2021 European Championships: Day 2 prelims live recap

2021 LEN European Aquatics Championships

• Budapest, Hungary
• Duna Arena
• Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
• Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
• Event Site
• Entry List
• Live Results
• Live Stream

The first world record of these European Championships was set yesterday in the second semifinal of the 50m backstroke: Russia’s backstroking ace Kliment Kolesnikov improved his own Russian, European and world record, crushing a time of 23.93. Katinka Hosszu regained her European title in the 400 IM and won her fourth gold medal in this event on the European long-course-stage. Her winning time of 3:34.76 pushed her to the second place in the current world ranking. Her 17-year-old teammate Viktoria Mihalyvari grabbed silver in the 400 IM, tied with Great Britain’s Aimee Willmott.

The men made it exciting in the 400m freestyle final with constant lead changes, in the end Russian Martin Malyutin won ahead of Austrian Felix Auböck. Malyutin’s time of 3:44.18 is the second fastest in this season (2020/2021). Two Olympic champions led the field into the 50m freestyle final: Pernille Blume set a time of 24.06 ahead of Ranomi Kromowidjojo in 24,14. Blume overtook Sarah Sjöström atop the 2020/2021 world rankings by 0.01.

Sweden’s Louise Hansson dominated the women’s 100m fly semis in 56,73, qualifying first for the final by three quarters of a second.Olympic champion and world record holder Adam Peaty got his job done in the semi of the 100m breaststroke with a time of 57,67, that is the ninth-fastest time in history. The British women set a new National Record time of 3:34.17 en route to win gold in the 4x1oom freestyle. On the men’s side, Russia improved the Championship Record by over a second to a time of 3:10.41.

Today, we’ll see the prelims of the men’s 100m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 1500m freestyle and the women’s 100m breaststroke, 50m backstroke and the 4×200 Mixed freestyle relay.Ten heats will determine the semifinalists in the men’s 100m freestyle, with Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), Alessandro Milessi (ITA), Vladislav Grinev (RUS), Duncan Scott (GBR), Andrei Minakov (RUS) among those competing.

Breaststroke specialists Yuliya Efimova (RUS), Martina Carraro (ITA), Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS), Arianna Castiglioni (ITA) are set to compete in the women’s 100m. Kristof Milak holds the world, European, world junior, European junior and championship record in the 200m butterfly and will compete in heat 4. European record holder Kira Toussaint (NED) will show up in the 50m backstroke. And the prelims of the men’s 1500m freestyle promised fast times with Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), Mykhaylo Romanchuk (UKR), Henrik Christiansen (NOR) competing.

Reminder: At the European Championships, nations can enter up to four swimmers per event but only the top two may advance from the prelims, the others shall not go through even if they also finish in qualifying positions.

Men’s 100m Freestyle

• World Record (WR): 46.91 – Cesar Cielo, 2009
• World Junior Record (WJ): 47.57 – Andrei Minakov, 2020
• European Record (ER): 47.12 – Alain Bernard, 2009
• European Junior Record (EJ): 47.57 – Andrei Minakov, 2020
• Championship Record (CR): 47.50 – Alain Bernard, 2008

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. KOLESNIKOV Kliment      RUS      47.53
2. MIRESSI Alessandro        ITA        47.81
3. MINAKOV Andrei             RUS      47.88
4. BARNA Andrej   SRB       48.17
5. POPOVICI David                ROU     48.30
6. GRINEV Vladislav              RUS      48.36
7. GROUSSET Maxime         FRA       48.36
8. NEMETH Nandor              HUN     48.38
9. ZHILKIN Andrey  RUS       48.40
10. MITYUKOV Roman           SUI        48.56
11. SZABO Szebasztian          HUN     48.59
12. DEAN Thomas    GBR      48.66
13. MILAK Kristof     HUN     48.72
14. RICHARDS Matthew        GBR      48.73
15. DJAKOVIC Antonio           SUI        48.74
16. PIJNENBURG Stan            NED      48.76
17. WHITTLE Jacob  GBR      48.78
18. ZAZZERI Lorenzo               ITA        48.80
19. FRIGO Manuel   ITA        48.90
20. SEELIGER Bjoern               SWE      48.98
21. SHEVTSOV Sergii               UKR      49.02

Alessandro Miressi (ITA) is the reigning European Champion, he won in 2018 with a time of 48.01. Yesterday, he set a new Italian National Record in 47.74 as the relay lead-off swimmer. In 2018, a time of 49.32 was neccessary to advance into the semifinal.

Tomas Lomero Arenas (AND) set the top time in heat one with a new personal-best time of 52.58. This time was topped in the next heat by Alex Ahtiainen in 50.06, close to the 50 seconds barrier and also a lifetime best. Anton Herrala (FIN) touched the wall in exactly 50 seconds as the fastest swimmer in heat 3. He improved his personal best time by 0.17. Sweden’s Bjoern Seeliger broke the 50 seconds in the next heat with his winning time of 48.98. He stayed under 49 seconds for the first time. No swimmer was able to top Seeliger’s time in the next heat, his teammate Isak Eliasson took the win in 49.66.  Belgium’s Thomas Thijs  reached a good speed in heat 6 and was clocked at 49,46. Two swimmers topped Seeliger’s time in heat 7, David Popovici (ROU) took the win in 48.30 ahead of Antonio Djakovic (SUI) in 48.74. Djakovic cracked his personal best. Also Popovici made a huge improvement from 49.09 to 48.30. The 16-year-old advanced as the youngest swimmer into the semifinals as the fifth fastest. Popovici will turn 17 on September, 15, 2021.

