2022 European Junior Championships: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2022 European Junior Championships

• Tuesday, July 5th – Sunday, July 10th
• Otopeni Olympic Swimming Complex, Bucharest, Romania
• LCM (50m)
• Start Times
  • Prelims: 10 a.m. local / 3 a.m. ET
  • Finals: 5 p.m. local / 10 a.m. ET
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Live Results
• Live Stream

The final session of the 2022 European Junior Championships is here. Romania’s David Popovici is in the water again as the top seed in the boys’ 100 free final, about one-third of a second ahead of Great Britain’s Jacob Whittle, the second seed. Popovici has already swum a few 100 freestyles here in Romania, leading off his 4×100 free relays in 47.76 and 47.54 before competing in the individual event where he posted times of 49.61 in prelims and 48.31 in semifinals. He set the world junior record in June at 47.13 during the recent World Championships.

Popovici, who won gold in the 50 free and 200 free earlier at this meet, is one of the multiple swimmers looking to defend their 2021 European Junior Championships titles today. The others include Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk, the top seed in the 100 boys’ back by 3 seconds. Top seeds Eneli Jefimova and Volodymyr Lisovets also have titles to defend, in the girls’ and boys’ 100 breast, respectively. Both swimmers won gold in the 50 breast earlier in the meet.

The session will also feature the girls’ 200 IM and 100 back, the boys’ 100 back, girls’ and boy’s 50 fly, girls’ and boys’ 400 free, and the 4×100 medley relay.

Girls’ 200 IM – Final

• World Junior Record: 2:08.91 – Leah Hayes, USA (2022)
• European Junior Record: 2:11.03 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 2:13.03 – Ilaria Cusinato, ITA (2016)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Katie Shanahan (GBR) – 2:13.13

1. Leah Schlosshan (GBR) – 2:13.49
2. Lilla Minna Abraham (HUN) – 2:14.28
3. Emma Carrasco Cadens (ESP) – 2:14.39
4. Lisa Nystrand (SWE) – 2:14.84
5. Phoebe Cooper (GBR) – 2:15.92
6. Zinke Delcommune (BEL) – 2:17.31
7. Saskia Blasius (GER) – 2:17.67
8. Angelina Patt (SUI) – 2:18.38

Phoebe Cooper built a strong lead for the Brits on the butterfly and backstroke as the only swimmer to split sub-29 on the butterfly length with a 28.48. But it was her British teammate Leah Schlosshan who took over on the breast and ran away with it on the final 25 meters. She split a blistering 37.11 on the freestyle to win gold.

Hungary’s Lilla Minna Abraham shaved about half a second off her lifetime best time from April to earn silver while Spain’s Emma Carrasco Cadens also undercut her best time slightly to round out the podium. Carrasco Cadens swam a consistent race and outsplit the Hungarian swimmer on most lengths, but Abraham’s 29.43 butterfly split gave her a lead of .34 which proved to be insurmountable for Carrasco Cadens.

Girls’ 100 Backstroke – Final

• World Junior Record: 57.57 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
• European Junior Record: 59.08 – Anastasia Shkurdai, BLR (2020)
• European Junior Championship Record: 59.62 – Polina Egorova (2017)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Erika Gaetani (ITA) – 1:00.65

1. Dora Molnar (HUN) – 1:00.88
2. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 1:00.90
3. Mary-Ambre Moluh (FRA) – 1:01.36
4. Lora Komoroczy (HUN) – 1:01.80
5. Evie Dilley (GBR) – 1:01.87
6. Sara Curtis (ITA) – 1:02.00
7. Sudem Denizili (TUR) – 1:02.18
8. Estella Tonraht Nollgen (ESP) – 1:02.68

Roos Vanotterdijk is unstoppable, steamrolling her third Belgian national record of the meet to earn silver here, taking .23 off Kimberly Buys’ record from 2013. She barreled down the pool and had the early lead with a first 50 split of 29.55, the fastest split in the field by .39. But Hungary’s Dora Molnar brought the race home in 30.94, as the only swimmer under 31.00, to win gold. France’s Mary-Ambre Moluh was slightly off her best time, having broken 1:00 before in April.

