2021 European Junior Championships: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2021 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, July 6th – Sunday, July 11th
• Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
• Heats at 9:30am local (3:30am EST)/Finals at 6pm local (Noon EST)
• LCM (50m)
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Recaps: Day 1 Finals/Day 2 Finals/Day 3 Finals/Day 4 Finals/Day 5 Finals

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 56.43 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)
• European Junior Record: 56.46 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 57.39 – Anastasiya Shkrudai, BLR (2019)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR) – 57.39

GOLD – Lana Pudar (BIH), 57.56
SILVER – Daria Klepikova (RUS), 58.07
BRONZE – Anastasiia Markova (RUS), 58.73

After reaping two silvers already here across the 50m and 200m butterfly events, 15-year-old Lana Pudar got it done for gold in this 100m sprint.

Hitting the wall in a near-lifetime best of 57.56, the Bosnian and Herzegovina athlete beat out a pair of Russians in Daria Klepikova and Anastasiia Markova, who touched in respective efforts of 58.07 and 58.73.

As for Pudar, she holds the national record in this event with the 57.37 she produced in Serbia earlier this year. Tonight, she opened in 26.74, the only sub-27 second split of the field, before bringing it home in 30.82.

Pudar trains with the Orka Swim Team in a 25-meter pool in her hometown of Mostar. She’s been swimming with the club since she was five years old under coach Alena Cemalovic. Bosnia has only two Olympic-size swimming pools: in the capital Sarajevo and in the northern town of Banja Luka.

You can read more about the Bosnian records which have bitten the dust over the course of these European Junior Championships here.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilya Borodin (RUS), 2021
• European Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilya Borodin (RUS), 2021
• European Junior Championship: 4:14.65 – Semen Makovich (RUS), 2013
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Apostolos Papastamos (GRE) – 4:15.18

GOLD – Cedric Buessing (GER), 4:17.40
SILVER – Jakub Bursa (CZE), 4:19.20
BRONZE – Artem Vorobev (RUS), 4:20.21

Germany earned its first gold medal here in Rome, with Cedric Buessing topping this men’s 400m IM field in 4:17.40.

Holding off his competition by more than 2 seconds, the bronze medalist in the 200m IM here blew his previous personal best of 4:19.77 out of the water. That result was posted just last month, so the 18-year-old entered new territory with his victory tonight.

Jakub Bursa gave the Czech Republic its first silver with a mark of 4:19.20 after the nation already had 2 bronze medals entering this event, while Artem Vorobev of Russia rounded out the top 3 tonight in 4:20.21. For Bursa, he had never been under 4:20 before, owning a previous PB of 4:22.59 from April.

Of note, the nation of Germany finished the 2019 edition of these Championships in 2nd place in the overall medal table, reaping 7 total golds. Two years later, the nation snagged its first gold on the final day of competition.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:05.28 – Lydia Jacoby, USA (2021)
• European Junior Record:  1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:05.34 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Kayla van der Mere (GBR) – 1:07.12

GOLD – Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 1:07.24
SILVER – Elena Bogomolova (RUS) – 1:07.25
BRONZE – Karolina Piechowicz (POL) – 1:08.93

This women’s 100m breaststroke race came down to the thinnest of margins, as Estonian Eneli Jefimova just out-touched Elena Bogomolova of Russia by a mere .01.

Jefimova trailed Bogomolova at the halfway mark, with the Russian busting out a swift opening split of 31.20. But 14-year-old Jefimova wouldn’t be denied, charging to the wall in a back half of 35.21 to finally claim gold after settling for bronze in the 50m breast and silver in the 100m breast.

Bogomolova was the 50m breast silver medalist and 200m bronze medalist here already while Poland got on the board for the first time in women’s breaststroke here, courtesy of Karolina PIechowicz landing 3rd place in 1:08.93.

Poland was medal-less at the 2019 edition of these European Junior Championships while here in Rome the nation ranks 9th on the overall medal table heading into the final day.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:52.71 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2018)
• European Junior Record: 1:52.71 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2018)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:53.79  – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Igor Troyanovskyy (UKR) – 1:57.86

GOLD – Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) – 1:56.29
SILVER – Michal Chmielewski (POL) – 1:57.09
BRONZE – Vadim Klimenishchev (RUS) – 1:57.49

A pair of Poles in brothers Krzysztof Chmielewski and Michal Chmielewski claimed the top 2 spots in this men’s 200m fly, with the former setting himself apart from the field in the only sub-1:57 time of the night.

