2019 World University Games: Dean Farris Splits 47.0 in Day 1 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.

We jump right into a full day of action at the 2019 World University Games. This morning’s prelims will feature heats of the women’s 50 fly, 400 IM, and the 200 back. The men will compete in the 400 free, 100 back, 100 breast, and the 50 fly, and we’ll also kick off the meet with one of the most exciting races, the 4×100 free relay, for both the men and the women.

Men’s 400 Free – Prelims

• World Record – 3:40.07, Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• Meet Record – 3:45.96, Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR), 2017

Top 8:

1. Victor Johansson (SWE) / Anton Nikitin (RUS),  3:49.40
2. (Tie)
3. Trey Freeman (USA), 3:50.23
4. Keisuke Yoshida (JPN), 3:50.36
5. Matteo Ciampi (ITA), 3:50.99
6. Zach Yeadon (USA), 3:51.18
7. Mattia Zuin (ITA), 3:51.36
8. Adam Paulsson (SWE) / Filip Zaborowski (POL) 3:51.47

Although they swam in separate heats, Victor Johansson of Sweden and Anton Nikitin of Russia swam very similar races as they ended up tying for the top seed heading into tonight’s final. Both men were out with two-tenths of a second of 1:54.0 (1:54.22 for Johansson and 1:53.81) for Nikitin, and each of their splits remained within roughly two-tenths of a second of each other on the back half, as both ultimately stopped the clock in 3:49.40.

Trey Freeman of the USA put up the 3rd-fastest time of the morning with a 3:50.23, and he’ll be joined by fellow American Zach Yeadon, who qualified 6th with a 3:51.18.  Italy also put a pair of swimmers into the final, with Matteo Ciampi (3:50.99) and Mattija Zuin (3:51.36), qualifying 5th and 7th.

Sweden ended up up with two swimmers in the top 8 after Adam Paulsson won a swim-off over Filip Zaborowski, 3:51.95 to 3:52.15, after the pair initially tied for 8th.

Rounding out the top 8 was Japan’s Keisuke Yoshida, who secured a spot with a 3:50.36.

Women’s 50 Fly – Prelims

• World Record – 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2014
• Meet Record – 25.72, Lu Ying (CHN), 2015

Top 16:

1. Tayla Lovemore (RSA), 26.51
2. Soeun Jeong (KOR), 26.70
3. Ai Soma (JPN), 26.73
4. Makuya Yamamoto (JPN), 26.76
5. Kinge Zandringa (NED), 26.79
6. Sofia Spodarenko (RUS), 26.91
7. Yerin Park (KOR), 26.93
8. Lucie Svecena (CZE), 26.96
9. Ida Liljeqvist (SWE), 27.06
10. Frederica Greco (ITA) / Lisa Hopink (GER), 27.10
11. (tie)
12. Veronica Burchill (USA) / Mei-Chien Huang (TPE), 27.20
13. (tie)
14. Emily Barclay (GBR), 27.31
15. Polina Egorova (RUS), 27.33
16. Charlotte Atkinson (GBR), 27.37

It was a sleepy morning for this event early on, as only a single top-16 swim came from the non-circle-seeded heats. But things picked up in a hurry, as the first circle-seeded heat produced three of the top five times of the morning, including Soeun Jeong’s 26.70, which held up for 2nd-fastest time of the morning.

Tayla Lovemore quickly toppled that time in the very next heat, and she’ll go into tonight’s semi-finals with the top time of the morning, a 26.51.

The USA got one swimmer into tonight’s semi-final, with Veronica Burchill taking 12th, while Dakota Luther was unable to advance with a 28th-place finish.

Men’s 100 Back – Prelims

• World Record – 51.85, Ryan Murphy (USA), 2016
• Meet Record – 52.60, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2009

Top 16

1. Justin Ress (USA), 53.88
2. Grigory Tarasevich (RUS), 54.28
3. Mark Nikolaev (RUS), 54.55
4. Yohann N’Doye-Brouard (FRA), 54.56
5. Bryce Mefford (USA), 54.57
6. Gabriel Fantoni (BRA), 54.71
7. Zane Waddell (RSA), 54.712
8. Cameron Tysoe (AUS), 54.95
9. Juho Lee (KOR), 55.12
10. Rob Hill (CAN), 55.18
11. Benedek Kovacs (HUN), 55.23
12. Guilherme Basseto (BRA), 55.26
13. Stanisias Huille (FRA), 55.30
14. William Yang (AUS), 55.31
15. Kacper Stowkowski (POL), 55.36
16. Joe Litchfield (GBR), 55.37

If tonight’s semi-finals remind anyone of a NCAA championship heat, there’s good reason for that, as 7 of the top 8 qualifiers have experience in the US college system.