Boys’ 100 Backstroke – Final

• World Junior Record: 52.53 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
• European Junior Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, ITA (2022)
• European Junior Championship Record: 53.11 – Ksawery Masiuk, POL (2022)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 53.91

1. Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 52.91
2. Oleksandr Zheltyakov (UKR) – 54.26
3. Jonathon Marshall (GBR) – 54.42
4. Inbar Danziger (ISR) – 55.03
5. Miroslav Knedla (CZE) – 55.17
6. Matthew Ward (GBR) – 55.18
7. Nicolo Accadia (ITA) – 55.40
8. Alexandre Desangles (FRA) – 55.67

Ksawery Masiuk cracked the European Junior Championship record and came within half a second of his Polish national record from the World Championships to win gold comfortably today. He beat the time he swam to win gold last year by a full second.

This was a great swim for Ukraine’s Oleksandr Zheltyakov who was less than one-third of a second off his Ukrainian record to overtake Jonathon Marshall. The British swimmer went out in 26.01, earning him second at the flip turn with a .33 lead over the rest o the field. But Zheltyakov turned it on on the final length with a 27.78, nearly matching Masiuk’s final 50 split of 27.50.

Girls’ 100 Breaststroke

• World Junior Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• European Junior Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:05.48 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 1:07.24

1. Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 1:06.50
2. Justine Delmas (FRA) – 1:08.80
3. Olivia Klint Ipsa (SWE) – 1:09.29
4. Natalie Jandikova (CZE) – 1:09.67
5. Irene Mati (ITA) – 1:09.74
6. Sienna Robinson (GBR) – 1:09.90
7. Ida Skov Kragh (DEN) – 1:09.91
8. Chiara Della Corte. (ITA) – 1:10.20

Eneli Jefimova controlled the lead from the start of this race, turning at 30.76 with a 1.5 second lead over the field at the halfway mark. She nearly matched her Estonian national record from the European Championships, a 1:06.47, to take the gold here.

Justine Delmas and Irene Mati were in 2nd and 3rd at the turn, but Matti was run down by both Klint Ipsa and the Jandikova who had faster final 50 splits. This was a solid swim for Delmas who shaved .03 off her lifetime best time from 2020.

Boys’ 100 Freestyle – Final

• World Junior Record: 47.13 – David Popovici, ROU (2022)
• European Junior Record: 47.13 – David Popovici, ROU (2022)
• European Junior Championship Record: 47.30 – David Popovici, ROU (2021)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: David Popovici (ROU) – 47.30

1. David Popovici (ROU) – 47.69
2. Jacob Whittle (GBR) – 48.65
3. Nikolas Antoniou (CYP) – 49.67
4. Alexander Painter (GBR) – 50.38
5. Daniil Pancerevas (LTU) – 50.39
6. Krzysztof Matuszewski (POL) – 50.46
7. Ignacio Campos Beas (ESP) – 50.55
8. Nans Mazellier (FRA) – 50.91

It looked like a tight race between Popovici and Jacob Whittle at the 50-meter mark where Popovici flipped at 23.06 to Whittle’s 23.18. But the Romanian Rocket blasted a 24.63 final 50 split compared to Whittle’s 25.47 to dominate the race. This was a strong swim for Popovici, taking .6 off his semifinals time, but not quite faster than his 4×100 free relay lead-off split the other day (47.54).

Nikolas Antoniou crushed the Cypress national record by .30 to win bronze, beating his own record from the World Championships in Budapest.