World Junior Record holder Andrei Minakov cruised to a 47.88 in the next heat and took the top seed in the intermediate results.

With 2 heats left, Vladislav Grinev (RUS) touched the wall first in heat 9 with a time of 48.36. 2018 European Champion Alessandro Miressi advanced with the second fastest time of 47.84 into the semifinal behind Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov in 47.53.

Duncan Scott (GBR) was a prominent “no-show” in the 100m freestyle. Scott won the silver medal in this event at the 2018 European Championships.

Women’s 100m Breaststroke

• World Record (WR): 1:04.13 – Lilly King, 2017
• World Junior Record (WJ): 1:05.39 – Ruta Meilutyte, 2014
• European Record (ER): 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, 2013
• European Junior Record (EJ): 1:05.39 – Ruta Meilutyte, 2014
• Championship Record (CR): 1:05.53 – Yuliya Efimova, 2018

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. CASTIGLIONI Arianna      ITA        1:05.98
2. CARRARO Martina            ITA        1:06.26
3. HANSSON Sophie             SWE      1:06.34
4. PILATO Benedetta           ITA        1:06.34
5. FAST Emelie        SWE      1:06.64
6. CHIKUNOVA Evgeniia     RUS      1:06.76
7. VASEY Sarah       GBR      1:06.85
8. MAMIE Lisa         SUI        1:06.86
9. RENSHAW Molly               GBR      1:06.93
10. EFIMOVA Yuliya                RUS      1:06.97
11. MC SHARRY Mona            IRL         1:06.97
12. VALL MONTERO Jessica  ESP       1:07.03
13. ANGIOLINI Lisa  ITA        1:07.04
14. JEFIMOVA Eneli  EST        1:07.15
15. HULKKO Ida        FIN        1:07.25
16. SCHOUTEN Tes  NED      1:07.45
17. BELONOGOFF Tatiana     RUS      1:07.65
18. GORBENKO Anastasia     ISR        1:07.67

Russia’s Yuliya Efimova won a perfect breaststroke triple back in 2018, she grabbed gold in the 50, 100 and 200m. It took a time of 1:08.53 to get into the semi.

Klara Thorman (SWE)  took the win in heat 1 with a time of 1:08.92. That was a huge effort for her, she came into this meet with a personal-best time of 1:10.01. Also the winner of heat 2, Veera Kivirinta from Finland put up a good speed with her winning time of 1.08.59, also a lifetime best and the first time under 1:09.00. Sweden’s Emelie Fast swam like her last name: 1:06.64, she set the top time in heat 3. That was a huge improvement, she came into this competition with a personal-best time of 1:08.73. Two swimmers were faster in the next heat, Sophie Hansson (SWE) came to the wall first in 1:06.34 ahead of Benedetta Pilato (ITA)  in 1:06.34. Italian’s Martina Carraro took the win in heat 5, she was clocked at 1:06.24. Another fast Italian set the best time of all ladies in the last heat in 1.05.98: Arianna Castiglioni is the top seed for the 100m breaststroke semifinal. Championship record holder Yuliya Efimova set the tenth fastest time in 1:06.97.

Men’s 200m Butterfly

• World Record (WR): 1:50.73 – Kristof Milak, 2019
• World Junior Record (WJ): 1:52.71 – Kristof Milak, 2018
• European Record (ER): 1:50.73 – Kristof Milak, 2019
• European Junior Record (EJ): 1:52.71 – Kristof Milak, 2018
• Championship Record (CR): 1:52.79 – Kristof Milak, 2018

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. MILAK Kristof     HUN     1:54.38
2. IVANOV Antani  BUL       1:54.72
3. CHMIELEWSKI Krzysztof    POL       1:55.46
4. PONTI Noe          SUI        1:55.67
5. BURDISSO Federico         ITA        1:55.73
6. MAJERSKI Jakub                POL       1:56.27
7. MARCHAND Leon             FRA       1:56.33
8. CARINI Giacomo               ITA        1:56.69
9. KENDERESI Tamas            HUN     1:57.02
10. CHRZANOWSKI Damian  POL       1:57.18
11. KUDASHEV Alexander    RUS      1:57.19
12. CROENEN Louis  BEL        1:57.31
13. KESIL’ Denys       UKR      1:57.32
14. TROYANOVS’KYY Igor      UKR      1:57.38
15. ZIRK Kregor         EST        1:57.56
16. SANCOV Alexei  MDA     1:57.78
17. KLENZ Ramon    GER       1:57.96

The current European record in the men’s 200 fly was set by Kristof Milak in 2018 and today he is in the mix to defent his title. It needed a time of 1:59.33 to advance into the semis.