Splitting 55.88/1:00.41, 17-year-old Chmielewski got the wall in 1:56.29, nearly a second ahead of Michal who touched in 1:57.09. Russia’s Vadim Klimenishchev was tonight’s bronze medalist in 1:57.49.

Chmielewski actually competed in this event at the Senior European Championships this past May where he notched a lifetime best of 1:55.46 in the prelims. The teen ultimately wound up just one spot out of the final, settling for 9th in 1:56.51 there in Budapest.

This is a fresh set of medalists in the 200m fly, with no top-3 finisher in the 100m fly getting onto the podium.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky (USA) 2016
• European Junior Record: 4:03.57 – Ajna Kesely (HUN) 2018
• European Junior Championship Record: 4:05.89 – Ajna Kesely (HUN) 2018
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Isabel Gose (GER) – 4:07.96

GOLD – Merve Tuncel (TUR) – 4:06.25
SILVER – Bettina Fabian (HUN) – 4:10.16
BRONZE – Giulia Vetrano (ITA) – 4:12.23

Merve Tuncel ripped a new lifetime best en route to topping the women’s 400m free podium. The 16-year-old completed her mid-distance trifecta of golds, adding this 400m free victory in 4:06.25 to her top prizes from the 800m and 1500m distances.

She clocked European Junior Records in the 800m and 1500m free but settled for a new Turkish national record here in this event.

Hungary’s Bettina Fabian snagged silver in 4:10.16 while Giulia Vetrano of the host nation collected bronze in 4:12.23.

Of note, Tuncel took the 400m free national record from Beril Boecekler, who previously held it in 4:06.68 from February. Boecekler, who is committed to UCLA, finished 4th here in 4:14.38, well off that previous record-setting mark.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• European Junior Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:55.83 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Jan Cejka (CZR) – 1:57.51

GOLD – Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 1:58.41
SILVER – Berke Saka (TUR) – 1:59.02
BRONZE – Kaloyan Levterov (BUL) – 1:59.13

Despite both Kaloyan Levterov of Bulgaria and Berke Saka of Turkey holding quicker seed times, it was another Pole in Ksawery Masiuk who soared to the top of the podium in this men’s 200m backstroke.

Stopping the clock in 1:58.41, 16-year-old Masiuk got under the 2:00 mark for his very first time and chose the right occasion on which to accomplish the feat. He represents a surge of Polish talent that is currently wreaking havoc on the medal table for the nation thus far here in Rome.

Masiuk has been a big part of that, earning bronze in the 50m back and gold in the 100m back.

As for Saka, his time tonight of 1:59.02 garnered the silver medal while Levterov, who owns a super quick PB of 1:56.57 which qualified him for Tokyo, settled for bronze in 1:59.13.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
• European Junior Record: 2:06.62 – Target Times
• European Junior Championship Record: 2:08.97 – Polina Egorva, RUS (2017)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Erika Gaetani (ITA) – 2:10.28

GOLD – Laura Bernat (POL) – 2:10.14
SILVER – Katie Shanahan (GBR) – 2:11.27
BRONZE – Erika Gaetani (ITA) – 2:11.46

Another Pole got to the top of the podium, this time in this women’s 200m backstroke. Laura Bernat beat the field tonight by over a second, hitting the ewall in 2:10.14. That was enough ot hold off a multi-medalist here in Katie Shanahanof Great Britain.

Shanahan has already reaped gold across the 200m IM and 400m IM, as well as silver in the 100m back. She settled for silver here in 2:11.27 after a hectic week of racing.

The 100m backstroke gold medalist here, Erika Gaetani, rounded out the top 3 in 2:11.46.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 21.75 – Michael Andrew, USA (2017)
• European Junior Record: 21.83 – Artem Selin, GER (2019)
• European Junior Championship Record: 21.83 – Artem Selin, GER (2019)
• 2019 European Junior Champion:  Artem Selin (GER) – 21.83

GOLD – David Popovici (ROU) – 22.22
SILVER – Nikita Chernousov (RUS) – 22.83
BRONZE – Martin Kartavi (ISR) – 22.92

The top 5 swimmers all got under the 23-second mark, led by the on-fire Romanian David Popovici.

16-year-old Popovici produced the quickest time of the field by over half a second, clocking 22.22 to take his 3rd gold medal of these Championships. Popovici already topped the podium in the men’s 100 and 200m free, hitting the world’s #1 time in the former in 47.30.