Boys’ 100 Breaststroke – Final

• World Junior Record: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• European Junior Record: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• European Junior Championship Record: 59.23 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Volodymyr Lisovets (UKR) – 1:00.28

1. Volodymyr Lisovets (UKR) – 1:00.96
2. Koen de Groot (NED) – 1:01.21
3. Steijn Louter (NED) – 1:01.32
4. Uros Zivanovic (SRB) – 1:01.85
5. Davin Lindholm (FIN) – 1:02.13
6. Ralf Roose (EST) – 1:02.45
7. Luka Mladenovic (AUT) – 1:02.48
8. David Kyzymenko (UKR) – 1:02.59

It was the Netherlands’ Koen De Groot who turned first at the 50-meter mark, splitting a 28.25 to gain a slight .07 lead over the reigning European Junior champion Volodymyr Lisovets. But the Ukrainian swimmer was just getting started. He closed out the race with a final 50 split of 32.64 to win by nearly one-third of a second. De Groot’s teammate Steijn Louter made it a 2-3 finish for the Netherlands by splitting a 32.52 on the last length, the fastest finishing split in the field.

Girls’ 50 Butterfly

• World Junior Record: 25.46 – Rikako Ikee, JPN (2017)
• European Junior Record: 25.66 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 26.14 – Daria Klepikova, RUS (2021)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Daria Klepikova (RUS) – 26.14

1. Lana Pudar (BIH) – 26.49
2. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 26.63
3. Jana Pavalic (CRO) – 26.76
4. Paulina Cierpialowska (POL) – 26.90
5. Amelia Marek (POL) – 26.92
6. Lillian Slusna (SVK) – 27.09
7. Julia Ullmann (SUI) – 27.12
8. Anastasiya Yermishyna (UKR) – 27.51

Lana Pudar won gold in by coming within .20 of her Bosnian and Herzegovinian national record from this same meet last year. Vanotterdijk, fresh off her 100 back final swim, won her second silver medal of the night. While the Belgian swimmer won the 100 fly earlier in the meet, she made her move in the last half while Pudar (who won silver in that race) went out .67 faster than her. So it makes sense that Pudar had an edge in a straight splash-and-dash swim like this 50 fly final tonight.

This was also a great swim for Jana Pavalic who was within one-third of a second of her Croatian national record.

Boys’ 50 Butterfly – Final

• World Junior Record: 23.05 – Andrei Minakov, RUS (2020)
• European Junior Record: 23.05 – Andrei Minakov, RUS (2020)
• European Junior Championship Record: 23.48 – Noe Ponti, SUI (2019)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Josif Miladinov (BUL) – 23.59

1. Casper Puggard (DEN) – 23.67
2. Daniel Gracik (CZE) – 23.94
3. Ethan Dumesnil (FRA) – 24.17
4. Elia Codardini (ITA) – 24.30
5. Martins Zabothens (GER) – 24.34
6. Daniel Krichevsky (ISR) – 24.37
7. Lars Riisgaard-Jensen (DEN) – 24.48
8. Tobias Kern (CZE) – 24.55

It’s understandable if you were having déjà-vu watching this race. On Friday, the 100 fly final resulted in the same swimmers on the podium, just in a different order. In the 100, the Czech Republic’s Daniel Gracik won gold while Denmark’s Casper Puggard won silver. But during their sprint duel today, Puggard got his hand to the wall first, narrowly ahead of Gracik who was about .20 off his lifetime best.

The youngest swimmer in the final, Ethan Dumesnil of France, rounded out the podium. The 16-year-old shaved .14 off his lifetime best time to round out the podium. Dumesnil also won bronze in the 100 butterfly.

Girls’ 400 Freestyle – Final

• World Junior Record: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
• European Junior Record: 4:03.57 – Ajna Kesely (2018)
• European Junior Championship Record: 4:03.57 – Ajna Kesely (2018)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Merve Tuncel (TUR) – 4:06.25

1. Merve Tuncel (TUR) – 4:07.30
2. Giulia Vetrano (ITA) – 4:11.77
3. Nikoletta Padar (HU) – 4:12.04
4. Alexa Reyna (FRA) – 4:15.01
5. Julia Barth (GER) – 4:16.65
6. Thilda Haell (SWE) – 4:17.34
7. Carla Carron Muina (ESP) – 4:18.51
8. Lia Csulak (HUN) – 4:20.69

Merve Tuncel of Turkey pushed a fast pace from the start of the race, going out in 28.92 on the first 50 as the only swimmer under 29.00. France’s Alexa Reyna tried to match her with a 29.04 but she slipped behind while holding 32’s. Tuncel swam a consistent race, holding 31-low’s and 31-mid’s throughout the middle of the race. She came within about one second of her Turkish national record, the time she swam to win this event at the 2021 European Junior Championships, to defend her title.

