely edging USA’s Coleman Stewart who picked up the bronze medal–silver will not be awarded–in 52.11.

Stewart edged just barely ahead of American teammate Jack Saunderson, who touched 4th in 52.25. The rest of the field was bunched up within 5/100ths: Japan’s Yuya Tanaka placed 6th in 52.32; Poland’s Michal Poprawa and Russia’s Aleksandr Sadovnikov tied for 6th in 52.35; and Iago Moussalem of Brazil finished 8th in 52.37.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINALS

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

1. Gabby DeLoof (USA), 1:57.62
2. Paige Madden (USA), 1:58.31
3. Mariia Baklakova (RUS), 1:59.00

The top-3 women from the semifinals held onto their respective positions in the women’s 200 freestyle final tonight. USA’s Gabby DeLoof and Paige Madden finished 1-2 in 1:57.62 and 1:58.31, respectively. Though DeLoof was about a second off her lifetime best, Madden shaved nearly 2/10ths from her time from last summer’s 2018 U.S. Nationals.

Russia’s Mariia Baklakova finished 3rd in 1:59.00, though she jumped on the first 100 and flipped only .03 behind DeLoof in 57.98.

Italian’s Linda Caponi and Alice Scarabelli finished 4th and 5th in times of 1:59.24 and 2:00.51, respectively. Caponi nearly ran down Baklakova for the bronze medal, but fell just short despite being half-a-second faster thank Baklakova over the final 50 meters.

Great Britain’s Kathryn Greenslade finished 6th in 2:00.70, just ahead of the youngest swimmer in the heat Irinia Krivonogova of Russia who touched in 2:00.98, and Canada’s Kennedy Goss who touched 8th in 2:01.08.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record – 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
• Meet Record – 21.67, Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 2013

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. David Cumberlidge (GBR), 22.05
2. Kosuke Matsui (JPN), 22.17
3. Ian Ho (HKG), 22.18
4. Pawel Sendyk (POL), 22.29
5. Heiko Gigler (AUT), 22.30
6. Gus Borges (BRA)/Zach Apple (USA) 22.38
7. —
8. Cameron Kidd (CAN)/Daniil Markov (RUS), 22.39 (Swim-off required)

The men’s 50 free delivered everything you’d expect out of the fastest race in swimming: ties, nail-biter finishes, and the necessity of a swim-off, which will likely take place after the final event of the night, the men’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay.

Leading the way into the finals of the men’s 50 free is Great Britain’s David Cumberlidge with a 222.05. Cumberlidge is followed closely by Kosuke Matsui of Japan in 22.17, who in turn is just barely ahead of Hong Kong’s Ian Ho, who notched a 22.18 for the 3rd seed in finals. Poland’s Pawel Sendyk and Austria’s Heiko Gigler take the 4th and 5th seeds in 22.29 and 22.30, respectively.

The 6th-seed in finals is where things start to get interesting as this is where our first tie emerges: B1G sprint kings Zach Apple and Gus Borges, representing the United States and Brazil, respectively, touched in exactly the same time of 22.38, though Borges was in the first heat and Apple the second. Right behind Borges in the first heat, Cameron Kidd of Canada and Daniil Markov of Russia touched in 22.39, tying for the 8th-seed in finals. Now, unless one of them scratches, Kidd and Markov will have to race again in a swim-off for the chance to swim in the championship final tomorrow night.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

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

1. Silvia Scalia (ITA), 27.92
2. Elise Haan (USA), 28.02
3. Calypso McDonnell (AUS), 28.25

Silvia Scalia picked up Italy’s first gold medal in swimming at the 2019 Summer Universiade tonight in the women’s 50 backstroke. Scalia hit the wall in 27.92, edging past top-seed Elise Haan of the United States. Haan finished in 28.02, just 12/100ths off her lifetime best from the 2018 U.S. National Championships. Australia’s Calypso McDonnell nabbed bronze in 28.85, as well as boasted the fastest reaction time at the start.

100 backstroke champion Katharine Berkoff of the USA tied for 4th with Poland’s Agata Naskret in 28.57. Germany’s Nadine Laemmler placed 6th in 28.61, just ahead of Canadian Ingrid Wilm who took 7th in 28.64. Rounding out the field was Marieke Tienstra from the Neterlands with a 28.72.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

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

1. Austin Katz (USA), 1:55.65
2. Grigory Tarasevich (RUS), 1:57.91
3. Clark Beach (USA), 1:57.96

Austin Katz of the United States ran away with the men’s 200 backstroke, winning by over two seconds ahead of runner-up Grigory Tarasevich of Russia. Katz took the race out fast in 56.16, whereas Tarasevich was more conservative, flipping at 100 in 58.03. Clark Beach, meanwhile, raced more like Katz and flipped in 56.92. Though Katz and Beach both held it together pretty well on the third 50, splitting 29.42 and 29.59, respectively, either of them could match the speed Tarasevich brought it home in, with the Russian closing in 29.87, the only sub-30 split in the field.

Tarasevich was able to close the gap on Beach and out-touch him by 5/100ths, but Katz was too far ahead to be caught.