As for this 50, tonight marks Popovici’s personal best, knocking .19 off of the 22.43 he logged in Budapest at the Senior European Championships.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 24.33 – Rikako Ikee (JPN) (2017)
• European Junior Record: 24.88 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 25.02 – Maria Kameneva, RUS (2016)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Constanza Cocconcelli (ITA) – 25.25

GOLD – Daria Tatarinova (RUS) – 24.87 *European Junior Record
SILVER – Jana Pavalic (CRO) – 25.35
BRONZE – Eva Okaro (GBR) – 25.45

A new European Junior Record was established in this women’s 50m free by way of Daria Tatarinova‘s gold in 24.87. The 17-year-old demolished her semi-final performance of 25.10 to scorch her first sub-25 second time ever, beating the EJR 24.88 benchmark by .01 in the process.

For perspective, Tatarinova’s time tonight would have placed 7th at this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.

Croatia snared its first medal of these championships with Jana Pavalic scoring silver in 25.35. That’s just off her own national record of 25.28 set during the semi-finals.

Bronze tonight went to a 14-year-old in Great Britain’s Eva Okaro. Okaro crushed a lifetime best of 25.33 in the semi and was just off that here in 25.45 to land on the podium. Her time from last night’s semi’s establishes a new British Age Record for 14-year-olds. For additional perspective Okaro’s 25.33 from the semi-final would rank her as the 2nd fastest American 13-14-year-old of all time.

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 7:45.67 – Mack Horton (AUS) 2013
• European Junior Record: 7:45.92 – Franko Grcic (CRO) 2019
• European Junior Championship Record: 7:52.83 – Ilia Sibirtsev (RUS) 2019
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Ilia Sibirtsev (RUS) – 7:52.83

GOLD – Yigit Aslan (TUR) – 7:51.20 *Championships Record
SILVER – Mert Kilavuz (TUR) – 7:52.19
BRONZE – Luca Di Tullio (ITA) – 7:58.10

Turkey finished 1-2 in this men’s 800m free, led by 18-year-old Yigit Aslan. His time checks in as a lifetime best, beating his own national record of 7:51.60 from last month’s Turkish Summer Championships.

Behind him about a second dlater was Mert Kilavuz, with his teammate making it a two-man race. Luca Di Tullio of Italy was well beyond, but still under 8:00 in 7:58.10 for bronze.

WOMEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:58.38 – Canada 2017
• European Junior Record:4:00.30 – Russia 2019
• European Junior Championship Record: 4:01.83 – Russia 2019
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Russia – 4:01.83

GOLD – Russia – 4:02.72
SILVER – France – 4:03.69
BRONZE – Great Britain – 4:07.49

The combination of Aleksandra Kurilkina, Elena Bogomolova, Anastasiia Markova and Daria Klepikova gave Russia the gold in this women’s medley relay. Kurilkina led off in 1:03.26 while Bogomolova took over in 1:06.79. Markova kept up the momentum in 58.12 while Klepikova wrapped up gold in 54.55.

As for France and Great Britain, both of their lead-off legs were much quicker than Kurilkina, with Mary-Ambre Moluh of the former nation hitting 1:01.41 while Katie Shanahan of the latter produced a 1:01.83 opener.

Bogomolova proved to be a big difference-maker, clocking the fastest breaststroke split by nearly a second, with the anchor for Russia was the 1 of 2 sub-55 second outings. The other was produced by Tamryn Van Selm of GBR.

MEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:33.19 – Russia 2019
• European Junior Record: 3:33.19 – Russia 2019
• European Junior Championship Record: 3:35.24 – Italy 2017
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Russia – 3:35.97

GOLD – Poland – 3:37.46
SILVER – Russia – 3:39.30
BRONZE –  Ukraine – 3:39.43

Poland capped off its tremendous night of racing to gold in this men’s edition of the medley relay. The foursome of Ksawery Masiuk, Bartosz Skora, Pawel Uryniuk and Mateusz Chowaniec got it done in 3:37.46, beating Russia who touched in 3:39.30.

Russia’s Vadim Klimenishchev posted the fastest fly leg of the field in 52.89 while Poland’s Masiuk logged the quickest opening backstroke split. Teammate Chowaniec also ripped the only sub-49 second anchor of the field in 48.79 to help seal the deal.