Hungary’s Nikoletta Padar took out the race conservative, waiting until the halfway mark to make her move. She wore down Giulia Vetrano‘s lead by splitting a final 100 time that was nearly one second faster than the Italian. Padar had the fastest closing speed in the field with a final 50 split of 30.39,  but it wasn’t enough to overtake Vetrano.

Boys’ 400 Freestyle – Final

• World Junior Record: 3:44.60 – Mack Horton, AUS (2014)
• European Junior Record: 3:45.93 – Lorenzo Galossi, ITA (2022)
• European Junior Championship Record: 3:46.26 – Yannick Agnel, FRA (2010)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Batuhan Filiz (TUR) – 3:50.68

1. Lorenzo Galossi (ITA) – 3:48.14
2. Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) / Vlad-Stefan Stancu (ROU) – 3:50.61
3. –
4. Filippo Bertoni (ITA) – 3:50.63
5. Temiz Tolga (TUR) – 3:52.79
6. Batuhan Filiz (TUR) – 3:53.12
7. Daniel Meszaros (HUN) – 3:53.54
8. Jarno Baeschnitt (GER) – 3:58.04

European Junior record holder Lorenzo Galossi of Italy took control of this race quickly, earning a 1.7 second lead over the field by the halfway mark. At that point, it was Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski and Turkey’s Batuhan Filiz in 2nd and 3rd, but Romania’s Vlad-Stefan Stancu fed off the energy of his home crowd and went after Chmielewski on the second half of the race. He split a 29.00/27.52 on the final two 50’s compared to Chmielewski’s 29.38/28.73 to tie for silver. For context, Galossi’s lead was so large that he split a 28.97 on the last 50 and still won by 2 seconds.

With this swim, Stancu completed Romania’s streak of winning a medal in every boys’ freestyle event (Popovici taking gold in the 50, 100, and 200 while Stancu won medals in the 400, 800, and 1500).

Girls’ 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)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Russia – 4:02.72

1. France – 4:05.33
2. Hungary – 4:05.48
3. Italy – 4:05.70
4. Poland – 4:07.03
5. Great Britain – 4:07.68
6. Denmark – 4:12.01
7. Switzerland – 4:13.80
8. Ukraine – 4:14.38

This was an incredibly tight race with the top three teams touching the wall within .40 of each other. Hungary’s Nikolette Padar had the fastest anchor split of 54.04 to catch up to and pass Italy’s anchor Matilde Biagiotti who split a 55.28. Padar, who won bronze in the 400 free less than 20 minutes earlier, nearly caught France’s anchor, Giulia Rossi-Bene, as well. Rossi-Bene swam a 55.19 to finish the race and win gold. Hungary also had the fastest leadoff split of 1:01.58 swam by Dora Molnar.

Notably, Poland’s Julia Kulik was the only other anchor who broke 55.00. She swam a time of 54.88 to overtake Great Britain.

Boys’ 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)
• 2021 European Junior Champion: Poland – 3:37.46

1. Great Britain – 3:37.44
2. Ukraine – 3:38.02
3. Poland – 3:38.89
4. France – 3:41.01
5. Italy – 3:41.81
6. Israel – 3:42.95
7. Greece – 3:43.94
8. Denmark – 3:44.29

Great Britain was in 3rd place going into the final leg, but then Jacob Whittle hit the water and blasted a split of 47.94 (as the only swimmer to crack 50.00 on the last leg.) Ukraine gave the British an especially hard time on the breaststroke leg where Lisovets was the only swimmer in the field under 1:00 with a split of 59.77.

Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk had the fastest leadoff split with a time of 53.28, about one-third of a second off the time he swam to win gold in the individual 100 back earlier in this session.