South Africa’s Martin Binedell finished 4th in 1:58.02, Australia’s Cameron Tysoe 5th in 1:58.95, France’s Mathieu Geoffroy 6th in 1:59.28, Manuel Bacarizo of Spain 4th in 1:59.62, and Emanuel Turchi of Italy 8th in 2:00.06.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINALS

• World Record – 2:01.81, Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
• Meet Record – 2:06.83, Audrey Lacroix (CAN), 2007

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Dakota Luther (USA), 2:08.15
2. Olivia Carter (USA), 2:09.56
3. Alessia Polieri (ITA), 2:10.27
4. Ilaria Cusinato (ITA), 2:10.63
5. Claudia Hufnagl (AUT), 2:10.76
6. Sachi Mochida (JPN), 2:11.14
7. Alice Stuart (AUS), 2:11.41
8. Charlotte Atkinson (GBR), 2:11.72

USA’s Dakota Luther missed her lifetime best by only 6/100ths in the semis of the women’s 200 fly, posting a 2:08.95 to lead by 1.5 seconds. Teammate Olivia Carter was the only other woman under 2:10 with a 2:09.56. Carter also narrowly missed her best time, set at 2:09.02 in 2017 when she was only 17-years-old.

Italy qualified two into the finals with Alessia Polieri at 3rd in 2:10.27 and Ilaria Cusinato 4th in 2:10.63. Cusinato will head to South Korea when WUGs is finished to represent Italy at the 2019 FINA World Championships in the 200 and 400 IM.

Great Britain’s Charlotte Atkinson could surprise with some outside smoke tomorrow and steal a spot on the podium. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Atkinson posted a 2:08.50 in the finals of the 200 fly.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record – 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Meet Record – 26.82, Michael Houlie (RSA), 2019

1. Kirill Prigoda (RUS), 26.99
2. Michael Houlie (RSA), 27.19
3. Ian Finnerty (USA), 27.25

After notching two Games Records in the 50 breaststroke yesterday, Michael Houlie was the big favorite for the win tonight, but he was out-touched by Russia’s Kirill Prigoda, who finished in 26.99. Houlie, meanwhile, won the silver in 27.19, his slowest performance of the 3 separate 50 breaststrokes he has swam at this competition. USA’s Ian Finnerty, the champion in the 100 breaststroke, took bronze in 27.25.

American Connor Hoppe finished 4th in 27.30; Great Britain’s Craig Benson 5th in 27.45; Brazil’s Pedro Cardona 6th in 27.46; South Korea’s Jaekwon Moon 7th in 27.56; and France’s Theo Bussiere 8th in 27.60.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record – 23.67, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Meet Record – 24.48, Aleksandra Gerasimenya (BLR), 2013

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jessica Felsner (GER), 25.01
2. Ky-Lee Perry (USA), 25.11
3. Emily Barclay (GBR), 25.13
4. Valerie Van Roon (NED), 25.30
5. Nastassia Karakouskaya (BLR), 25.32
6. Grace Ariola (USA), 25.38
7. Nicoletta Ruberti (ITA), 25.43
8. Ying Bao (CHN), 25.54

Germany’s Jessica Felsner nearly cracked 25, taking the top seed in the women’s 50 freestyle final tomorrow with a 25.01. Felsner is followed closely by Team USA’s Ky-Lee Perry (25.11)and Great Britain’s Emma Barclay (25.13).

The Netherlands has not won a medal in swimming yet at this years’ WUGs, but tomorrow Valerie Van Roon could change finally get them on the board if she improves upon her 4th-place standing (25.30) as of semifinals. Belarusian Nastassia Karakouskaya qualified just behind Van Roon in 5th with a 25.32.

Grace Ariola, the only swimmer competing in tomorrow’s final that was born in the 2000s, placed 6th in the semis with a 25.38, though her best time is a 24.82 from the 2017 FINA Junior World Championships. If she can go sub-25 again as she has at three other times in her career, she could win the event.

MEN’S 4 X 200 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

• World Record – 6:58.55, Phelps, Berens, Walters, Lochte (USA), 2009
• Meet Record – 7:05.49, Izotov, Lobinstev, Lobuzov, Sukhorukov (RUS), 2013

1. United States, 7:09.77
2. Italy, 7:10.43
3. Australia, 7:14.75

The United States held off a hard-charging Italian contingent for the victory in the men’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay, making the American men 2-for-2 in relay victories. Dean Farris led off for the Americans in 1:48.73, touching the wall 4th behind Italy’s Mattia Zuin (1:48.36) and Russia’s Nikolay Snegirev (1:47.91) and France’s Jordan Pothain (1:48.70). Grant House then contributed a 1:47.89, which was followed by a huge 1:46.99 from Trenton Julian. Zach Apple followed up Julian’s with a 1:46.16 of his own to keep the lead the American’s had established after Julian’s swim.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE SWIM-OFF

1. Daniil Markov (RUS), 22.23
2. Cameron Kidd (CAN), 22.32

After tying for 8th in the semifinals of the men’s 50 freestyle, Russia’s Daniil Markov and Canada’s Cameron Kidd went head-to-head for the opportunity to race in the championship final tomorrow. Markov got his hand on the wall first and will swim the 50 one more time tomorrow night.