Former NC State swimmer Justin Ress (USA) put up the top time with a 53.88, followed by Russia’s Grigory Tarasevich (54.28) and Mark Nikolaev (54.55), who competed for Louisville and Grand Canyon, respectively.

France’s Yohann N’Doye-Brouard broke up the NCAA streak, qualifying 4th with a 45.56, but the next three swimmers are all NCAA stars: Bryce Mefford (USA/Cal), Gabriel Fantoni (Brazil/Indiana), and Zane Waddell (South Africa/Alabama).

Women’s 400 IM – Prelims

• World Record – 4:26.36, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2016
• Meet Record – 4:34.40, Yui Ohashi (JPN), 2017

Top 8:

1. Makayla Sargent (USA), 4:41.28
2. Abbie Wood (GBR), 4:42.65
3. Sayaka Kashiwazaki (JPN), 4:42.86
4. Evie Pfeifer (USA), 4:43.25
5. Catalina Corro Lorente (ESP), 4;43.50
6. Ilaria Cusianto (ITA), 4:45.21
7. Sophie Caldwell (AUS), 4:45.85
8. Reka Gyorgy (HUN), 4:47.62

The USA was the only country to put two women into tonight’s final, with Makayla Sargent qualifying 1st with a 4:41.28, and Evie Pfeifer taking 4th with a 4:43.25.

While Sargent had the top time of the morning by over a second, she’ll have her work cut out for her tonight if she’s going to hold off a tough field that includes Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato, who won silver in this event at last summer’s European Championships.

Men’s 100 Breast – Prelims

• World Record – 57.10, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2018
• Meet Record – 59.53, Igor Borysik (UKR), 2009

Top 16:

1. Craig Benson (GBR), 1:00.07
2. Yuya Hinomoto (JPN), 1:00.16
3. Federico Poggio (ITA), 1:00.31
4. Andrius Sidlauskas (LTU), 1:00.32
5. Michael Houlie (RSA), 1:00.38
6. Kirill Priogoda (RUS), 1:00.53
7. Theo Bussiere (FRA), 1:00.66
8. Ian Finnerty (USA), 1:00.78
9. Berkay Ogretir (TUR), 1:00.97
10. Pedro Cardona (BRA), 1:01.17
11. Mauro Castillio-Luna (MEX), 1:01.24
12. Alessandro Pinzuti (ITA) / Christopher Rotblauer (AUT), 1:01.28
13. (tie)
14. Grayson Bell (AUS) / Ilia Khomenko (RUS), 1:01.36
15. (tie)
16. Johannes Skagius (SWE), 1:01.60

No one broke the 60-second mark in prelims, as Great Britain’s Craig Benson came the closest with a 1:00.07. It’s worth noting that Benson’s time is actually faster than the 1:00.15 it took to win this event in 2017. Japan’s Yuya Hinomoto was wright behind Benson with a 1:00.16, while the next three men were within 7/100s of each other.

The USA’s Ian Finnerty qualified 8th with a 1:00.78, while Connor Hoppe finished 22nd with a 1:01.97.

Women’s 200 Back – Prelims

• World Record – 2:04.06, Missy Franklin (USA), 2012
• Meet Record – 2:08.91, Stephanie Proud (GBR), 2009

Top 16:

1. Lisa Bratton (USA), 2:09.09
2. Asia Seidt (USA), 2:09.90
3. Chloe Golding (GBR), 2:10.67
4. Sonnele Ozturk (GER), 2:11.12
5. Kathryn Greenslade (GBR), 2:11.81
6. Nathania Van Niekerk (RSA), 2:12.77
7. Olivia Ellard (CAN), 2:13.29
8. Kennedy Goss (CAN), 2:13.34
9. Marina Furubayashi (JPN), 2:13.62
10. Tatiana Salcutan (MDA), 2:13.63
11. Nadine Laemmler (GER), 2:13.77
12. Irina Prikhodko (RUS), 2:14.23
13. Anastasiia Osipenko (RUS), 2:14.57
14. Calypso McDonnell (AUS)l 2:15.73
15. Tereza Grusova (CZE), 2:16.62
16. Vera Koprivova (CZE), 2:16.75

USA’s Lisa Bratton held on to her position as the top-seeded swimmer, splitting the last three 50s nearly evenly (32.83/32.60/32.66), and touching in 2:09.09. That time puts her within two-tenths of a second of the meet record of 2:08.91, which Stephanie Proud set back in 2009.