Alexei Sancov’s lifetime best was registered with 2:10.34 before this meet.  He was clocked with 1:57.78 in the first heat, a huge improvement for him. Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski took the top time in the next heat in 1:55.46. Fastest in heat 3 was Antani Ivanov (BUL) in 1:54.72, he stayed for the first time under 1:55. Last heat, fast heat: Kristo Milak set the fastest time of all competitors in 1:54.38.

Women’s 50m Backstroke

• World Record (WR): 26.98 – Xiang Liu, 2018
• World Junior Record (WJ): 27.49 – Minna Atherton, 2016
• European Record (ER): 27.10 – Kira Toussaint, 2021
• European Junior Record (EJ): 27.51 – Daria Vaskina, 2019
• Championship Record (CR): 27.21 – Georgia Davies, 2018

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. DAWSON Kathleen          GBR      27.29
2. TOUSSAINT Kira                NED      27.60
3. DE WAARD Maaike          NED      27.84
4. FESIKOVA Anastasia        RUS      27.86
5. JALLOW Mimosa               FIN        27.97
6. PILHATSCH Caroline         AUT      28.02
7. LOEYNING Ingeborg V.   NOR     28.05
8. TCHORZ Alicja    POL       28.05
9. WILD Cassie        GBR      28. 11
10. KOST Nina           SUI        28.27
11. SCALIA Silvia       ITA        28.28
12. KUBOVA BAUMRTOVA Simona  CZE       28.30
13. PANZIERA Margherita    ITA        28.31
14. SHKURDAI Anastasiya     BLR       28.33
15. DRAKOU Theodora          GRE      28.39
16. JENSEN Julie Kepp            DEN      28.40

Georgia Davies (GBR) grabbed the title at the 2018 Europeans.  A time of 28,53 was required for a spot in the next round.

Teresa Ivan (SVK) manged to stay under 30 seconds for the first time with her winning time of 29.84 in heat 1.  Turkey’s Selen Ozbilen grabbed the win in heat 2 with a new lifetime best of 28,57. The winner of heat 3 was her teammate Ekaterina Avramova in 28.57 (PB 28,41). Five ladies topped Avramova’s time in heat 4: Maaike de Waard (27.84), Alicja Thcorz (POL) 28.05, Simona Baumrtova (CZE) in 28.30, Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR) 28.33 and Theodora Drakou (GRE) 28.39. Russia’s Anastasia Fesikova touched the wall first in heat 5 in 27,86. Great Britain’s Kathleen Dawson took the top seed for the semis with her winning time of 27.20 in the last heat ahead of European record holder Kira Toussaint (NED) in 27.60.

Mixed 4x200m Freestyle

• European Record (ER): Taget Time 7:22.33
• Championship Record (CR):  7:28.43 – Germany, 2018

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

This event has been swum for the first time three years ago in Glasgow. Germany took the title.

All teams in heat one had the strategy: Men first. Great Britain took the win with a time of 7:34.64 ahead of Israel in 7:40,24. The next heat featured Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Turkey and Ireland, Poland was a DNS. Same strategy: the men jumped into the pool for the first two 200s, then the women followed. It was a close race between Italy and Denmark. The anchors had to clear it, Sara Gailli against Amalie Mortensen. Italy hit the wall first in 7:35.36.

Men’s 1500m Freestyle

• World Record (WR):14:31.02  – Sun Yang, 2012
• World Junior Record (WJ): 14:46.09 – Franko Grgic, 2019
• European Record (ER): 14:33.10 – Gregorio Paltrinieri, 2020
• European Junior Record (EJ): 14:46.09 – Franko Grgic, 2019
• Championship Record (CR): 14;34.04 – Gregorio Paltrinieri, 2016

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. ROMANCHUK Mykhaylo  UKR      14:52.07
2. JOLY Damien      FRA       14:56.09
3. ACERENZA Domenico     ITA    14:59.47
4. CHRISTIANSEN Henrik    NOR     15:08.28
5. FROLOV Sergiy   UKR   15:10.41
6. DRUZHININ Ilya  RUS       15:16.47
7. BETLEHEM David              HUN     15:18.18
8. PUEBLA MARTINEZ A.     ESP       15:30.35

Three heats of the longest pool swimming distance are on the schedule. Mark Kovacsics (PB 15:28,82) from Hungary and Israel’s Bar Soloveychik swam side by side for the first 1100m, only divided by about  1.5 seconds. Then Kovacsics invested some more speed and was clocked at 15:35.95 ahead of Soloveychik in 15:40.53 (PB 15:34.87). Heat 2 offered no suprises with a victory of Mykhaylo Romanchuk (URK) in 14:52.07 ahead of Damien Joly (FRA in 14.56.07 and Domenico Acerenza in 14:59.47. Eight swimmers of heat 2 were faster than the winner of the first heat. All swimmers of heat 3 finished above 15 minutes, including Olympic Champion Gregorio Paltrinieri. Paltrinieri finished third in his heat with a time of 15:08.84. Hungary’s Akos Kalmar came in first in 15:02.97.