Fellow American Asia Seidt qualified with the 2nd-fastest time of the morning, 2:09.90. Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Russia, and the Czech Republic all also had two swimmers make it into tonight’s semi-finals.

Men’s 50 Fly – Prelims

• World Record – 22.27, Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2018
• Meet Record – 22.90, Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2017

Top 16:

1. Pawel Sendyk (POL), 23.78
2. William Yang (AUS), 23.81
3. Daniele D’Angelo (ITA), Lorenzo Gargani (ITA), 23.87
4. (tie)
5. Aleksandr Sadovnikov (RUS), 23.90
6. Alberto Lozano Mateos (ESP) / Guilherme Rosolen (BRA), 23.93
7. (tie)
8. Yuya Tanaka (JPN), 28.98
9. Grigori Pekarski (BLR), 24.04
10. Jack Saunderson (USA), 24.06
11. Nao Horoumra (JPN) / Coleman Stewart (USA), 24.15
12. (tie)
13. Jaehoon Yang (KOR), 24.17
14. Ashton Brinkworth (AUS), 24.21
15. Kaan Ayar (TUR), 24.28
16. Danill Markov (RUS), 24.33

Stroke 50s tend to be very tight races, and this was no exception, as barely half a second separated 1st from 16th. Poland’s Pawel Sendyk led the way with a 23.78, followed closely by Australia’s William Yang (23.81). Only 0.06s separated the next five men, as there were ties for 3rd and 6th place.

Both of the USA swimmers qualified for the semi-finals; Jack Saunderson touched 10th with a 24.06 and Coleman Stewart tied for 11th with a. 24.15.

Women’s 4×100 Free Relay – Prelims

• World Record – 3:30.05, Australia, 2018
• Meet Record – 3:38.12, USA, 2015

Top 8:

1. USA, 3:39.32
2. Italy, 3:42.51
3. Japan, 3:44.02
4. Russia, 3:45.52
5. Canada, 3:45.58
6. Australia, 3:47.84
7. Poland, 3:49.38
8. Singapore, 3:52.48

A pair of Claires and a pair of DeLoofs secured the top time of the morning for the United States. Sisters Catie DeLoof (55.10) and Gabbi DeLoof (53.99) bookended the USA’s relay, while Claire Adams (55.56) and Claire Rasmus (54.67) held down the middle legs. Tonight, the USA will likely bring in Veronica Burchill, who like Gabbi DeLoof qualified for the individual 100 free.

Italy got four very even splits from its squad, with all four legs going between 55.12 and 55.66. They’ve got a three second deficit to make up on the Americans, but they seem to have put themselves in a good place for at least a minor medal.

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay – Prelims

• World Record – 3:08.24, USA, 2008
• Meet Record – 3:10.88, Russia, 2013

Top 8:

1. USA, 3:12.55
2. Italy, 3:15.90
3. Brazil, 3:17.27
4. Japan, 3:17.95
5. Russia, 3:18.80
6. Poland, 3:19.04
7. Great Britain, 3:19.18
8. Australia, 3:20.68

Long-time readers will know that from about 2011 to 2016, there was lots of handwringing about the state of the USA men’s sprinting. Those concerns were alleviated after the USA won gold in the 4×100 free in 2016 and 2017, and it looks like any lingering doubts can be laid to rest after the college guys put up a big boy time in prelims; their 3:12.55 would’ve put them 3rd in prelims at the 2017 World Championships and would’ve finished 4th in finals.

Tate Jackson led off in 48.36, followed by Dean Farris, who smoked a 47.08 that is one of the fastest splits of all-time. Robert Howard also broke 48, with a 47.72, before Michael Jensen anchored in 49.39. Expect to see Zach Apple, who’s been 48.0 individually, replace Jensen tonight, meaning that the USA men have a legit shot at 3:10 and the meet record.

Just like on the women’s side, the USA was over three seconds faster than any other squad this morning; once again, Italy holds the 2nd seed. Their team was led by Ivano Vendrame, who led off in 48.92 and Davide Nardini, who split 48.42 on the 3rd leg, which were the only other sub-49 splits in the entire field.